Material Handling Information - Case Studies - NTN Driveshaft
Case Studies - Automotive Industry Application
NTN Driveshaft
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Application
NTN Driveshaft manufacturing facility -- Columbus, IN.
Manufactures Constant Velocity (CV) joints for front-wheel and four-wheel drive cars and trucks.
Originally supplied Japanese transplant facilities in
the U.S.; now also supplies U.S. automakers.
Key Customer Benefits
Floor space opened for more manufacturing equipment.
Production capacity doubled.
First In, First Out (FIFO) lot tracking for better quality.
Reliable JIT shipments.
Cleaner, less congested, safer work environment.
Material Flow Requirements
Remove Work In Process (WIP) from factory floor.
Improve inventory control.
Provide Just-In-Time shipping to customers.
Material Flow Hardware
One-aisle unit load
with Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV)
for buffering forged components.
One-aisle unit load with input/output (I/O) at both ends connecting the forging and assembly buildings.
One-aisle unit load for storing WIP prior to final assembly.
Two-aisle, rack-supported unit load with I/O at both ends for buffering parts going to assembly stations.
Three-aisle, rack-supported unit load for buffering finished goods prior to shipping.
Computer Control System
Real-time inventory control software.
Material Flow Process
Unit load automated buffers are used throughout the plant to store WIP in between manufacturing processes.
In the forging plant, a one-aisle unit load stores bins of forged components.
An Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV) transports bins from the forging unit load to a chemical bath that treats the forged components.
Following the chemical treatment, components are re-palletized and sent to a one-aisle unit load that bridges the forging and assembly buildings.
In the assembly building, an input/output station at the end of the unit load delivers parts as needed for turning, heat treating, and grinding.
When the machining processes are complete, parts are delivered by forklift trucks to a third one-aisle unit load buffer.
Parts are retrieved from the WIP buffer and taken by forklift truck to the factory floor as needed for final assembly.
Incoming parts from suppliers are stored in a two-aisle unit load with input/ output stations on both ends to streamline deliveries to the production floor.
Finished driveshaft assemblies go into a three-aisle unit load for Just-In-Time shipments to automobile assembly lines.
