Identification of plant criticalities and improving solutions proposal

The experience in a real production plant originates from the desire to put into practice the theoretical notions from the Automotive Engineering course of Politecnico di Torino. PCMA has permitted to have a first approach into the real industrial world. The target of this thesis is the identification of the criticalities present on the plant and propose solutions for the improvement. The work has studied of the material flow from the warehouse to the assembly lines. The main reason that has pushed PCMA to offer such collaboration was the need for an optimization of their material flow and to improve the workers’ efficiency. This work is structured into seven chapters, each with its subject and aim, but they work homogeneously to ensure a complete understanding of the problem and the adopted solutions. The first two chapters are focused on the theory notions that have brought to the automotive industry of the present day. In particular, the starting point of the thesis retraces the history and some milestones of the automotive business, touching topics such as the birth of the Lean Production, with its principles and tools to help with the application in the real industry world. Subsequently, Chapter 2 presents other fundamental theory notions regarding the World Class Manufacturing featured in the automotive field, with a brief description of its technical and managerial pillars. Workplace Organization and Logistics information are then described, going into details of the several existing flows of material (Just In Sequence, Just In Time and Indirect). Moreover, Methods Time Measurement are described, referring to set standard times useful for the saturation of the people working in the plant. Chapter 3 fully presents PCMA as a business in the Stellantis Group, describing the plant, the used technologies and its products. In this chapter, all container types used in the plant are introduced together with their relative handling systems. Eventually, the warehouse of PCMA plant is presented, being an important matter in this work. The given information should be useful and complete enough to fully understand the following chapters that focus on the analysis of criticalities and on the proposed suggestions for improvement. Chapter 4 reports the Case study of the thesis, moving between 3 different scenarios that have occurred over time. They are dependent from one another and they are strictly connected since they are subsequent in time. The three presented scenarios are the starting point, a transition phase and the ultimate proposed solution for an optimized material flow in the plant. Following the results of Chapter 4, Chapter 5 introduces a future implementation of the warehouse, located in a new and bigger space. It includes a deep data analysis on the material and the evaluation of the needed area for an optimized stock of two days production. For what future implementation proposals in the plant is concerned, Automated Guided vehicles (AGV) are described in Chapter 6. At first, they are introduced in their technical components and the several possible navigation systems. Then, a usage is suggested for some semifinished products inside the plant, particularly in the material flow from the presses to the assembly lines. Eventually, some considerations about the thesis are drawn. A comparison between the initial and the final situation shows the improvements and implementations that have been made in the reality of the plant, helping the entire workforce perform its acteivities.