Schonberger Case #1: HyGain-Telex: Analysis for JIT Production
Company Objective
"The HyGain-Telex plan in Lincoln, Nebraska, manufactures antennas. It currently has an U.S. Army contract for Model X32 antennas. The contract requires a production rate of two hundred Model X32s per day. The contract quantity may be changed quarterly."
Manufacture of the X32
Analysis of the manufacture of the X32 concentrates on the base, which is a cylinder 6 inches in diameter and 10 inches high (see diagram on page 2). Manufacturing of the base occurs in several stages.
Step # Function Time (min)
1 Holes are molded into the base by use of core plugs 2.50
2.1 A dozen more holes are drilled then half of them are tapped 0.12 to 1.02
2.2 The remaining six holes are installed with "helicoils 1.82
3 Assemble as "birdcage" inside the Lexan base 1.78
4 Foam the assembly 2.61
5 Paint 1.82
Concentrating on the drill-and-tap and assembly steps (2.1, 2.2, and 3), drill-and-tap ran one shift while assembly usually ran two shifts.
Flow Data
The total flow distance of the manufacturing of the X32 is 1,296 feet from mold to the final prepping area.
192 ft 144 ft 480 ft 480 ft
The flow-time data is described ...