Work with an interior automotive manufacturer's engineering team to develop an assembly system for door panels.

The assembly system required the sequential manufacturing capability of four door panels with seven model variations, three color variations, and fourteen option variations each.

IET evaluated direct and indirect labor assignments, appropriate manufacturing documentation, and simple feedback loops. Then the project team developed an assembly system design that minimized material handling, inventory requirements, inappropriate sequencing, and operator balance delay. The design included simple material handling, flexible work cells and labor assignments, and Kanban component material delivery systems. Resulting throughput time for a typical door was approximately six minutes.

The IET-designed system met the needs of a very aggressive automotive launch program.

Manufacturing system design can produce over 5,000 different end items in sequence.

Manufacturing assembly lead time is less than 20 minutes.