Application of Lean Manufacturing Tools in Garment Industry
Application of Lean Manufacturing Tools in Garment Industry
Application of Lean Manufacturing Tools in Garment Industry
1
Saraswati College Of Engineering, Mumbai University, India
Email: [email protected]
2
Saraswati College Of Engineering, Mumbai University, India
Email: [email protected]
3
Department of Industrial Engineering, India
Email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
The main challenges which the garment industry is facing are labor cost for production processes, small
quantities with few repetitions, frequently changing styles and short delivery times. Textile exports must get
special focus in view of its immense importance in the economy of country. More than 90 million people of
India are directly and indirectly engaged in textiles or textiles related sectors. It is the largest employment
generating segment of the economy, next to agriculture. The fashion industry is highly volatile and if the
orders are not fulfilled on time, the fear for losing business is real. Today, industries are getting the same
or more volumes, but the number of styles they have to handle has increased drastically. These problems
were addressed in this work by the implementation of lean tools like cellular manufacturing, Value stream
mapping, single piece flow, work standardization, 5S etc. Lean manufacturing is an integrative concept use
for identification and elimination of wastes related to production. The main purpose of implementing lean
tool is to increase productivity, reduce lead time, improve poor line balancing, reduce WIP, improve
quality, increase flexibility in design, reducing cost, etc. Under the highly competitive pressure the garment
industry has a good scope for improvement using lean principles. Lean concept must be implemented in the
fashion industry as companies always need to be prepared to respond to unexpected changes. This work
will focus on the implementation of lean tools and the conversion of traditional batch production into single
piece flow and long assembly line into small work cells.
Key Words: Lean manufacturing, Value stream mapping, Cellular manufacturing, 5S, Single Piece Flow
5. EXISTING SYSTEM
The work is conducted in garment industry which
make basically Men’s formal shirt in various order
size. Shirt manufacturing process consists of series
of different steps. These steps are divided into two
categories pre-production and production process.
The preproduction process includes designing the
garment, pattern design, production pattern making,
marking. The production process consists of fabric
inspection, spreading, cutting, bundling, fusing,
sewing, assembly, buttoning, threading, pressing,
packaging and different quality checking points.
Figure 6.1 Symbol Used In Value Stream Mapping
The present manufacturing system uses batch
Reference-http://www.edrawsoft.com
system which is also called progressive bundle
system (PBS). In PBS the parts of various garment
VSM is one of the most powerful tools which guide
components after being cut in cutting room are tied
the management to implement most effective lean
up in bundle and distributed finally to the sewing
manufacturing tool in garment industry to make
section. These bundles of parts are moved
company more efficient. Value stream mapping is a
sequentially from one operation to other and the
tool used to visually indicate all actions required to
gradually assembly process takes place through
bring a product or service in logical steps from start
successive sub assembly and main assembly
to finish.
operation in bundle form. In this system the sewing
It show all the action both value added and non-
operations are aligned in a one continuous single
value added currently required to complete a
line following the sequence of operation sequence
product or service through to the customer. The
order. Once the operation at one work station
information flow and the product flow can be
completed the WIP is pushed to next work station
visualized. A product or product family should be
manually or by using trolley. After final sewing
selected for which map is to be prepared. The value
operation the work piece is send to quality checking
stream map should be drawn for the entire operation
point before sending in assembly section.
or multiple product lines. For drawing the current
state map, the first step is to gather information
6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
from the production floor or office area. The map
Value stream mapping is a lean-management
should reflect everything from start to finish. Both
method for analyzing the current state and designing
the material flow and information flow should be
a future state for the series of events that take a
mapped. After drawing the map the next step is to
Rashmi Kumari et al IJMEIT Volume 3 Issue 1 January 2015 Page 980
IJMEIT// Vol. 03 Issue 01//January//Page No: 976-982//ISSN-2348-196x 2015
analyze the map. Identify first the value added and the system to understand each and every aspect of
non value added activities. Next step is to this new layout. There is different section use in
understand the customer requirement, recognize making shirt like front body section, back body
supplier capabilities and constraints. After that the section etc. For example suppose five operations
current WIP is calculate. If possible make the needed to make the complete front body section
production single piece flow, balance the line. After then all these operation related to front body section
analyzing the current state VSM, the new VSM is will be grouped together in one cell. So, basically in
drawn by keeping in mind that non value added this new layout total six cells will be formed, five of
activity should be reduced or eliminated. For them will be for preparatory section and rest one is
drawing VSM some symbol is used this is shown in for assembly section where all the other four section
figure (3.4). With the help of this symbol the will meet and complete the making of shirt. It will
detailed mapping is done either using pencil or be good to take help of expert to guide in
software. The data collected with reference to the determining and demonstrating the attributes before
existing system and new revised system should be implementing new system. Most of the companies
tabulated in proper way so that comparison can be have tried to implement cellular manufacturing
done easily and effectively. In this work the VSM concept in their company but they faced a big
tool as a table and map will help us to understand problem and that is about mobilizing people
and compare both the system the existing as well as In Unit Production System an overhead conveyor
proposed system. system is used in which the carrier is loaded to
After analyzing existing value stream mapping, move all the components of one garment from one
Cellular Manufacturing prove to be best tool to be work station to another work station. The carrier
implemented to overcome existing problem. So, the itself is divided into section and each section will be
batch processing process will be replaced by new having a quick release clamp attached with it, which
layout, called cellular layout which focus on unit will prevent the components from falling out during
production system. By doing this the firm will be movement from one work station to other work
able to reduce WIP to greater extent and flexibility station. In this system the garment components are
will be also improved due to reduced WIP. Cellular automatically transported from one workstation to
layout is one of the most effective tools of lean other work station according to a pre-determined
manufacturing concept; in fact it is an integral part sequence. When the components of garment will be
of lean manufacturing system. loaded into carrier, some mechanical or electronic
device will be attached with it, which will keep
6. PROPOSED SYSTEM track of the number of carrier and will addresses it
Some operation from the existing system will be to its destination. The carrier will be addressed with
removed. From the preparatory section the quality the entire destination it will pass through for
checking points will be removed as the operator will completion of work. The main line containing the
be aware of quality standards and will work loaded carrier will be connected to each work
according to that only. The creation of cells will be station by means of junction which will open
as per the operations needed to complete individual automatically when carrier will reach to its target
parts. The first step in creating new cellular layout is workstation for which it is addressed. when the
to finalize the operation require to produce garments. work will be completed on carrier a push button
To implement new cellular layout it is not necessary kept at the side of sewing machine need to be
to install new equipment rather same equipment pressed and will direct it to move to next work
should be re-arranged as per the need as buying new station for which it has been addressed. The empty
equipment and installation is very costly. A product carrier will returns to the loading station for
Specialized training should also be conducted for next steps. The work stations are designed very
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Figure 7.1 Current VSM of Existing System
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Figure 7.2 Revised VSM of New System manufacturing to textile industry”, North
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8. CONCLUSION Seifermann, “Efficiency and economic
More than 80% Work in Process inventory evaluation of cellular manufacturing to enable
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tool in way to provide a balanced flow from
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Flexibility will be improved by Cellular
manufacturing as the line can be changed
immediately whenever needed.
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