Single-piece / One-Piece Production Flow
Single piece flow is a lean manufacturing fundamental concept that is also known as One Piece Flow or “continuous flow” refers to the concept of moving one work-piece at a time between operations within a work cell. So it’s not needed to process an entire batch or lot at each operation before moving it to the next operation. This idea has many benefits. It keeps WIP at the lowest possible level and proper manpower utilization.
Single piece
flow in Garments Sewing Line
If you want to set up an effective production zone Lean manufacturing system is required. RMG professionals are facing so many challenges in this era due to the manufacturing revolution. Implementation of modern manufacturing technology is our crying need to ensure the sustainability of the RMG sector. Single piece flow converts Line from Conventional Bundle system to One Piece Flow system that is a concept of a lean production system. Most of the garments factories now moved to Single piece flow production systems.
Single-piece flow in manufacturing has changed
some manufacturing cultures in any company. So pull manufacturing system as
well as Unit Flow System is very important things that we need to implement
regarding the above issue.
Advantages/ Benefits of Single piece flow in the Apparel industry
1. One-Piece Flow reduces bundling and waiting time which is a fully hidden loss that we can't measure in the traditional bundling system.
2. Lowest WIP, online operation by operation production.
3. Improved productivity
4. Best Housekeeping that can maintain 5S in sewing and finishing.
5. Minimum defects and DHU
6. No waiting time
7. Productivity improvement
8. Zero chances of size mistake, bundle mistake
9. Minimum Rejection
10. No extra Manpower(Helper) for thread trimming
11. Take less time in sewing line layout
12. Reduce inventory time
13. Required for Less Space
14. Ensure work flexibility and workplace safety
15. Lower the risks of garments damage, obsolescence, and deterioration
16. Reduce transportation, waiting, overproduction, processing, inventory, and motion waste that occurs with batch-wise production processing.
17. Easy line balancing
18. Very easy to control quality, inline inspection.
So many advantages, you can get by implementing Single Piece Flow System
Batch(Bundle) vs One-Piece Flow
(Basic) Simulation
❖ Objective:
Compare Batch(Bundle) and One-Piece Production Flow for a Garment Sewing Line
(Simple Model for Study)
❖ Simulation
Conditions
(1) Production Qty: 100 Pieces
(2) 5 Processes (Sewing Machine)
(3) All Standard Minute Value for each Process (Sewing Machine)
set to 1 min (for simplification)
(3) Moving Time between Process: 30 sec
- Apply the same time (30sec) to Batch(Bundle) and One-Piece
Flow
(Conservative assumption: Actually Batch production needs more
moving time)
(4) Input 20 Pieces of cutting fabric for the first process.
(5) Batch(Bundle) tying also needs time but is set to 0
❖ Simulation
Result
(1) Batch(Bundle) Work: 182.5 min for 100 pieces
production
Max Work In Process: 95 Pieces
(2) One-Piece Flow: 106.5 min for 100 pieces of production
Max Work In Process: 19 Pieces
❖ One-Piece
Flow production is the better approach
Batch(Bundle) vs One-Piece Flow
(Real) Simulation
❖ Objective:
Compare Batch(Bundle) and One-Piece production Flow for a Garment Sewing Line
(Real production Line)
❖ Simulation
Conditions
(1) Production Qty: 1,000 Pieces
(2) Refer to the attached (Simulation-Data.xlsx) file
(3) Moving Time between Process: 10 sec
- Apply the same time (10sec) to Batch(Bundle) and One-Piece
Flow
(4) Input 20 Pieces of cutting fabric for the first process.
(5) Batch(Bundle) tying also needs time but is set to 0
❖ Simulation
Result
(1) Batch(Bundle) Work : 685.32 min for 1,000 pieces
production
Max Work In Process: 463 Pieces
(2) One-Piece Flow: 540.08 min for 1,000 pieces
production
Max Work In Process: 153 Pieces
❖ One-Piece Flow production is the better approach