Improvement of A Furniture Production Line Based On Flexsim

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 11

Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management

Harbin, China, July 9-11, 2021

Improvement of a Furniture Production Line Based on


Flexsim

Guo Jidong, Liang Yuyan, Zhang Kaibin, Jiang Junhao, Feng Caiping, Mo Yuwei,
Zhang Yongyang, Zhou Dawei
School of Industrial Automation
Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai
Guangdong Zhuhai, China
35189850@qq.com

Abstract
Aiming at the balance and bottleneck process of a furniture production line, this study simulates the production status
by Flexsim modeling and simulation, improves the bottleneck process by using ECRS principle and program analysis,
establishes 0-1 integer programming model for station reorganization, and obtains the optimized workshop processing
flow by using LINGO software. The results show that the total time of the production line is reduced by 87 seconds,
and the production balance rate is increased by 34.7%, which solves the practical problems in production and provides
a reference scheme for production improvement.

Keywords
Flexsim modeling and simulation, 0-1 integer programming model, Lingo software, Production balance rate

1. Status analysis of workshop production line


Under the background of increasingly fierce competition and the pursuit of low cost and high interest rate, how to
improve its competitiveness and become a leading enterprise in furniture industry is an urgent problem for company
A. The factory is a typical traditional manufacturing enterprise, and its product type is small batch and multi variety.
At the same time, there are problems such as dark production environment, old processing equipment, frequent round-
trip flow between working procedures, and unreasonable product process route. The above problems lead to large
reduction of production capacity, low utilization rate of personnel and equipment, and serious impact on production
efficiency [1]. The factory mainly produces office appliances such as desks, filing cabinets and other products. In the
process of optimization and improvement, this paper selects the representative type B products as the research object,
and makes the general process flow chart, as shown in Figure 1.

© IEOM Society International 133


Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management
Harbin, China, July 9-11, 2021

Fig. 1. B Process flow chart


The production line of No.1 furniture workshop of company a is machine group production. The parts are
transported by transport vehicle. There are six processes: cutting, thickening and cold pressing, fine cutting, edge
sealing, row drilling, Gong milling and grinding. It shows the position and working procedure time of furniture
production line of company A in Table 1.

This work is funded by the education and teaching


Table reform
1. Process project of table
information Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai
(No.Sequence
2020033JXGG) Processing Station Station Process
Total
Process equipment or Station standard Number of peopleproductio
number number time/s
process time/s n time/s
Open
Board Sliding table
1 1 sandwich 91 1 91
cutting saw
type panel

Thickene Hand brush 2 Brush glue 154.5 1


2 d cold 541
Thicken the
pressed Laminating 3 386.5 1
nail frame

Cut out the


4 79.3 1
Tailorin straight edg
3 ALTENDORF 259.3
g
Invest a new
5 180 1
mould

Edge Banding 1728.3


4 Banded 6 Banded 165 2 165
Machine
Dig the
7 92 1
small CNC holes
Row
5 machining 8 Pull trough 87 1 247
drill
center
9 Milling 68 1

Gong Craft
10 48 1
Line
Gong Make the big
6 Hand gongs 11 168 1 425
milling holes
Polish the
12 209 1
side

This paper mainly studies the process flow from cutting to trial assembly in the production line of solid wood
engineering. According to the production process of type B products, after field investigation, the location layout of
No. 1 workshop of the plant is made[2], as shown in Fig. 2.

© IEOM Society International 134


Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management
Harbin, China, July 9-11, 2021

Fig. 2. Layout plan of workshop

Through the current layout, the following problems can be found:

1. In the layout of the whole production line, the storage area of wood panels has not been reasonably designed
and planned (only simple drawing out the area), which leads to confusion in the placement of wood panels in the
production process, which increases the searching time of operators and causes unnecessary waste of time.

2. The production line lacks unified and standard on-site management. Basically, the production is allocated by
the operators themselves, and the operation action and material placement are in accordance with personal habits. In
production, many operation actions do not conform to the principle of action economy, which is easy to cause
problems such as increasing work load and low production efficiency [3].

3. There is an unbalanced process allocation problem in the production line, which is easy to lead to unbalanced
operation time distribution, resulting in some operators working at high load and some operators in idle state[4].

2. Analysis of production line process problems


2.1 Building Flexsim simulation model
Based on the production process of No.1 Workshop of furniture factory of company a, the simulation model is
established corresponding to 12 stations in the production line of type B products. Then, the production time of each
station is input into Flexsim simulation model to obtain the current situation simulation diagram[5], as shown in Fig.3.

Fig. 3. Current situation simulation

© IEOM Society International 135


Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management
Harbin, China, July 9-11, 2021

According to the standard working time of 8 hours a day, the processing rate of cutting process is 16.7%, while
the idle rate of thickening and cold pressing process is only 2.2%. It can be found that the bottleneck process is
thickening and cold pressing. The simulation data analysis table is output from the above simulation model, as shown
in Table 2.

Table 2. Simulation data analysis table


Process
Serial Process Idle
serial Process Work station
number ing rate rate
number

Open
Opening
1 1 sandwich 7% 83.3%
materials
type panel

Brush
2
Thickened glue
2 Cold 97.8% 2.2%
Pressure Thicken the
3
nail frame

Cut out the


4
straight edg
3 Fine cut 46% 54%
Invest a new
5
mould

Edge
4 6 Banded 29.2% 70.8%
sealing

7 Dig the holes

5 Row 8 Pull trough 43.4% 56.6%

9 Milling

Gong Craft
10
Line

Gong Make the big


6 milling 11 73.8% 26.2%
holes
machine
Polish the
12
side

2.1 Analysis of balance rate of production line


For the analysis and research of production line balance, it is commonly used to evaluate and compare the production
line balance rate and production line balance loss rate [6]. The formula (1) for calculating the balance rate P of the
production line is as follows.
N

∑T i
P= i =1
×100%
C.Tmax × N (1)

© IEOM Society International 136


Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management
Harbin, China, July 9-11, 2021

∑T i
Among them: i =1 is the total time of all workstations calculated according to the data collected above;
C.Tmax is the maximum operation time of all processes; N is the sum of production line workstations, then,
1728.3
P= ×100% = 53.2% .
6 × 541
The balance rate of the production line calculated above is 53.2%, which is far lower than 86% of the production
target balance rate. The reason for the imbalance of the production line is that the production rate of each process is
unbalanced, and the imbalance of production capacity among the processes will lead to the accumulation of work in
process and other problems, resulting in the waste of waiting.

3. Improvement plan
3.1 Methods and steps
In the first step, based on the relevant theoretical basis of ECRS, the bottleneck station in the current bottleneck process
is improved combined with action analysis, and the balance rate of the production line is compared with the target
balance rate [7]; the second step is to rearrange the stations by using the 0-1 integer programming modeling analysis
method of operational research, and the balance rate of the production line is compared with the target again; the third
step is to achieve the goal According to the process determined by lingo software, Flexsim simulation modeling
evaluation is carried out according to the process determined by lingo software, and the production line layout is
optimized. If it is not up to the standard, cycle steps 1 and 2. [8]

3.2 Optimization and improvement based on ECRS principle


It can be seen from the above table 2 that the bottleneck process is thickening and cold pressing, of which the longest
time is nail frame thickening. Combining with the standard action analysis, the ECRS principle is used to improve the
station [9], and the flow program analysis chart before and after the improvement is made, as shown in tables 3 and 4.
Through the rearrangement, cancellation and combination of the actions, the handling times of the nail frame
thickening station were reduced by two times, and the total time was shortened from 386.5s to 308.5s. The data
analysis table after the first bottleneck improvement was made, as shown in table 5.After the first improvement, the
total time decreased from 1728s to 1650.3s, shortened by 77.7s, and the production balance rate increased from 53.2%
to 59.41%, increasing by 6.21%.

Table 3. Program analysis chart of nail frame thickening process (before improvement)

© IEOM Society International 137


Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management
Harbin, China, July 9-11, 2021

Table 4. Program analysis chart of nail frame thickening process (after improvement)

Table 5. Data analysis table after first improvement

© IEOM Society International 138


Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management
Harbin, China, July 9-11, 2021

First bottleneck improvement

Process 1 2 3 4 5 6

2— 4—
1--91 6--165 7--92 10--48
Work
154.5 79.3
station
number -
3—
Work 5--180 8--87 11--168
station 308.5
productio
n time
9--68 12--209

Process
91 463 259.3 165 247 425
time

Total
1650.3
time

Balance
59.41%
rate

3.3 Optimization and improvement based on 0-1 integer programming


Because the production balance rate did not reach the ideal effect, the second improvement was carried out. In the
first step, the mathematical model of the second kind of production line balance problem is established by using the
idea of 0-1 integer programming, and the second step is to solve it by using Lingo software [10]. In the first step,
according to the current situation of plant a, the variables and symbols used in the model are defined, and the constraint
conditions are set. Finally, the 0-1 integer programming model for the balance problem of the second kind of solid
wood production line is established as follows [11].
∑𝐾𝐾𝑘𝑘=1 𝑋𝑋𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 = 1 ; (𝑖𝑖 = 1,2,3,4 … , 𝑚𝑚)
Minz=CT �∑𝐾𝐾𝑘𝑘=1 𝑘𝑘(𝑋𝑋𝑗𝑗𝑗𝑗 − 𝑋𝑋𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 ) ≥ 0 ; ((𝑖𝑖, 𝑗𝑗) ∈ 𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃) (2)
∑𝑚𝑚
𝑖𝑖=1 𝑋𝑋𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 𝑇𝑇𝑖𝑖 ≤ 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶; (𝑘𝑘 = 1,2,3,4 … , 𝐾𝐾)

In the second step, Lingo software is used to solve the problem and get the solution status and solution report, as
shown in Fig. 4 and 5.

© IEOM Society International 139


Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management
Harbin, China, July 9-11, 2021

Fig. 4. Solving state Fig. 5. Solving report

The results are shown in Table 6. When the process number M = 6, the minimum production cycle CT of solid
wood production line is 320s, and the production balance rate is increased to 86%.

Table 6. Improved 0-1 integer programming data analysis table


Improved 0-1 integer programming

Process 1 2 3 4 5 6

1--91 3—308.5 4—79.3 6—165 7--92 12-209


Work station number -
Work station 2—154.5 5—180 8—87 10-48
production time
9—68 11-168

Process time 245.5 308.5 259.3 320 308 209

Total time 1650.3

Balance rate 86%

3.4 Analysis of Flexsim modeling after improvement


In order to verify the improvement effect of the production line, it is necessary to establish a new simulation model
and output new simulation data [12], as shown in figure 6 and table 7. As can be seen from table 7, the processing rate
of each process has been greatly improved compared with the original situation, the idle rate has been effectively
reduced, and the production processing rate of each process is more balanced.

Fig. 6. Analysis of the improved simulation model

© IEOM Society International 140


Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management
Harbin, China, July 9-11, 2021

Table 7. Simulation data analysis table

Process Process
Total Processing
serial production Idle rate
time/ s rate
number time/ s

1 245.5 78.20% 21.80%

2 308.5 97.20% 2.80%

3 259.3 81% 19%


1641.3
4 320 96% 4%

5 308 94.10% 5.90%

6 209 63.10% 36.90%

3.5 Layout optimization after improvement


According to the 0-1 integer programming model and the process sequencing calculated by lingo software, the optimal
production rhythm and balance rate are obtained, and the layout of No. 1 workshop of solid wood plant a is re planned,
as shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 7. Improvement of Workshop 1 of the A Factory

After the re layout of workshop No. 1, the products produced in large quantities and the products of many varieties
and small batches flow through the stations involving equipment and manual operation, which are arranged in two
lines, reducing the backflow of work in process during production and making the layout more reasonable [13].

4. Conclusion
The results of this paper show that traditional IE combined with operations research and lingo can solve the furniture
production problem of cluster type very well [14]. The traditional IE method is used to solve the bottleneck process
problem, which reduces the total production line time of workshop 1 by 78S. Operations research combined with lingo

© IEOM Society International 141


Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management
Harbin, China, July 9-11, 2021

solves the production line balance problem, making the production line balance rate reach more than 86% [15], which
provides a theoretical reference for solving furniture production problems.

References
Ying Hao, Foreign trade status, problems and improvement measures of China's wood furniture industry, MA thesis,
University of international business and economics, 2007

Haiyang Lu, Jizu Li, Application of industrial engineering in production line balance of F company, Material
technology, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 295-299, 2014

Yunquan Hu, Fundamentals and applications of operational research, 6th Edition, Higher Education Press, 2014

Shu-ping Yi, Fu Guo, Basic industrial engineering, 2nd Edition, China Machine Press, 2013

Lingfeng Tian, Optimization of production line balance of company a based on Flexsim, MA thesis, Chengdu
University of technology, 2017

Xinsheng Yuan, Dahong Shao Shilian Yu, Application of lingo and excel in mathematical modeling, Science Press,
2007

Xiongbao Dong, Xi Cheng, Research on balance and optimization of production line, Value engineering, vol. 37, no.
32, pp, 261-262, 2018

Bin Liu, Tianrui Zhang, Mingqi Wei, Production efficiency improvement of a company based on IE method, Value
engineering, no. 38, alance analysis and Application Research of assembly line - Taking Z Company as an
example, MA thesis, Chongqing Jiaotong University, 20vol. 20, pp. 261-263, 2019

Baodong Li, B13

Yunfei Zhou, Research on improvement of assembly line production in Z Company, MA thesis, Jilin University, 2015

Jinxing Xie, Yi Xue, Optimization modeling and Lindo / lingo software, Tsinghua University Press, 2005

Liang Chen, Research on surface production line improvement of a product based on IE theory, MA thesis, Xihua
University, 2017

Lie SUN, Assembly line simulation and Optimization Based on job balancing, MA thesis, Shenyang University of
Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2016

Xinyao Li, Research on SG product assembly line balance of M company, MA thesis, Hebei University of technology,
2015

Jidong Guo, Kaibin Zhang, Junhao Jiang, Yuyan liang, Caiping Feng, Dawei Zhou, Balance Improvement Design of
Workshop 1 Production Line Based on Program Analysis and 0-1 Interger Programming Model, Mechanical &
Electrical Engineering Technology, vol. 49, no. 2, pp. 12-16, 2020

Biographies
Guo Jidong is a lecturer in the School of Industrial Automation of Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai,
Guangdong, China. He earned B.S. in Mechanical Manufacturing Technology and Equipment from Central South

© IEOM Society International 142


Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management
Harbin, China, July 9-11, 2021

Institute of Technology, Masters in Mechanical Design and Theory from Dalian University of Technology, China.
He mainly studies engineering graphics, computer aided design, process improvement, etc.

Liang Yuyan is 21 years old, borned in guangdong province, majored in Industrial Engineering, Grade 18, Zhuhai
College, Beijing Institute of Technology. In this paper writing, she was mainly responsible for the work of copy
writing. She has won several prizes in school competitions and thinks she has room for continuous improvement.
Hoping this conference will be held smoothly.

Zhang Kaibin. from Zhuhai Institute of Beijing Institute of Technology. In this project he made together with his
friends in his last college years. He was mainly responsible for collecting data, sorting out data, writing papers and
arranging the work of each group. It is a great honor that this project was selected by the organizer. Hoping the
conference will be a complete success.

Jiang Junhao is 24 years old, borned in Zhaoqing.He graduated from Beijing Institute of Technology,Zhuhai. His
major is IE(Industry engineering). Now, he worked in a medium and small-sized enterprises(export oven). He used
industrial engineering knowledge to solve production problems, and participated in many projects,including the
establishment of material distribution and delivery system,the Layout optimization and site improvement.It gave me
a great sense of accomplishment.

Feng Caiping is 23 years old borned in Huizhou City, Guangdong Province. She is studying in Zhuhai College of
Beijing Institute of Technology, majoring in industrial engineering. During her school years, she always try her best
to do everything well, that is, she can get all-round development, mastering the basic knowledge of my major well,
actively participate in community activities, and successfully pass CET-4 and Putonghua proficiency test.

Mo Yuwei is 23 years old, borned in guangdong province ,studying in Beijing University of Technology of Zhuhai.
My major is industry engineering. She spends most of her time on study, passed CET 4 . and had acquired basic
knowledge of her major during her school time.In school, she won the honorary title of excellent student and
excellent League member, also won the third prize of excellent student scholarship in 2018 and the second prize of
excellent student scholarship in 2020.

Zhang Yongyang is employed as an Assistant Professor and Director of Industrial Engineering by Beijing Institute
of Technology, Zhuhai. He earned a Master degree of Industrial Engineering from Chongqing University. He has
been recognized as a professional management with over 10 years of experience in the automotive industry. His
research interests include intelligent manufacturing, flexible production, facility planning, resource optimization and
lean production.

Zhou Dawei is a senior engineer, master of industrial engineering, industrial engineering expert of China
Mechanical Engineering Society, research direction: industrial engineering application, teaching courses: system
engineering, basic industrial engineering, production planning and control, lean production, etc.

© IEOM Society International 143

You might also like