The report describes the process of identifying the interference that exists in a newly installed automated robotic cell and suggest improvements to increase productivity. The cell is used for lifting up extruded aluminum sections onto a conveyor which deliver the material to a anodising line at a company that manufactures aluminum extrusions. To find the areas with the best possibility for improvements in the cell we used a variety of job measurements e.g. measure of standard times for each operation in the cell. The core of the report is a study of the robots. One reason for this study is that the robots do not reach the productivity they were purchased to. The main cause not reaching the productivity is the visionsystem. The results that emerged from the robotics study also showed that there were a number of problems in the cell that could be addressed. The study also revealed a number of other reasons why the cell could not achieve the desired production rate for example set-up times and drop spacers. The measurement of default times for each operation in the cell showed that a major reason why the robots did not work was that they had to wait for the trolley to run and leave empty baskets. The time studies work resulted in a number of different proposals for how the problems which appeared could be solved. To reduce the time it takes for the wagon to drive out empty basket we engineered a solution that uses chain conveyors to move the empty basket out off the workstation. By implementing this solution the wagon does not need to drive back and forth and thus we expect that the robot driving time could be reduced to half. Through the robot study and time studies we conclude that it is possible to switch between manual/auto in less than one minute. This is not possible unless routines are constructed for the operators. If these changes are implemented they would reduce the large amount of set-up time identified.

The object of this examination project is to produce a method of work sampling at Rapid Granulator AB. The aim is to perform the method at the company and evaluate if it is executable. The study is delimited to the basic construction of the 45-series in the assembly hall. Preparations to produce the method of the work sampling resulted in definitions of activities, a form and a product tree. Several days were spent studying the assembling to learn and understand the entirety. The work sampling result showed a large amount of no value adding time that was used in the assembling. Some of the activities could be reduced and we observed some problems during the assembly process. These problems were noted and are presented to enlighten the company, together with some suggests of changes, with the purpose to reduce the time of the assembly cycle and increase the productivity. Conclusions of the results of the work sampling are discussed at the end. A large amount of tables and charts, connected to preparations and results, is to be found in the appendix.

<p>The object of this examination project is to produce a method of work sampling at Rapid Granulator AB. The aim is to perform the method at the company and evaluate if it is executable. The study is delimited to the basic construction of the 45-series in the assembly hall.</p><p>Preparations to produce the method of the work sampling resulted in definitions of activities, a form and a product tree. Several days were spent studying the assembling to learn and understand the entirety.</p><p>The work sampling result showed a large amount of no value adding time that was used in the assembling. Some of the activities could be reduced and we observed some problems during the assembly process. These problems were noted and are presented to enlighten the company, together with some suggests of changes, with the purpose to reduce the time of the assembly cycle and increase the productivity.</p><p>Conclusions of the results of the work sampling are discussed at the end.</p><p>A large amount of tables and charts, connected to preparations and results, is to be found in the appendix.</p>

Scania CV is one of the world's largest truck manufacturer. It is not only the directproduction of vehicles and methods that are important for Scania but also the servicemarket handling spare parts, repairs and workshops. The department Vehicle ServiceInformation construct standard times through work measurement for particularworks in the workshops. The software application STAM is used in the servicemarket to create and store standard times which then are exported to theworkshops' own systems.The purpose of this master thesis is to analyse and evaluate the internal workmeasurement system that includes standard times and the software STAM. Also,based on external analysis and benchmarking of other systems suggest appropriatefuture development within the area for Scania Vehicle Service Information.In order to perform the investigation, interviews and studies have been doneinternally at the departments that are involved in work measurement as well asexternally at Scania workshops. A comparison of other systems have also beencarried out among external firms within work measurement systems and software.Theoretical discussions regarding work measurement, socio-technical systems andpreparation of change projects has been used as a foundation for understanding theissues surrounding work measurement systems.Our results show a series of demands both internally at Scania and externally atScania workshops and their need for standard times. Advantages and disadvantages oftoday's system has also been identified and how the other firms' software could fit inScanias organisation. Today there are many opinions on how work measurement andstandard times should work and be handled.The general perception, is that there are problems with work measurement today.The problems include both technical aspects of STAM but also organisational factorsincluding communication and structure. Since the availability of adequate standardtimes is very important to the workshops, development of work measurement cantherefore result in customer benefits and market competitiveness.Important in this context is not to put too much faith to the technical aspects such asSTAM and software developement. Instead, in order to achieve satisfying results inthe development of work measurement system, the software must be modified to theorganization and not vice versa.This motivates to commence with the development of the work process byidentifying and defining the organisation and work processes as desired. Only thenshould development or replacement of the software STAM be made to be able towork effectively with work measurement for Scania Vehicle Service Information.

Prokon is a production consultant firm that operates in the manufacturing industry and strive to increase their client’s profits primarily through primarily work sampling. The consultant firm has a wide customer basis, which requires Prokon to work according to a generalizable model, applicable to all of their clients. Prokon work continuously with improving its firm and with that in mind they are interested in increasing their customer satisfaction. The purpose of the report is to analyze the customer needs, by looking at it from a production and manufacturing perspective, of what Prokon actually delivers. By doing so a stable foundation will emerge to improve internal quality work at Prokon. The report uses the company NIBE as its case study object. Interviews, study visits and general observations has been used to analyze the customer needs. The interviews are based on the GAP Model, which is used to find potential misinterpretations between Prokon and the case study object NIBE. Observations was performed on the work sampling techniques/methods, in order to find knowledge about the possibilities of integrating any implementation to the methods. One of the potential implementations which is brought up in this report is the PPA method, which is analyzed in order to see if it can be integrated into Prokon’s work sampling technique. A couple of items are brought up in the analysis of the rapport, who concerns flaws between Prokon and NIBE as partners, but also internal flaws at Prokon. The analysis can then be linked with previously documented theories to strengthen the items/theses which occurred in the analysis. Four suggestions of improvement arises from the analysis, who are meant to increase Prokon’s customer satisfaction and their internal working methods. Two of which concerns Prokon’s work sampling techniques, another one Prokon’s follow-up and the last one is about Prokon’s ability to customize their offer.

Volvo Group Trucks Operations tillverkar motorer, växellådor och lastbilar till koncernens varumärken Volvo, Renault, Mack och UD-Trucks. Powertrain Production är produktionsenheten inom AB Volvo som producerar dieselmotorer och motorkomponenter. I Skövde består Volvos produktionsprocesser av gjutning, bearbetning och montering. Gjuteriet använder metaller och legeringar för att producera färdiga komponenter och delar. Tillverkningsmaterialet förvaras och hämtas från fabrikens materialgård. Materialgårdens tillväxt har skett okontrollerat genom åren. Material har placerats efter möjlighet och skapat ett komplext flöde. Volvo uppfattar området vara riskfyllt på grund av det trånga utrymmet personalen delar med inkommande och utgående trafik. Logistiken upplevs därför rörig, ineffektiv och oorganiserad. Syftet var att utföra en nulägesanalys av materialgården utifrån kriterierna layout, personal och fordon, inköp och materialhantering, flöde, arbetsmätning samt riskanalys. Därefter konstruerades ett nytt förslag baserad på nulägesanalysen. Metodiken har baserats på intervjuer och observationer. Teori har studerats för att praktiskt genomföra en layoututformning, analys av logistik och flöde samt arbetsmätning och riskanalys. Revit Architecture har använts för att visa dagens layout och ett koncept av en ny materialgård. Dagbok användes som hjälpmedel efter varje besök. Resultatet av nulägesanalysen visar att aktuell layout skiljer sig avsevärt från tidigare upplägg. Logistiken och materialhantering visar en hög omsättning och ett komplext materialflöde. Arbetsmätningen indikerade på onödiga transportsträckor och långa väntetider. Riskanalysen stärkte tidigare misstankar om osäker arbetsplats.   I förslaget på ny layout presenteras ett upplägg baserat på ”Struktur, Effektivitet och Säkerhet” med en avsevärd minskning av både materialhantering och trafik inne på materialgården. Materialgården är ett exempel på en del av verksamheten som inte har utvecklats i takt med Volvos expansion. Det visar på en oprioriterad verksamhet där planering och struktur har varit eftersatt. För materialgården rekommenderas att Volvo ser över sin materialverksamhet och strukturerar om från grunden. Genom tydligare planering erhålls en effektivare produktion och därigenom bättre lönsamhet. Det kräver att företaget ligger steget före i utvecklingen. Åtgärder bör implementeras om gjuteriet ska uppvisa konkurrensfördelar i Volvos verksamhet. / Volvo Group Trucks Operations manufactures engines, transmissions and trucks to the Groups brands Volvo, Renault, Mack and UD Trucks. Powertrain Production is the production unit within AB Volvo producing diesel engines and engine components. Volvo´s production in Skövde consists of casting, machining and assembly. The foundry uses metals and alloys to produce finished components and parts. The material is stored and retrieved from the factory´s material yard. The material yards growth has occurred uncontrollably through time. Materials have been placed according to feasibility and has created a complex flow. Volvo perceives the area to be unsafe because of the confined space the staff shares with incoming and outgoing traffic. Therefore the logistics are turbid, inefficient and disorganized. The purpose was to perform a current state analysis of the material yard based on the criteria´s layout, employees and vehicles, purchasing and material handling, material flow, work measurement and risk analysis. Subsequently a new proposal was created based on the current state analysis. The methodology was based on interviews and observations. Theory has been studied for the practical implementation of a layout design, analysis of logistics and flow as well as work measurements and a risk analysis have been performed. Revit Architecture has been used to demonstrate the current layout and a concept of a new material yard. Diary was a used tool after each visit. The result of the current state analysis shows that the current layout differs substantially from previous layout. Logistics and material handling shows a high turnover and a complex material flow. Work measurements indicate in unnecessary distances and long waits. The risk analysis strengthened earlier suspicions of an unsafe workplace. The new proposal presents a layout based on "Structure, Efficiency and Security" with a significant reduction in both material handling and traffics inside the material yard. The material yard is an example of a part in the company that has not evolved in line with Volvo´s expansion. This shows an unprioritized part of the business where planning and structure has been neglected. For the material yard it is recommended that Volvo reviews their material activities and tackle their operations from the basis. Through planning, a more efficient production is obtained and thereby improved profitability. It requires that the company is at the forefront of development. Actions should be implemented if the foundry seeks a competitive advantage in Volvo´s operations.

Då tillverkningsindustrin går mot en högre grad av kundanpassning och implementering av Lean, samtidigt som föråldrade traditionella kalkyleringsmetoder fortfarande används i moderna industriföretag, är det intressant att utreda relationerna mellan produktionsflöden av kundanpassad karaktär, Lean samt olika kalkyleringsmetoder. Syftet är att öka kostnadsprecisionen i förkalkylen för ett produktionsflöde av kundanpassad och Lean karaktär och beskriva en generaliserbar arbetsprocess för detta. Syftet är även att ta fram generella rekommendationer för val av kalkyleringsmetod genom att utifrån denna produktions karaktär genomföra en jämförande analys av kalkyleringsmetoder (traditionella kalkylmetoder, ABC och kalkylering enligt Lean). Genom en litteraturstudie samt en fallstudie av ett produktionsflöde med många varianter och inslag av Lean har båda syftena uppfyllts. Fallstudien har utförts genom intervjuer och observationer. Problem och positiva faktorer som enligt litteratur karaktäriserar produktion av kundanpassade produkter har även återfunnits på fallföretaget. Det sambandet har kunnat användas för att stödja analysen av relationerna. Relationerna mellan kalkyleringsmetoder, Lean samt produktionsflöden av kundanpassad karaktär har analyserats genom att jämföra litteratur och resultat från fallstudien. Det framkom att Value Stream Costing (VSC) är den mest lämpliga kalkyleringsmetoden för produktionsflöden med kundanpassade produkter som uppnått en hög mognadsgrad av Lean. Förkalkyleringen på fallföretaget är beroende av tillförlitliga operationstider, vilket tagits fram på fallföretaget samtidigt som en generell arbetsprocess utarbetats. Operationstiderna togs i detta fall fram genom videoupptagning av produktionsmomenten samt efterföljande analys i mjukvaran AviX. Genom att följa den generella arbetsprocessen som utarbetats erhålls både ett bra underlag till förkalkylering samt ständiga förbättringar i produktionsflödet. Eftersom forskning visar att Lean bör implementeras i hela organisationen om full fördel med Lean ska uppnås, kan VSC vara en utmärkt kalkyleringsmetod för att komma ifrån föråldrade, traditionella kalkyleringsmetoder samtidigt som denna kalkyleringsmetod förenklar kalkylering i produktion av kundanpassad karaktär. / Since the manufacturing industry is heading for a higher level of customization and implementation of Lean, at the same time as outmoded traditional costing methods is still used in modern industrial organizations, it is interesting to explore the relations between production flows of customized character, Lean and different costing methods. The purpose of this thesis is to increase the cost precision in the preliminary calculation for a product flow of customer adapted and Lean character, and to describe a generalizable work process for this. The purpose is also to develop general recommendations regarding the choice of costing methods by, on a basis of the character of this production, a comparative analysis of costing methods (traditional costing methods, ABC and Lean accounting/VSC). Through a literature study and a case study of a production flow with a high level of variety and influence from Lean, both of the purposes has been fulfilled. The case study has been accomplished through interviews and observations. Problems and positive elements that according to literature characterize the production of customized products have also been found in the case company. That connection has been used to support the analysis of the relations. The relations between costing methods, Lean and production flows of customized character has been analyzed through a comparison between findings in literature and results from the case study. It has been found that Value Stream Costing (VSC) is the most appropriate costing method for production flows of customized products that has reached a high maturity level of Lean. The preliminary costing is dependent on reliable operation times which have been produced on the case study company, while a general work process has been developed. The operation times were in this case identified through video recordings of the production moments and a following analysis in the software AviX. By following the general work process that has been developed, useful material for preliminary costing and continuous improvements in the production flow will be obtained. Since research is showing that Lean should be implemented in the whole organization if full advantages of Lean shall be obtained, VSC is found to be an ideal costing method to replace outmoded, traditional costing methods at the same time as this costing method simplifies costing in production flows of customized character.