{"id":3973,"date":"2021-02-05T20:22:33","date_gmt":"2021-02-05T20:22:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kellertechnology.com\/?p=3973"},"modified":"2021-02-05T20:42:12","modified_gmt":"2021-02-05T20:42:12","slug":"when-to-use-lean-or-flexible-work-cells-hard-tooled-automation-or-a-hybrid-manufacturing-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kellertechnology.com\/blog\/when-to-use-lean-or-flexible-work-cells-hard-tooled-automation-or-a-hybrid-manufacturing-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Production System Design: When to Use Lean (or Flexible) Work Cells, Hard Tooled Automation, or a Hybrid Manufacturing System"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"3973\" class=\"elementor elementor-3973\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-8a0232a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8a0232a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-be3d496\" data-id=\"be3d496\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-509236c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"509236c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Designing a production system to manufacture a product is a complex and challenging task.\u00a0 Process engineers and company management must decide on the labor, equipment, and methods they will use to produce a quality product in the desired output volumes. Cost and lead time of custom equipment, production rate, process risk, product lifecycle, flexibility, safety, available floor space and hourly rates of operators all factor into the matrix they use to decide on a solution. The skill set and ability of plant support personnel to maintain and troubleshoot complex robotic systems and automation equipment, in case of breakdown, also needs to be factored into the equation.<\/p><h3>What Is a Lean Work Cell?<\/h3><div><div><div><!-- [if !supportAnnotations]--><\/div><!--[endif]--><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-b60d22b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b60d22b\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-b202f8a\" data-id=\"b202f8a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-016efe0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"016efe0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\"><p>For those unfamiliar with the term, Lean Work Cells and Lean techniques, also known as the Toyota Production System, have been utilized by manufacturing companies for over 50 years. The definition of lean in the purist form is \u201cthe endless pursuit towards the elimination of waste.\u201d When engineers utilize Lean principles to design a production line, the result is a highly flexible, lower cost work cell utilizing very manual processes. Minimal automation and material handling equipment is specified. However, the increased labor content of a lean cell can drive the operating costs over time to a much higher level than that of a fully automated hard tooled system or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kellertechnology.com\/blog\/how-to-use-4-types-of-industrial-robots-to-your-advantage\/\">hybrid semi-automatic systems<\/a>. What should you do?<\/p><\/div><p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-adcc7c3\" data-id=\"adcc7c3\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-72534db elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"72534db\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kellertechnology.com\/resources\/understanding-the-key-operating-principles-of-world-class-manufacturers\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kellertechnology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Blog-Photo-KR-300x292.jpg\" height=\"292\" width=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kellertechnology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Blog-Photo-KR-300x292.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kellertechnology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Blog-Photo-KR.jpg 622w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-3974 sp-no-webp\" alt=\"Lean Work Cell\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-32c659d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"32c659d\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-de7d693\" data-id=\"de7d693\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d8dc526 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d8dc526\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\"><h5>Consider a \u201cLean Cell\u201d or Flexible Robotic Solution When\u2026<\/h5><ul><li>The product design itself dictates manual assembly, therefore automation equipment is expensive and very high risk.<\/li><li>There are low and\/or unstable volumes forecasted.<\/li><li>The product lifespan is short or unknown.<\/li><li>The equipment needs to be flexible, easily modified and run multiple product families.<\/li><li>The product design is projected to change in the near future.<\/li><li>The cost of labor is low and plentiful.<br \/><br \/><\/li><\/ul><h5>Consider Hard Tooled Automation When\u2026<\/h5><ul><li>There is a stable product design that is not likely to change.<\/li><li>There are very few or no unknown process variables.<\/li><li>A high volume, short cycle time, is required.<\/li><li>A long product life span is projected.<\/li><li>Labor costs are high, and the supply is limited.<\/li><li>Ergonomics makes the work dangerous for operators.<\/li><li>The parts have been designed for automatic processes; therefore, automation equipment is relatively easy and inexpensive.<br \/><br \/><\/li><\/ul><h5>Consider a Hybrid System When\u2026<\/h5><ul><li>A solution utilizing a combination of manual, flexible and hard tooled automatic assembly makes sense.<\/li><li>The product design can easily be broken into stable sub-assemblies.<\/li><li>Parts and\/or subassembly buffers, between operations, could be beneficial due to process instability.<\/li><li>There are some unknown process variables, so a modular and flexible approach lowers risk.<\/li><\/ul><h3>\u00a0<\/h3><h3>The Best Solution<\/h3><p>The best solution depends on your particular set of circumstances and the company\u2019s goals.\u00a0 Therefore, ask questions, consider all the variables and solicit the opinions of your co-workers and manufacturing experts.<\/p><p>It may also be beneficial to engage the help of an equipment builder with a long history of success and expertise in your particular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kellertechnology.com\/about-us\/industries-served\/\">industry<\/a>. They will work with you to develop the \u201cbest value\u201d solution for your unique situation. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kellertechnology.com\/contact-us\/\">Contact Keller Technology<\/a> to learn more about possible solutions to your most challenging manufacturing problems. Our goal is to be your long-term supplier of custom, integrated automation and process equipment.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kellertechnology.com\/custom-machinery\/\">Explore custom machinery<\/a><\/p><\/div><p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Designing a production system to manufacture a product is a complex and challenging task.&nbsp; Process engineers and company management must decide on the labor, equipment, and methods they will use to produce a quality product in the desired output volumes. Cost and lead time of custom equipment, production rate, process risk, product lifecycle, flexibility, safety, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3974,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[12,92,85],"class_list":["post-3973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-custom-machining","tag-production-system-design","tag-robotic-systems"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>When to Use Lean Work Cells, Automation &amp; a Hybrid System | KTC<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Designing a production system to manufacture a product is a complex and challenging task. 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