Hybrid helps relocated factory improve efficiency

A Fern Engineering Systems product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Feb 28, 2006

Production indicator system running weld assembly cells that were relocated from Derby plant to manufacturing facility 9.5km up the road.

Fern Engineering Systems has made a production indicator system for Futaba Industrial.

The production indicator system is running weld assembly cells that were relocated from Toyota's Derby plant to Futaba's manufacturing facility 9.5km up the road in Foston at the start of September 2005.

The Fern PI system is a hybrid design of Toyota's current system and allows for the proactive control of all machines via a PDF417 barcode on the shipping labels.

Machine manufacturing instructions are in the barcode as to the type of part to build on each machine and the actual vehicle it will ultimately go onto on the production line at Toyota as well as the amount per stillage for shipping purposes.

The systems took 20 weeks to manufacture and install at Futaba's facility combined with a two week testing period before going into the live management of the factory's production output in mid September 2005.

Factory production output has steadily increased to a daily average above 98%.