1. FUNCTION OF THE KANBAN-SYSTEM
The KANBAN-system is “a program to improve
manufacturing performance in an integrated
way” [2]. It can also be interpreted as
a preliminary stage for the realization of an
extensive automatized production system,
because autonomic control loops together
with repetitive activities are important prerequisites
for automation.
It is the goal of the KANBAN-system to
achieve a “production on call” (just-in-time
production) at all stages, thereby reducing the
stock of materials and guaranteeing that terms
and order dates are satisfactorily kept to.
With the application of the KANBANsystem
a reduction of unit costs is striven for
by:
l an increase in working productivity
l a high transparency of the operational
production run
l an increase in the securing of quality
standards
The most important elements of this system
are the following [ 1, 10, 141 :
l the creation of interconnected autonomic
control loops between producing and consuming
departments
l the implementation of the pull-principle
for the respective following consumption
step
l flexible personnel and equipment employment
l the transmission of production control at
short notice to the producing workers by
means of a special information carrier -
the KANBAN-card.
The basic principle of the organization of the
materials flow in the KANBAN-system is the
pull-obligation. The required material must be
pulled by the consuming department from its
preceding department, or instructions to pull
it must be given independently to the transportation
system. This pull-obligation is in
contrast to the push-principle, where each department,
because of an order from central
production control, has to make available a
special quantity and type of material at a
stated time.
Some general organizational rules are to
be observed in the KANBAN-system:
l the consuming department is not allowed
- to ask for a greater amount of products
then needed
- to order products in advance
l the producing department is not allowed
- to manufacture more parts than asked
for
- to manufacture parts before the arrival
of the order
- to deliver defective products
l the controlling department should
- pay attention to constant utilization and
load of the single production lines
- give an adequate (the smallest possible)
number of KANBAN-cards in the con