The most important stage of axle assembly line is planning. A simple, efficient plan will carry you smoothly through the installation and operational phases of assembly. Conversely, mistakes made in the planning stage will persist and worsen over the lifetime of the assembly line. Fixing mistakes once the assembly line is built and running will be costly and time-consuming. That said, it’s difficult to envision all the variables that affect installation and operation on the drawing board, so there should be room built into the plan to make adjustments as needed during installation.
Planning assembly line processes and the flow of materials means interpreting the dry process flow diagram of your intended product into the simplest possible configuration of employees and equipment. Typically, the flow of actual physical materials should correspond with the step-by-step process detailed in the product flow diagram. In addition, the planning stage should account for product flexibility, as products and demand change over time. As you plan each assembly phase, consider the fine details, such as:
How will materials arrive at this station? Can you shorten the distance or simplify the method of conveyance?
How much work can be done at this station? Is it possible to affect multiple process stages in a single physical location?
How will products travel to the next station?
Does this station need to wait on the finished work of one or more previous stations? Can you create sequences in parallel to minimize bottlenecks?
How will employees arrive at the station? Will the tools they need be stored here or will they need to transport them?
What will the workflow for employees be—which hand will do what in which order?
Is it possible to maintain the same product orientation as the last station and the next station? Can the product be assembled from top-down?
What safety measures do employees need? What ergonomic solutions should you provide?
How will you remove waste from this station? Is there a simpler way?
What are the power requirements for this station? How will you connect equipment to the power source?
How will this station be maintained? What are the service requirements for this equipment? How will maintenance workers access needed areas?
How much flexibility does the ideal setup for the intended product have? Can this setup accommodate a range of similar products?