Applicerbarheten av flödesorienterad produktion i en HMLV-miljö. En fallstudie utförd i samarbete med Inission Stockholm

Abstract

Inission Stockholm is a company that operates within a high mix low volume (HMLV) production environment, where the majority of the production is centered around the manufacturing of printed circuit boards assemblies. Within this environment, it is common for customers to demand high flexibility and short lead times. Lean principles, with a focus on flow production, is a way of satisfying these demands. Within an HMLV production however, there are certain characteristics that complicate the implementation of flow production. The aim of this bachelor thesis is to investigate whether flow production is applicable in an HMLV environment, and in what scale. The scale will be determined based on different product criteria, which will also be investigated in this thesis, as well as the expected effects of the flow implementation. Based on empirical findings within the case company, as well as previous research regarding HMLV and flow production, the authors concluded that the implementation of flow is only feasible for a small portion of the total products in an HMLV environment. In order to single out the products most suitable for flow implementation, different product criteria were used. The main criteria was the total production time, which was calculated by multiplying the annual production volume with the throughput time of the product. Different side criteria were also used, which complemented the main criteria in specific situations. The side criteria were product quality, even demand, and similar manufacturing processes. The conclusion was that 1,2 percent of the products were financially profitable for the case company to implement into flow. In addition to the time savings there are several other benefits to a flow implementation, including shorter lead times as well as improved quality.