International Journal of Design and Manufacturing Technology (IJDMT)

Volume 8, Issue 1, January-April, pp. 30–37, Article ID: IJDMT_08_01_004

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© IAEME Publication

A REVIEW OF A BASIC CONCEPT OF CELLULAR

MANUFACTURING
Hayder Kareem Sakran
Chemical Engineering, Engineering College, AL Muthanna University, Samawa, Iraq

Hasanein Majeed Mahbuba

Chemical Engineering, Engineering College, AL Muthanna University, Samawa, Iraq

Ali Saleh Jafer

Chemical Engineering, Engineering College, AL Muthanna University, Samawa, Iraq

ABSTRACT
Everyone can mention that some companies are more successful than other companies and they
can meet their customers’ requirement with almost no setup time and no waste. Cellular
manufacturing gives materials and components ability to get a smooth flow during the production
process. It also helps to increase the production velocity and make it more flexible. Cellular
manufacturing pushes the company to produce a variant type of features at the same time and
reducing the production time that can be taken for a single product. I will explain during this paper
the concept which can help us to meet the customers’ requirement with no waste. This paper will
cover the basic concept of cellular manufacturing, which is the best way to apply lean
manufacturing.
Key words: Cellular manufacturing, one-piece, lean manufacturing, Manufacturing flexibility.
Cite this Article: Hayder Kareem Sakran, Hasanein Majeed Mahbuba and Ali Saleh Jafer, A
Review of a Basic Concept of Cellular Manufacturing. International Journal of Design and
Manufacturing Technology 8(1), 2017, pp. 30–37.
http://www.iaeme.com/IJDMT/issues.asp?JType=IJDMT&VType=8&IType=1

1. INTRODUCTION
In 1950s, researchers found that identify and group the same parts of manufacturing should be done
together to take a big advantage of their similarities during manufacturing and mass production. Using this
approach helped to create a group of similar parts; this helps to reduce setup time. This technique of
manufacturing was tamed as a group technology. [1], [2]
Cellular manufacturing is an application of the group technology concept which helps companies to
build an aviary of production to their customers with as little waste as possible. [2]
The cellular manufacturing is arranged in a sequence that supports a smooth flow of material and
component through the process with minimal transport or delay.

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 A Review of a Basic Concept of Cellular Manufacturing

Cellular manufacturing allows companies to provide their customers with the right product at the exact
time. It does this by grouping similar product into families that can be processed on the same equipment in
the same sequence.
Cellular manufacturing has big benefits, which include WIP reduction, space utilization, lead time
reduction, productivity improvement, and quality improvement, enhance flexibility and visibility.
In this paper, I will explain the basic concept of cellular manufacturing, which is mainly in lean
manufacturing.

2. FOUNDATIONOFCELLULAR MANUFACTURING
Cellular manufacturing is working on the principle that similar things should be manufactured similarly
that means the things which have the same design attributes such as size, shape, etc..And manufacturing
attributes such as length, diameter, surface finish, tolerance etc. These things should be together because
that can help us to work with groups not with individual parts. Therefore, working with different groups is
better than working with individual parts. We can make group by collecting the parts which are similar to
one group such as machines, tools and equipment, which required processing these groups. So that can
give us a big advantage. Consequently, if we collected these many individual parts to make one group that
means we will have one problem, and it is easy to find a solution for this problem more than if we have
many individual problems. So that will save time and effort. Cellular manufacturing is an approach which
can be brought to tolerate in any plan where underlying similarities exist. It goes by grouping of parts and
machines.

3. CHARACTERISTICSOF CELLULAR MANUFACTURING

In cellular manufacturing, the cell can meet the entire production requirement. Furthermore, these cells are
self-efficient and self-managed. [1]
Manufacturing cell has got the following characteristics:
• Each cell has a particular set of family of components or products.
• Each cell is provided with all the machines and other facilities, which it needs to, complete its
own particular family.
• Production targets for each cell are given as a whole and not separately of different individuals
in the cell, and these targets are set by management in consultation with cell foreman and
operators.
• Within the cells, there is a pool of labor with a certain degree of flexibility and a team of
workers control each cell solely. The foreman or cell leader is in direct change of each cell,
working solely for that group.
• Each cell does its own inspection and work scheduling.

4. PRINCIPLEKEYSTHAT MAKELEANCELLBETTER
THANTHETRADITIONAL JOB SHOP
There are many things can make the lean cell better than the traditional job shop setup such as:
Flexibility: the key function-design requirement for manufacturing system is flexibility. Manufacturing
cell is designed for flexibility. It is typically arranged in U-shape, so workers can move from a machine to
machine, loading and unloading part, with the shortest walk distance. Machines in a cell are at least single-
cycle automatics, so that they can complete the machine cycle untended, turning off automatically when
finished. The cell usually includes processing needed for a complete part or assembly.
Manufacturing flexibility considers:

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 Hayder Kareem Sakran, Hasanein Majeed Mahbuba and Ali Saleh Jafer

• Adaptability to change of product design.

• Ability to reconfigure a manufacturing system or subsystem easily.
• Ability to adapt to product mix and volume change.
Using decouplers in manufacturing and assembly cells: Decouplers are placed between process and
manual operations to provide cell flexibility, quality control, production control, and process delay.
Between each machine is decoupler holding one part, processed and inspected, and ready to be pulled into
a next process. Decouplers in the manned cell help the worker inspect a part while permitting the worker to
move in the opposite direction of the part flow. Decoupler support material flow in the cell.
Product family: the customer may require more products, a different color mix, change in the product
design, so cell system design can make many different types of product with a small setup time, but with
the job shop system it will take a lot of time to produce a new production.
Multifunctional and multi-process workers: multifunctional means a worker can perform tasks related
to setup, setup reduction, quality control, preventive maintenance, problem solving, and continuous
improvement. To be a multi-process means a worker can operate various processes and/or carry out
assembly tasks. A cell has multi-process workers who can operate more than one kind of process or
multiple versions of the same process. They also carry out inspection and machine maintenance duties,
making them multifunctional. Workers devise ways to eliminate setup time. Manufacturing and assembly
cells eliminate the job shop concept of one person/ one machine. Therefore, increase worker productivity
and utilization.

5. LAYOUTOF CELLULAR MANUFACTURING

The cell can be formed into a U-shape. Product moves in a counter-clockwise direction one piece at a time.
One- piece technique can shorten the cycle time and changeover times Figure 1.
Machines in the cell are single – cycle automatics, so they can complete a machining cycle untended,
and have it turn off automatically when it is finished with a processing cycle.
Unfortunately,” in a cellular layout as the product-flow layout, a machine breakdown may still cause a
work stoppage in the cell” [2].
Feeder line

Assembly Assembly Test

Assembly Assembly Package

Figure 1 Manufacturing cell. [2]

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 A Review of a Basic Concept of Cellular Manufacturing

6. CELLULAR MANUFACTURING OJECTIVE

The primary objectives in implementing a cellular manufacturing are reduced. Therefore, some important
objectives include:
• Reducing setup time by using part family tooling and sequencing.
• Reducing inventories.
• Reducing flow line (by reducing setup time and move times, wait time for movies and using
smaller batch size).
• Increasing the labor and machine utilization.
• Maximization of output.
In addition, the cell appears as an approach that in more tendencies to teamwork. Manufacturing cells
are natural candidates for just in time implementation.

7. BENEFITSOF CELLULAR MANUFACTURING [3]

Applying the concept of cellular manufacturing has a lot of benefits to the manufacturing which include:
• Reducing the number of product defects, it can be found the errors immediately and corrected.
• Reducing cycle time variability and line –balance constraints.
• Reducing WIP and finished goods inventories, producing only enough products to satisfy
customer demand.
• Reducing or eliminating setup time.
• The flow will be smooth and faster through the operation.
• Reducing material handling costs and time.
• Reducing in manufacturing space required.
• Quality feedback between manufacturing and assembly operation is faster.
The summaries of the benefits of Cellular manufacturing comparing with job shop manufacturing
shown in table1.

Table 1 The Benefits of cellular manufacturing after the First Two Months of Operation. [3], [4]
Resulting
Criteria Job Shop CMS
Improvement
Work in process $590,000 $116,336 $473,664 (80%)
Finished goods $880,000 $353,167 $526,833 (60%)
Refractory supplies $8,333/month 0 $8,333 (100%)
Lead time 14 days 2 days 12 days (86%)
Late orders 100 4 96%
Scraps 22% 14% 8%
Direct labor 198 145 53 employees (27%)
Mfg. Space (sq. ft.) 45,000 20,000 25,000 sq. ft. (56%)

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 Hayder Kareem Sakran, Hasanein Majeed Mahbuba and Ali Saleh Jafer

INCREASING
1- Production rate
2-Operator utilization
3-Machine utilization
4-Productivity
5-Component standardization
6-Good service to customer
7-Good communication
CELLULAR
MANUFACTURING

REDUSING
1-Material handling
2-Work-in-process inventory
3-Throughput time
4-Setup time
5-Space
6-Scrap
7-Waiting time
8-Lead time
9-Cycle time

Figure 2 Benefits of Cellular Manufacturing. [1]

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 A Review of a Basic Concept of Cellular Manufacturing

Table 2 The Benefits of the Cellular Manufacturing. [3], [5]

Number of Average % Minimum % Maximum %

Types of Benefit
Responses Improvement Improvement Improvement
Reduction in throughput time 25 45.6 5 90
Reduction in WIP inventory 23 41.4 8 90
Reduction in material handling 26 39.3 10 83
Improvement of operator job
16 34.4 15 50
satisfaction
Reduction in number of
9 33.1 10 85
fixtures for cell parts
Reduction in setup time 23 32 2 95
Reduction in space needed 9 31 1 85
Improvement of part quality 26 29.6 5 90
Reduction in finished good
14 29.2 10 75
inventory
Reduction in labor cost 15 26.2 5 75
Increase in utilization of
6 23.3 10 40
equipment in the cells
Reduction in pieces of
equipment required to 10 19.5 1 50
manufacture cell parts

Table 3 The Performance Improvements. [3], [6]

Number of Average % Minimum % Maximum %

Performance Measure
Responses Improvement Improvement Improvement
Reduction of move
37 61.3 15 99
distance/time
Reduction in throughput time 40 61.2 12.5 99.5
Reduction of response time to
37 50.1 0 93.2
orders
Reduction in WIP inventory 40 48.2 10 99.7
Reduction in setup times 33 44.2 0 96.6
Reduction in finished goods
38 39.3 0 100
inventory
Improvement in part/product
39 28.4 0 62.5
quality
Reduction in unit costs 38 16 0 60

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 Hayder Kareem Sakran, Hasanein Majeed Mahbuba and Ali Saleh Jafer

8. COMPARSIMBETWEENTRADITIONAL JOB SHOPAND CELLULAR

MANUFACTURING
To make a comparison between traditional and cellular manufacturing, we can brief this comparison,
according to a table which shown below.

Table 4 Comparison between Traditional Manufacturing and Cellular Manufacturing. [1]

SI. Traditional Cellular
Criteria
No. Manufacturing Manufacturing
1 Capital investment High Low
2 Inspection cost High Low
3 Inventory cost High Low
4 Space High Low
5 Cycle time High Low
6 WIP inventory High Low
7 Waste( time , money, material) High Low
8 Material handling High Low
9 Machine utilization Poor High
10 Team work Poor Excellent
11 Control and Supervision Poor High
12 Use of available skill Poor Excellent
13 Communication Poor Excellent

9. CONCLUSION
The goal of this review is to get a basic understanding about the cellular manufacturing and how it can help
the companies to improve its production and to reduce its waste. Therefore, the best concept to apply lean
manufacturing is using a cellular manufacturing approach, which can help us to take the waste out.
Furthermore, it has many effective ways to improve the manufacturing.
This paper has shown the basic concept of cellular manufacturing such as the objectives and the
benefits of cellular manufacturing, which can achieve to meet the customers required.

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 A Review of a Basic Concept of Cellular Manufacturing

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