One-piece flow is a lean manufacturing tool. This concept is applicable in manufacturing and service industries. It is also called a single-piece flow or continuous-flow production system. Now in today’s market trend, each organization is focused to satisfied customer needs with the help of lower manufacturing lead time and on-time delivery. One-piece flow helps a lot to minimize inventory (work in progress) level operational processes as well as provide an environment for visible abnormalities of operational processes.
• Basic understanding of one-piece flow.
• How much time taken to manufacture a car component in industries?
• Difference between the conventional production system and the one-piece flow production system.
• Importance of line balancing in a one-piece flow production system.
What is a one-piece flow?
One-piece flow basically helpsze the output of the production line. In a one-piece flow production system, each operation is done sequentially or parallel. The benefit of each operation done parallel is minimizing the WIP level between each operation. If any product manufacturing 4 operations is required so in single piece mode each operation is done sequentially like 1st operation done, the product passes to the next workstation and the second workstation product passes to the third workstation after work completion. Rotation of the product is the continuous mode with the required workstation, that’s why one-piece flow is also called continuous flow.
In assembly operation the majority of industries successfully applied the one-piece flow concept. In manufacturing or fabrication activities very few industries have successfully applied this concept because the difference between workstation cycle times is too high. If any industry partially followed a one-piece flow strategy that can be also very helpful for improving operational performance.
Do you know how much time taking to manufacture or assemble car ingredients?
Generally, in automobile industries, one-piece flow tools are applicable with the help of a conveyor system. The time limit of the conveyor is predefined and each workstation is focused on tasks done within that time limit. Have you just thought about how much average time takes for assembling a car component? You are very surprised when I put the timing in your eyes. The average time taken for assembling the car components is just 2 to 3 sec. This fast process is done with the help of a one-piece flow layout, I think now you got the practical benefits of a one-piece flow production system.
Importance of line balancing in one-piece flow production system.
After the one-piece flow implementation of the manufacturing or service process, line balancing is very important. When any industry turn from a conventional production system to a one-piece flow production system initial performance of the operational line is very low. Line balancing helps a lot to improve line performance by balancing the cycle time of each workstation within the cable.
To balance production line use lean manufacturing such as work-study, kaizen, and many more.
| Conventional or traditional production system | One piece flow production system |
| In traditional production system level of inventory is high. | In one piece flow production system level of inventory is low. |
| Manufacturing lead time is too high. | Manufacturing lead time is too low. |
| Line efficiency is very low in traditional production system. | Line efficiency is high compare to traditional production system. |
| Abnormalities identification is a very difficult task in traditional production system. | Easily identified abnormalities in one piece flow production system. |
| In between two operations larger waiting time in traditional production system. | It between two operation minimum waiting time in one piece flow production system. |
| Less chances to utilize labour during operational processes. | More chances to utilize labour during operational processes. |