Toyota Sewing System - Case Study Example

Toyota Sewing System Table of Contents Introduction 2. Garment manufacturing technique 2 2 Progressive Bundle System 3 2.2 Unit Production System 3 3. Toyota sewing system 3 4 Work flow in TSS 4 5 Advantages of a Toyota Sewing System 6 6 Disadvantages of Toyota Sewing System 7 7 Conclusion 7 8 Bibliography 8 1. Introduction The “Toyota Sewing System” usually acknowledged as “modular system” was initially carried out at Toyota sewing plant in the year 1978 as a division of JIT and later in the 1980s it is acknowledged word-wide as the “Toyota Sewing System.” The “Toyota Sewing System” had been adapted by the majority of garment manufacturers due to the system’s inherited properties of elasticity and plainness. The Toyota sewing system had been well acknowledged by the AAMA {American Apparel Manufacturing Association} as a limited convenient work unit comprises of 5 – 16 people executing a measurable task. The machinists are inter­changeable between responsibilities inside the grouping to the extent. Practical and incentive com­pensation relies on the group’s yield of primary quality output. (Richard C. Dorf, 2004) In Toyota sewing system the processes are assemblage into a unit instead of being separated into their small­est mechanisms. Under the system it has been regulated that the less num­bers of multi-functional operators perform their services on the machines which are usually prearranged in a “U-line.” Every one of the machine operators in the team are accountable for the quality of each item that are yielded in the line. The system comes into effect when an issue with the production quality arises. The operators teamed up in the group are required to synchronize their job with other in order to attain a superior product quality. The performance of TSS is fundamental on the principle of “pull-type production systems”, in which the job order is completed in descending order i.e. last step first. Due to this job order the total of work done in the due process is near to the ground. It is beneficial where the shortfall of raw material is anticipated. (Richard C. Dorf, 2004) 2. Garment manufacturing technique A garment manufacturing system is an assimilation of materials handling, manufacturing processes, employees and machinery that facilitates job flow and spawns refined products. The three layers of manufacturing systems generally adapted to accumulation of manufacturing garments are: 1. Progressive bundle, 2. Unit production, and 3. Toyota sewing system. Each sewing system necessitates an adequate philosophy of organization, materials handling methodology, floor layout and staff training. It is possible for the firms to combine or acclimatize these systems to cope with their precise manufacturing requisites. Manufacturers might also utilize only a single system, a blend of systems for solo product line or diversified systems for various product lines in the same plant. (Lesley Cresswell, 2002) 2.1 Progressive Bundle System The “progressive bundle system” (PBS) is an advanced form of the former process “bundles of garment parts” that are transferred consecutively from an operational division to another. This system, often referred to as the traditional production system, has been widely used by apparel manufacturers for several decades and still is today. (Harold Carr, 1998) 2.2 Unit Production System A “unit production system” (UPS) is majorly acknowledged as a sort of “line layout” that implies an overhead transporter system to transfer garment workings from one work station to another work station for assemblage. In UPS all the pieces required for a garment are advanced all the way through the production line collectively via a “hanging carrier” that slides all along an overhead conveyor. The “overhead rail system” includes the chief conveyor and added rails for every work station. These carriers are transferred besides the chief conveyor and are controlled by an accrue rail mounted at the division where the assemblage is to be completed. When a process completes, the part is moved along with conveyer to the next section. Most “unit production systems” are allied to a CCC {computer control center} that provides directions and tracks production. The CCC also logs “up-to-the-minute” data to facilitate rapid managerial assessments. The automatic control of work flow sorts work, balances the line, and reduces claims of favoritism in bundle distribution. (Barbara Paleczny, 2000) 3. Toyota sewing system The Toyota sewing system is a controlled and convenient work unit that comprises of an authorized staff’s team, machinery and job scheduled to be performed. TSS normally functions as SME’s (Small Medium Enterprise) with small teams liable for the attainment of pre-planned aspirations and self-management. The number of teams operating in a sewing plant differs with the mass and requirements of the firm and product line. Teams are permitted to perform a role function providing there are orders available for the set sort of garment but the triumph of this sort of modus operandi is in the elasticity of being capable to manufacture a broad range of garments in petite quantities. (Irani, 1999) A lot of diversified terms are currently utilized to recognize Toyota Sewing System i.e. “modular cellular manufacturing units, compact work teams, flexible work groups, self-directed work teams, and modular apparel production systems.” The fundamental principle is analogous between all these systems, though the association and execution may show a discrepancy. In TSS the teams consists 5 to 16 staff members which usually varies with the blend of the product. A wide-ranging rule of thumb is to find out the approximate number of operation needed for a garment style being fashioned and segregated by 3. (Harold Carr, 1998) The group participants are cross-educated and have a high comfort level in performing several tasks in the group. “Incentive compensation” is foundational on the group performance payment and also there is a provision of bonuses for attaining objectives set for output & quality. “Individual incentive compensation” is not considered adequate for group-based production. Skilled groups are ought to be adopted to execute all the manufacturing operations or a definite segment of the congregation operations depending on the association of the component and procedure mandatory. Prior to establish a TSS, a manufacturing unit ought to significantly prioritize its objectives and execute judgments that should imitate the requirements of the firm. In association with TSS the operators are provided with the self government for the operation of their unit to convene with targets for throughput and superior quality. The group is liable for sustaining a smooth work flow, coping with production aims, retaining a precise quality level and managing motivational support. During TSS the team members grow with an inter-dependency to enhance the progression and achieve their ambitions. “Inter-dependency” is the affiliation between group members that enjoys everyones potency for the improvement of the group. (Harold Carr, 1998) 4 Work flow in TSS The Toyota sewing system performs as a “Pull System” with stipulations for garment part approaching from the next operative in procession to process the piece of clothing. Wastage is considered as a normal feature and work-flow is constant and does not kill time at the forefront of each maneuver. This boosts the potentials for elasticity of garment styles and quantities of products that is possible to be produced. (Barnett, 1997) Groups involved in TSS normally functions as “Stand-up” or “Sit-down” units. A system is possible to be divided into numerous work zones foundational on the succession of operations and the instance requisite for each operation. A work zone includes a group of sequential operations. The operators are skilled to execute the operations in their work zone and contiguous operations in adjacent work zones so they can shift freely from one division to another as the garment advances. Work flow within a module may also constitute “Single-piece hand-off, Kanban, or Bump-back system.” If a “single-piece hand-off” is utilized then the machines are prearranged in a very tense configuration. As quickly as an operation is finished the garment part is transferred to the next operator. Operations are required to be well-balanced as there is generally only single garment piece between every operation. Some modules might function with a “buffer or small bundle of up to ten pieces” of job amid sewing operators. (Barnett, 1997) The idea of TSS (Toyota Sewing System) was developed by the “Toyota Sewn Product Management System” and is possibly the mainly broadly adapted sort of “team-based manufacturing.” It is a “stand-up module” with supple work zones and “cross-trained operators.” There is a possibility to train operators for up to four diverse consecutive operations. This facilitates the staff to move from work station to another until the next operator is ready to begin work on the garment. The operators needing work steps to the beginning of the zone and takes over the processing at whatever point it is in the production process. The operator who has been relieved of the garment will then move back to the beginning of the work zone and take over work on another garment. This approach enables continuous work on a garment and allows each operator to perform several different operations. This set-up regularly uses 4-to-l ratio of the machines to operators. The sewing system can eagerly be used in companies that primarily manufacture the stand­ard products. “Schroer et al.” had built a simula­tion package which is appropriate to be used in garments producing companies. This package simulates the system as per the three principles of motion, which are as follows: The rabbit chase, The Toyota sewing system and The mixed manufacturing module In rabbit chase, the opera­tor uses all machines in sequence. In mixed manufacturing module, the bundle and time limits have been described by the researchers on which the decision is based as taken by operator. In the year 1993, “Schroer & Black” did an arrangement with the TSS as manned cells and presented to use decouplers which separates the link and the cell, and functions as a balancing ele­ment for different operation times. Black & Chen generated linked cells in system as per the number of workers present in the system and supplemented the decou­plers in the system. They deliberated the impact of varying the capacity of decouplers on the system .The package can replicate the system as per the three principles of motion. (Barnett, 1997) 5 Advantages of a Toyota Sewing System The advantages of TSS comprises of following: a) Elevated flexibility b) Rapid throughput period c) Near to the ground wastages (Ciambrone, 1996) d) Condensed Absenteeism e) Condensed Repetitive Motion Ailments f) Amplified employee ownership of the manufacturing process g) Improved Quality h) Enhanced Labor Performance. (International Labour Office, 1994) The main benefit of the TSS is that the quantity fashioned be able to eas­ily arrange by altering the number of operators functional in the system. The main advantage of the system is the low mass of the work in process. In the year 1990, “Kuler & Dewitt” demonstrates cheering consequences and claimed that it is feasible to manufacture quality products at a lot lesser costs. They also revealed that the throughput moments of the products in the system are much shorter than in the conformist sys­tems. (International Labour Office, 1994) The TSS is fairly resistant to high staff turnover. In 1991, “Wang & Ziemke” simulated a system which was working on the motion principles based on the Toyota Sewing System. In conventional systems, the garments pieces always move frontward, as the operators move frontward with the piece and then have to turn around backward for further work. (Barbara Paleczny, 2000) In the TSS, the operator moving rearward for discovering a work piece is able to barge in the back operator if he is not able to find any garment piece coming up to be sewn. The Toyota sewing system has showed superior performance, albeit the operation period of every station is assorted significantly amid each other. 6 Disadvantages of Toyota Sewing System There are following disadvantages of TSS: a) A sky-scraping capital investment in apparatus. b) Soaring investment in preliminary training. c) High cost incurred in constant staff training. 7 Conclusion In this paper the modus operandi of a Toyota Sewing System in addition with its advantages and disadvantages were highlighted. In due course it has been studied that the organizations coupled with adequate working capital via implementation of the Toyota sewing system can enhance their productivity as well as quality. There are a lot of experts who think that a TSS pooled with a unit production system endow with the most elasticity, highest throughput and most reliable quality. This would be chiefly valuable for the production of big items like “coveralls or heavy coats.” The implementation of UPS would transfer the garment to the next section instead of the operators. But every manufacturer is required to decide on the best available option in accordance with its product line and production requirements. 8 Bibliography Barbara Paleczny, C. C. (2000). Clothed in Integrity: Weaving Just Cultural Relations and the Garment Industry. Wilfrid Laurier University Press. Barnett, A. (1997). Examining Textiles Technology. Heinemann. Ciambrone, D. F. (1996). Waste Minimization as a Strategic Weapon. CRC Press. Harold Carr, B. L. (1998). The Technology of Clothing Manufacture. BSP Professional. International Labour Office, T. T. (1994). Fourth Tripartite Technical Meeting for the Clothing Industry. International Labour Organization. Irani, S. A. (1999). Handbook of Cellular Manufacturing Systems. Wiley-IEEE. Lesley Cresswell, B. L. (2002). Textiles Technology: Textiles. Heinemann. Richard C. Dorf, A. K. (2004). Handbook of Design, Manufacturing and Automation. Wiley-IEEE. Read More