Record output at UK automotive plant

Charles Greaves, UK operations director for manufacturing said: "The Nicholsons plant in Glasson Dock, Lancashire manufactures pressed body exhaust systems, predominantly for the EU market. The plant is reporting record output on its extensive portfolio of over 2,400 individual products, providing 98% availability across the entire range of products on offer. Investment over the last two years in new production equipment, training and logistics has resulted in an incredibly flexible working environment that has allowed us to reduce economic batch sizes of products from several hundred, which would be the industry norm, to just tens." He went on: "It seems contrary to logical thinking that we are supplying more products by making them in smaller numbers. Availability is the key though, especially in the buoyant yet demanding replacement market. If we can provide a product on a same-day basis to anywhere in Europe, one that is fully type-approved for use in every market, then it means we are making a sale where others are not." Lean manufacturing was the enabler for this, the company claims: a complete overhaul of the production environment, driven by a newly empowered workforce was driving the production figures up. The speed at which small batches can be produced was thanks to a new 'super cell' manufacturing arrangement where machines are made flexible via a variety of adaptive tooling and fast changeovers. The plant retains its medium-run capacity, but low batch numbers from the super cells allow the group to hold less stock as it can be replenished quickly. Better use of stock space reduces overheads and increases cost competitiveness. Production schedules are decided on a daily basis. The Klarius Group operates six large manufacturing sites across Europe, all of which have adopted the key techniques of lean manufacturing; making a range of automotive components from exhausts and CATs, to shock absorbers and water pumps more competitive.