Production line efficiency is one of the most important factors in determining how much a company can produce per day. And, if you’ve ever worked in a manufacturing company, you probably know how much time is wasted on production lines. You might have even experienced how a poorly designed and operating factory can slow down the production process. If you’re an optimist, you know there are ways to improve the factory production line speeds. In this blog post, we’ll list some of the best practices you can use to improve your factory production line speeds. These simple steps will help you increase the velocity and productivity of your production line. Read on to learn how.
Many factors affect a company’s production efficiency, including: the number of workers, the work environment, the tools available, and the line speed. Of all of these, speeding up the line speed is the easiest way to increase production.
With the right strategies, line speeds can be increased by as much as 20%.
Let’s take a look at some of the most effective ways to increase production efficiency.
Choose the right tools for the job
When it comes to improving your factory production line speeds, the right tools will make all the difference. While this may seem like a no-brainer, you’d be surprised by how many manufacturers get this wrong. In fact, you’d be surprised by how many don’t even have the right tools for the job. The first thing to do is take a look at the inbound and outbound processes of your operation. Are you doing enough to optimize your current tools? Or are you simply trying to use the same old ones? With a better understanding of the workflow and tools in use, you’ll be able to make informed decisions about equipment investments. When you are sure you have the right tools for the job, the next step is to ensure that they are working to maximum capacity.
Make sure machines are up to speed
The most effective way to increase line speed is to ensure that your machines and equipment are tuned to the highest possible degree and are working at full capacity. If either of these is not the case, it will be a huge drag on productivity.
Plan workflows before you start
Plan processes, both in terms of the workflow and the equipment needed to execute those processes. One of the most cost effective ways to increase production is to find which processes are slower than they could be and then work to improve them. If you can speed up individual sections of an entire line, the increases in overall production can be staggering.
Sometimes, entire processes can be removed or merged, and by just removing some of the steps, again the overall speed can be improved..
Train employees on the best practices
Training employees is a huge factor in increasing production. If machines and processes are tuned to be faster, but the production line is slowed down because employees are not familiar with the changes, there is a chance production will be slower than it was before.
It’s important to note that while employees should be familiar with the equipment, in order that they can fix any stoppages or blockages, the most efficient lines are ones where humans don’t actually operate the machinery at all, just as mentioned, fix them when they break.
Safety first
Safety must be a top priority, so employees should only be operating equipment when necessary. It is also necessary to train employees on the best ways to work on the machinery when they need attention, get blocked or break down, which is not only safer, but also a great way to increase production whilst protecting employees at the same time.
Install automation
As mentioned above, the lower the level of human interaction your human workforce has with the machinery the better, automation being an extremely effective way to increase production speeds. For example, in a manufacturing facility, automating a single step can result in an increase in production of 200%.
Incorporate continuous improvement processes
Companies that implement continuous improvement processes are more likely to see an increase in production.These processes usually include establishing a clear goal for the organization, defining the customer value proposition, determining the e-commerce business model, and determining key performance indicators.
And is not just huge steps that are needed either. In most cases, ten small changes can result in a larger improvement, with less hassle, than one huge change.
Final words
How to increase production: This article explored some of the most effective ways to increase production efficiency.
When working with machines and equipment, it’s important to make sure they are running at peak capacity and that the right tools are being used. Sandfield Engineering are masters at speeding up productions with tools like vibratory hoppers (see their page on ‘How to speed up your production lines’ which covers the use of this tool)
Planning workflows before starting is also key, as is training employees on the best practices. Automating processes that are time-consuming and incorporating continuous improvement processes are two other methods
If all of the above are tackled, they can have a huge impact on production levels as well as perhaps levels of quality, staff morale and retention, and of course, most importantly your bottom line.
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