Lean production in the furniture industry: the double D assembly cell.

TLDR: In this article, a case study illustrates and proves the flexibility of lean manufacturing; it is adaptive and cost effective, improves quality, and is ergonomically correct for workers in the furniture manufacture sector.

Abstract: There are five generally recognized manufacturing system types and the Lean Production system is the newest manufacturing system design. Lean Production is functionally and operationally different from any other manufacturing system. It uses less of everything when compared to the most common functional job shop manufacturing system: less labor, less manufacturing space, less tooling investment, and less design hours to develop a new product. Lean Production normally means holding less than half the regularly needed stock on-hand. In addition, the implementation of Lean Production by a manufacturer results in fewer defects, and therefore, an increase in quality. The fundamentals of this newest manufacturing system are: manufacturing and assembly cells, pull system methodology, 100 percent good quality, on-time delivery every time, respect for people, and maximum utilization of non-depreciable resources, i.e., people and raw materials. Lean Production uses the cellular manufacturing system for one-piece flow. This system is flexible and designed to produce superior quality products, on-time, at the lowest possible cost, and on a continuous basis. This research utilizes the basic manufacturing philosophies and methodologies for the design and implementation of a Lean Production subassembly manufacturing cell, a non-typical double D configuration, in the furniture industry. A systematic detailed case study illustrates and proves the flexibility of lean manufacturing; it is adaptive and cost effective, improves quality, and is ergonomically correct for workers in the furniture manufacture sector.