Layout planning in the abrasives industry

Project period: June 2019 - July 2019
Consultants involved: 2

Initial situation

Due to strong growth, the management of an international abrasives manufacturer was asking itself whether the existing layout in production has sufficient capacity. This is why REFA-Consulting has been commissioned to check whether the space available was really being used efficiently. The result should answer the fundamental question of whether a plant expansion is necessary or whether future-oriented growth can be covered with the current layout.

Aim of the REFA counselling

The aim of the consulting project was to examine the processes for possible potential in the organisation and control of production, so that no plant expansion would be necessary in the new layout planning and yet the requirements for further growth would be met.

Task and procedure

Through a systematic Application of the REFA methods, layout and material flow analyses are carried out as a basis for new layout planning in production as follows:

Recording the current situation

• Analysis of the spatial situation, temporal Processes, overlaps and multiple processes

Material flow analyses

• Review of material flow, transport, handling from goods entrance to delivery and internal transport routes

Storage areas

• Detailed analysis of storage and outsourcing, turnover frequencies, transport routes and the necessary use of personnel and industrial trucks

Shelf organisation

• Evaluation of the current shelf planning, recording of the actual shelf organisation with regard to layout, storage locations as well as storage and outsourcing

Interface consideration

• Consideration of working papers, documents, manufacturing technology (AV/planning) as well as the information flow and warehouse

The basic data is collected, condensed and evaluated:

All recorded data is checked for plausibility as a target/actual comparison and transferred to the new layout planning in production.

The planning of a new basic layout in the production area, taking into account the

• Storage of raw and trade goods, semi-finished and finished products, packaging, DIN/standard parts, etc.
• Mould storage
• If applicable, implementation of a C-parts management
• NEW Shelf organisation by means of ABC/XYZ analyses
• Transport routes and frequencies
• Means of transport and industrial trucks
• Space productivity - use of freed-up spaces for production
• centralised material supply for production
• central packing station
• Support areas - final inspection, measurement etc.
• Machine installation

are thus the task and the goal of REFA counselling.

Summary of the results (excerpt)

Storage of the small moulds in the shuttle

Splitting the assembly into high and low runners

New central warehouse layout

1. By reorganising the sawmill, the material flow and the storage of small moulds or spare parts in the shuttle, production space is freed up.

Summary account:

Result: An expansion of space is not necessary for the time being, even with further growth.

2. By splitting production into high and low runners and shifting preparation activities for small moulds (high runners to the shuttles), the output of the high runners should increase by at least > 30 %.

3. A completely new layout in the central warehouse creates new space.

With the help of REFA Consulting AG, the client has optimised processes and raised potentials in production. Cost reductions in the range of 3-5 % on the total costs (manufacturing costs) were realised. In addition, the potential analysis made it possible to simulate the production readiness for the next 3-5 years despite increasing sales figures (+6 %) .

The specifications of process optimisation and simulation of the operating means as well as capacity utilisation with increasing production quantities were thus fully taken into account in the framework of the study.