production line solutions

• What is a Production Line?
• Production Line: Equipment Planning and Design
• Things to Consider When Planning and Designing a Production Line
• Different Types of Production Line Equipment
• Industrial Production Lines
• Batch Production VS Mass Production
• Production Run
• Continuous Production
• How Can You Improve the Manufacturing Efficiency of Your Production Line?
• Production Line: Equipment Safety
• Features of a Loading Dock
• The Benefits of a Loading Dock

It’s easy to confuse production lines and assembly lines because the two are so similar; however, they do differ slightly.

A production line is a configuration that consists of a set of processing steps. At each step, the manufacturer performs an operation or task that moves the product closer to becoming a finished product. ‘Production line’ is a broader term that can include manufacturing processes which don’t include parts. For instance, an operator of a factory could use a production line for food processing and packaging.

An assembly line is slightly more specific. It’s a type of production line that creates an assembly of parts or components. At each stage of the process, the manufacturer adds parts or components. The product then becomes closer to being fully assembled.

The operation of a production line is relatively straightforward. The manufacturer organises the line so that the product moves along it sequentially, stopping at workstations or centres where work is performed on the product before it continues along the line. The manufacturer may use a conveyor or forklift truck to move the items(s), or move them manually to the next station.

The production line could also be a team of human-operated positions organised in line with the set of operations that make up a technological process. The number of positions will depend upon the requirements and technical specifications of the product. Each product must go through every stage of the process, within a specific time, and all of the employees must perform the actions their position in the process entails. These activities constitute the production cycle. The end result of a production line is the result of processing, handling, packaging, transportation and more.

When planning and design a production, you must consider five main components: the individual workstation, the material handling, the machine-operator interface, tools and maintenance. Below we look at each, plus provide some tips and other things to contemplate in the planning stages.

A workstation is the interface point between a worker and the product, and can be static or stationary at a single workbench or machine, or flexible on a moving line.

You must understand the optimal interface for the product in relation to the person doing the work. This is your starting point for setting up your production line, and you should understand the optimal interface at each stage of the production process because it will determine the design of a lot of the equipment you need for your line. The workers must be able to position themselves in a productive position for the work, to see and to access the product easily.

A manually operated machine is a special type of workstation, and requires particular attention because the size and the function of a machine can create barriers to achieving the best human-machine interface.

Machines tend to have specific points of operation into which the worker must place materials and to which they must move them. This can make a machine difficult to integrate fully into the production line. Smaller machines are easier to integrate completely into the line, whereas larger ones are a lot harder to.

Machine changeovers also raise issues. The components the manufacturer has to switch out are heavy. They must set the components precisely within specific mechanisms of the machine. This is much in contrast to manual handling, which is more flexible.

You should have the right tools for the right job; knowing which tools is more complicated, though. Other issues to consider are supports and holders for tools, and also storage for them at their point of use.

Above, we’ve had a look at the components of the production line. Here are some further things to contemplate when planning your production line:

If you’re already operating a production line, you must be able to fit the new line into current schedules. Machinery downtime, worker availability and product quality are all elements the new production line could affect. Evaluate schedules and make sure the production line won’t disturb existing lines that are already meeting your customers’ needs.

Obviously, products must meet certain standards. The production line must take into account the type of product you’ll be manufacturing on the line. Can you comply with regulations but still maintain the product quality and keep your costs low?

Budget is hugely important. When planning your production line, you have to think about the operational costs, machinery maintenance, product waste management and other expenses. Will your production line reward the investment with worthwhile, sustainable profits?

You’ll find many different types of production line equipment today. A lot is automated or requires almost nothing more than programming a computer numerical control (CNC) machine.

Equipment you mind find on a production line includes printed circuit board (PCBs) assembly machines, CNC machinery, lathes and extrusion devices The manufacturer must control and calibrate every piece of machinery to make the necessary products correctly for distribution. If they don’t take good care of the machinery, the result will be malfunctioning and incorrectly finished goods.

CNC production line equipment manufactures mechanical parts for a wide variety of items. Vehicle axles and bike frames are two typical examples. The operator uses computer commands to program the machine, and the machine responds to these commands by drilling or cutting a piece of raw material into a specific shape. These machines produce a part with accurate dimensions for mass manufacturing.

Extrusion equipment forces molten plastic through a nozzle to make items. Device housings are one possible product that entail the use of extrusion equipment. The operator has to monitor and adjust the machine to ensure the plastic remains within a certain temperature range and can flow evenly through the extrusion process. If any defective items extrude from the machine, the manufacturer must stop the machine and troubleshoot it until it’s resolved.

There are several different types of production processes. The manufacturer must choose which one will be most suitable for their business:

Often, this type of process involves creating a single item. Normally, these will be unique items or items for which the demand is low. One example of this could be a machine shop that makes an industrial part that the customer has ordered. The manufacturer makes each item individually and doesn’t start the next one until they’ve completed the item. Designer dresses are another example of this.

This is a type of continuous production of items and involves a set of workstations that may all be in use at the same time. A guitar factory could have 10 workstations that have one guitar at each workstation in a different stage of production. Another guitar could be reaching the end of production while one is just entering the production cycle.

This is a type of mass production line that manufactures unique items to the customer’s specifications. A mass customisation will call for special technology that conducts a unique process for each item. One example could be a production line that makes shirts, manufacturing each shirt differently based on the customer’s measurements and preferences.

Mass production provides scope for the manufacturer to achieve production on a greater scale than batch production. This is because the manufacturer can use all of the machines at all times. Sometimes, the mass production could even be blessed with the sophistication to create different products on the same line e.g. making pineapple juice and orange juice on the same line, to obtain a high level of production.

Often, manufacturers employ mass production to produce larger amounts of larger products. This objective calls for larger machinery, and in the course of production, the objects will have to go through various stages of production. Cars are one example of this.

Production lines can create a number of units continuously. It’s normal for a factory to manufacture one set of items until it has produced the amount needed for inventory. This process of producing the items for a specific period of time is called the ‘production run’. Here are a few examples of production runs:

A solar panel producer experiences lots of demand for its products and begins a long production run of 10 months around the clock. This demand is so strong that it’s outweighing the supply, so inventory never builds up. The manufacturer decides to upgrade its products, and this is when the production run ends. Production then stops for several weeks as they change and configure the machines.

Manufacturing businesses can choose between making to order and making to stock. Making to order entails producing the orders when they receive them. This has several benefits, such as allowing the manufacturer to minimise waste, to reduce inefficiency and to customise products for their customers. Of course, as with everything, there are disadvantages, too: the manufacturer can experience spikes or falls in demands, must be ready to start producing orders as soon as possible and customers must wait longer for their products.

Make-to-stock orders, meanwhile, involve manufacturers making products for inventory, basing the amounts on sales forecasts and customer demand expectations. It’s a traditional strategy, and the aim is to match production and inventory with customer demand forecasts; this is no easy objective to accomplish, however, and can lead to dead stock, shortages or surplus inventory if there’s a miscalculation.

Making to stock allows the manufacturer to organise their resources carefully and maximise their efficiency. The manufacturer will also be able to devise a production schedule to ensure an ultra-smooth workflow. Importantly, they can minimise the customers’ waiting time, too, because the manufacturer can ship the products out to the customers quickly.

Making to stock relies heavily on forecasting, but unfortunately, consumer trends can be highly unpredictable. Manufacturers that implement a make-to-stock system can experience sudden spikes or drops in sales. Making accurate sales forecasts is also a challenge and can leave the business with too much stock or too little of it. The nature of this system can keep the manufacturer in a perpetual state of having too little or too much stock.

You may find a manufacturer is part of a collective business system. Normally, a collective business system is an organisation or association that consists of lots of businesses, tradespeople or professionals in the same field of effort or similar ones. These organisations can include professional associations, trade associations, marketing boards, business alliances and standards organisations.

In a collective business system, resources are pooled, information shared and other benefits are offered to the business, due to them being in the system. In addition, the system can offer certification and advertising to help the businesses compete more strongly in their marketplace.

There are several different ways you can improve the efficiency of your production. Below are some tips:

The takt time is the rate which you must produce goods or services to meet customers’ demands. Measuring this time accurately is essential so that you can both your production targets and your customers’ expectations. The formula is as follows:

• Takt time = available minutes for production / required units of production

When you have an accurate measurement of takt time, you can share it on the factory floor, and then everyone on the floor will know what success looks like for the unit. If they detect any problems that could threaten the level of output necessary, they can act sooner rather than later to solve the problem. Spotting problems early is decisive. 

Whenever there’s a breakdown on your line, a bottleneck occurs. Immediately, the assumption is that there’s a problem with the machine.

The machinery isn’t always to blame, though. Often, more ‘human’ components of the line are causing the bottleneck. A poorly organised preventive maintenance programme could be causing the bottleneck, or a technician could be slow to respond to incidents and help production get back on track.

Administrative processes are other potential causes of bottlenecks. Perhaps you’re waiting for a sign-off approval before being able to proceed? Maybe the sign-off for a replacement part is eating into downtime.

This is common in large manufacturing environments. Making sure you’ve trained your employees well and that they understand the basics of the line will vastly improve the line’s efficiency. They don’t have to be experts in areas of the factory that require highly skilled experts, but you’ll be able to keep the line producing if you have someone who can step in when there’s a problem. Standardising work will keep the line productive and save you money.

You might have invested in reliable equipment, but unless your employees know how to use it well, your production line won’t be as efficient as it could be. Investing in employees makes them feel appreciated and will increase motivation and morale on the manufacturing facility floor. Even though you’ll have a supervisor on the floor, you should be making sure your employees will give 100% effort regardless of whether a supervisor is there or not.

Operating safely is crucial in manufacturing. When running a production line, you need to make sure the workers can perform their duties safely. How can you make your production line safe?

Listen when staff complain about something. If they’re complaining about something, it’s often a sign the cause of complaint is affecting their work. This is especially the case if the complaint is relating to the equipment. Check out these grievances immediately. Not checking could allow the faults to grow even worse.

Training staff well is vital to make your production line safe. Don’t assume everyone knows what they need to know. Whether training is monthly or weekly, offer the training as frequently as you think the staff need it. Make the training easy to understand and practical, and leave the floor open for questions. Note that training is especially important for new employees, who are likely to be unfamiliar with the processes and, possibly, with the equipment.

Safety on the floor is critical, so consider having someone in charge of monitoring health and safety. This person (or persons) could be responsible for things such as making sure the floor isn’t wet or that staff don’t bring food and drink into working areas. Setting up and implementing a structure is important. If not, there could be an accident, and the injured worker could claim compensation.

Production lines are an essential part of manufacturing. If you’d like to find out how we might be able to increase the efficiency of your own production line with our solutions, contact us and one of our team will be happy to advise you.

Loading docks are vital in the productivity and efficiency of lots of different types of businesses, from factories to retail stores. This crucial area of the premises enables goods to flow quickly in and out of the facility. Businesses use them for receiving and shipping raw materials or goods, and also for dispatching finished goods to customers. 

There are no rules as to how many loading docks you need. This will depend on the product the facility is making, the flow of the process, the size of the facility and whether it’s receiving goods or merely shipping them.

Loading docks have several important features to help the operators optimise the flow of goods in and out of the premises, and also to keep the loading dock safe for anyone who has to work in there.

The dock bumpers are fitted to absorb the impact of the trailer. These durable rubber bumpers, which sit at the bottom of the dock, prevent damage to the concrete foundation wall. You’ll find them in different sizes, depending on the vehicles the loading dock is accommodating and the slope of the loading dock driveway.

The overhead door acts much the same as a garage door by protecting the inside of the building from outside elements. If the facility is shipping goods constantly, it must have a fast, functional door. The type of facility will determine the type of door you should have.

Loading dock lights keep the loading docks safe by lighting up the trailer while the employees are working in it, rather than forcing them to work in the dark. The flexible swinging arm on these lights allows you to direct the light where you need it to be. The design of the lights means they’ll stay in place once you set it in that position.

Good lighting on the outside of the building is also important so that the driver can see the dock pit and the building well. Signal lighting is essential, too, as it indicates to the driver and to the employees whether a trailer can enter or exit the dock safely or not.

An interlocking loading dock system will keep the overhead door locked at all times. Only when a trailer is locked to the dock and to the restraints is the door unlocked. This stops workers from opening the door for any other reasons other than loading or unloading.

Loading docks can benefit a business in several different ways. Here are some of the ones you can enjoy when you fit a good loading dock onto your facility:

Loading docks can cope with loads as heavy as 45.3 tonnes (100,000 lbs / 45,359 kilos). They’re designed to withstand heavy traffic. No matter what the product weighs, the loading dock isn’t likely to cave in under the pressure.

Loading dock equipment is surprisingly straightforward to use. Generally, staff can use it to conduct operations without having to consult a manual. Employees will require initial training in how to use the equipment and work in the loading dock safely, but this is easy to provide.

As anxious as a manufacturer might be to get those items out to consumers or customers, they can’t just fire them out haphazardly. Warehouses must follow a procedure before they send them on the next stage of their journey, or of the final one.

Planning is extremely important because the dispatch is part of a more comprehensive operation. Organising a dispatch consists of the following:

• knowing the orders that must prepared and sent during the day;
• sorting the list of orders necessary to prepare;
• assigning orders to the carriers and the times they must pick up the goods;
• schedule loading dock occupancy;
• provide the space required in the temporary storage area.

The dispatch is the last contact between the product and the warehouse. The final document verification will take place during this process. This verification is to ensure there are no mistakes and that the customers will receive what they’ve ordered.

The process entails checking the various documents (goods receipt, picking order, delivery note, road map, waybill etc), confirming all the products ordered are the ones on the pallet or in the package and verifying all of this in the warehouse management system.

These aren’t the only tasks in the process. The operator must also check the order weight and volume conform to carrier requirements, and then label it. They then package the items, either in boxes or on pallets; seal them; and stretch wrap them.