Continuous improvement of an assembly line through ergonomics, layout and efficiency assessment at Valeo

Continuous improvement is a mandatory attitude in production systems, especially for Valeo which has a specific branch of the “5 Axes” methodology dedicated to it. During my internship activities in Santena plant, I had the opportunity to analyze and improve many criticalities found on a semi-automatic production line, in terms of safety, efficiency and ergonomics. Specific problems have been identified since we are dealing with a multi-purpose line which was initially designed to produce small electrical components for comfort and driving assistance features, belonging at the homonymous Business Group. At a later time, quite bulky and complex products were introduced on the line, such as the “Carrier” central tunnel for Ferrari vehicles, which includes several driving commands on the same structure. The necessity of developing this project aims to improve the assembly process and the compliance to company standards for the existing product, currently in peak volumes phase, and even more in view of two “Carrier” for new Ferrari products which will reach the “Start of Production (SOP)” phase in the following months, determining an additional work load on the line. The first part is dedicated to an overview of Valeo, with a focus on Santena plant and the belonging Business Group where I spent my internship activities starting from March 2022. Work methodologies are very well defined in company axes and roadmaps and are presented in the successive section, especially for the “Production System” ones: these standards are applied at the same way in all company plants. Applying the described procedures, the whole analysis and re-designing of the production line is explained, with a specific focus on each area of intervention. Final part of this paper is dedicated to the assessment of deployed modifications and review of the new line layout, which will be validated by the customer and must satisfy full production capacity planned for 2023.