Honda Motor has installed a new type of production line that is about 10% more efficient at an automobile plant in Thailand, the company said Thursday.
Until now, each worker was typically responsible for adding one type of part to a vehicle, and had to walk between the conveyor and the parts shelf whenever work on one vehicle was completed. With the new system, four workers ride a unit that moves on a conveyor, with boxes of parts at the ready, allowing them to continuously install multiple parts. This reduces walking to get parts.
Known as an ARC line, the new format was introduced at a plant in the eastern Thai province of Prachinburi that began turning out finished autos in March and makes some 60,000 Civic sedans annually. It is being applied to about 20% of total assembly procedures, including the attaching of wiring and interior parts after the body has been painted.
Layout changes for conventional production lines required considerable time and investment, whereas with the new method the conveyor that moves the line can be flexibly lengthened or shortened as needed. Production is easily raised or lowered by adjusting the number of units, and a smaller investment is required when adding vehicle models or changing production volumes.
After monitoring performance under the new approach, Honda will consider expanding its use.
