Redesign of the internal logistics system of a textile supplier for the automotive industry

Abstract

The aim of this work is the design, implementation and evaluation of an internal logistic system based on a combination of Mizusumashi and e-Kanban, within a company of textile reinforcements production for the automotive industry. A critical review of literature allowed the selection of a set of steps for designing the Mizusumashi and e-Kanban systems, namely: specification of the quantity of material to be handled, the required working force and the material buffers, as well as the time of replenishment. The results showed a 50% reduction in the quantity of stock in the production area. This paper provides a critical look at internal supply lean tools and their application, showing that it is possible to redesign an internal supply system without almost any cost. Additionally, it provides a practical approach to Mizusumashi, which is a type of Lean solution that is not usually seen in process industries.