A uniform plant load has two ideas: cycle time and frequency of production.
Cycle time deals with the rate of production, and level loading deals with the
frequency of production. Cycle time with just-in-time is the measure of the rate
of requirements. This is usually measured by the rate of sales. Instead of
producing what the machine is capable of producing, a company should
preferably produce only to the demand that is needed. The cycle time should be
implemented with the last operation in mind; with the last operation being the
need of the consumer, and then going backwards through the master schedule.
The second part of a uniform plant load is producing the product at the right
frequency or level loading. The main idea with level loading is that the product
must be produced as frequently as the customer has the need for it. The goal is
to produce smaller and smaller amounts with more setups, but without
additional setup costs. Finding ways to reduce setup time, and then reinvest the
time saved into more frequent setups should do this