ASSEMBLY LINE IMPROVEMENT

automotive manufacturing productivity

SERVICE AREA:

IMEG partnered with a Tier I automotive manufacturer to increase productivity on a high-volume assembly line at their 120,000-square-foot production facility.

THE PROBLEM

The manufacturer was facing serious bottlenecks and inefficiencies on the assembly line, which were preventing them from meeting production targets:

Unbalanced assembly line operations
Delays caused by equipment reliability issues
Inefficient use of space for raw material staging
Redundant processes reducing throughput
Poor equipment and tool ergonomics at workstations

assembly process optimization

THE PLAN

To address these productivity and ergonomic issues, IMEG implemented a structured assembly line improvement strategy including:

Conducting time studies to identify process imbalance
Mapping and eliminating redundant steps in the assembly process
Developing a fixture repair tracking system to detect equipment-related delays
Rearranging tools and equipment to improve ergonomic efficiency
Removing unnecessary side materials to improve material flow and reduce clutter

THE RESULTS

Identified and executed cost-saving fixture repairs
Reduced equipment-related production delays
Increased job throughput from 60 to 65 jobs per hour
Improved ergonomics with better tool, equipment, and material placement
Reduced station cycle times at multiple stations with better tool and material placement