SIMULATION-AIDED VALUE STREAM MAPPING FOR PRODUCTIVITY PROGRESSION IN A STEEL SHAFT MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT

Productivity improvement in the steel industry is pivotal to achieving competiveness that stimulate the economic growth of a country. In the past decade, the steel shaft manufacturing industry has experienced low productivity rates, making it difficult to compete at a global level. In light of this, the aim of this research study is to investigate the various process wastes and bottlenecks that limit the productivity progression of a steel shaft manufacturing environment, using integrated value stream mapping and system simulation methodologies. Data captured through the system observation of the shaft manufacturing process of a steel company was used to map and simulate the system. The results of the current state mapping of the steel shaft manufacturing environment revealed the various process wastes present in this system. The result of the simulation of the system revealed that the system bottlenecks were the saw master and milling stations. The strategic interventions in the saw master and milling stations improved these stations throughput from 959 to 1 218 (27%) and 624 to 1 003 (60.74%) components respectively. The work-in-progress components generated in the entire system after the strategic interventions reduced from 415 to 17.