Analysis and Proposition of Layout in the Lean Perspective: Case Study in a Small Production Company of Aluminum Furniture

Abstract

The present work has the objective of presenting the analysis and the proposal of a new layout from the perspective of lean manufacturing from the case of a company in the field of production of aluminum furniture. Direct observation of the factory floor and interviews with employees and owners were carried out to collect data and process mapping. Based on the 5s concepts, improveme nts were proposed regarding the use (elimination of what was not useful for jobs), organization (establishment of correct place to store tools and work in process), cleaning (identification of potential failures related to quality and safety), standardization (establishment of internal norms) and discipline (perpetuation of continuous improvement). It was also contributed by analyzing the cycle times of each step of the process (cutting, folding, welding, drilling and sanding) and takt time, identifying the need for three supermarkets, using the concept of square kanban. Finally, based on the previous steps, the main contribution of the study was the proposition of a new layout, where two production cells were determined, resulting in benefits such as reduction of distances, reduction of unnecessary movements, greater simplification of work, environment cleaner, safer and more organized.