*

Method for Designing Production Lines in Low Labor Rate Countries

Yoshio NAKA

Tatsuo YAMAZAKI

Hiroshi NAKAMURA

Keigo MORIGUCHI

Kazuki MAESOBA

Masaomi DOBASHI

Recently, the business environment of auto parts makers has been drastically changing as car makers are expanding
their overseas production. Under this globalization and borderless movement, auto parts makers have to establish
production engineering methods that achieve cost reduction. We have established a production engineering method
for designing production lines in low labor rate countries, through the design of the SE08 alternator production line at
DNTH. In this paper, we will discuss our method, mainly focusing on the following two topics :
(1) Machine design method to maximize labor ability
(2) Quality assurance method in labor intensive operations
Key words : Designing production, Low labor rate countries, Machine design method, Quality assurance method

21

CIM=0.7CIMCost Index of Manufacturing

ASEAN

Production cost CIM value

Fig. 1

1.0

1.0

0.9

0.9

0.8

DNJP
(Japan)

DNTH
(Thailand)

DNIN
(India)

TDS
(China)

0.5

(Relative value to Japan)

Fig. 1 Production cost CIM value at low labor country

DNTH
Fig. 2

DNTHSE

60

DNTHFig.

3DNTH

SE

200422

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Vol.No.2004

3.1

Fig. 4DNTH

Table 1

Indirect material
20

Labor
23

Depreciation
57%

Fig. 2 Production cost of typealternator at DNTH

Fig. 4 The structure of ordinary machine in DNTH

Fig. 5

Conventional machine In DNTH

DNTH

Work set
Draw in base pallet
Bearing press
Press load check
Pull out base palette
Convey next process

DNJP

Operator

Robot

Operator

Cylinder

Cylinder
Load cell
Operator

Cylinder
Load cell
Cylinder

Operator

Conveyer

Fig. 3 Comparation between conventional machine in

DNTH and automatic machine in DNTH

Table 1 An example of work element

42

SE

Fig. 610

Assy

Finish the previous cycle

OK

Fig. 7

Palette exist?

Palette convey
from previous process

Palette convey OK?

OK

Palette convey finished

Draw the bearing

OK

Bearing exist?

Bearing draw OK?

Bearing set

OK

Bearing draw finished

Bearing set OK?

Push the palette

into the machine

OK

Process

Bearing set finished

Convey

Punch upturn position OK?

Japan

OK

Work position OK?

OK
Fin.

OK

Palette push finished

Fin.

Punch put back

Bearing press finished

Process

Production cost

Palette push OK?

Press the bearing

Fin.

Punch return OK?

Targ et

OK

Check the press load

Punch return finished

OK

Fin.
OK

Load check position OK?

Current
in Thailand

Thailand

Ordinary approach

Our approach

Load check position OK?

Min. target

Automatic rate

OK

Pull out the palette

from the machine

Fig. 7 The approach of our method for designing

production line

Load OK?
OK
Fin.

Load check finished

Fin.

Palette pull out OK?

Forward to
the next process

3.2

OK

SE

SE08

1cycle finished?
OK

1cycle finished

Fig. 8SE
Fig. 5 Control flow in DNJP machine

1
Equipment cost

Conveyer
Control
Process
equipment
Electrical
equipment
Qualty check

0.89

0.88

0.90

0.92

0.95

DNJP
DNTH
(Automatic machine) (Conventional machine)

DAS

Fig. 6 The cost compare between automatic machine

in DNJP and conventional machine in DNTH

Fig. 9

43

Vol.No.2004

Operation load point

Fig. 8 Examples of consideration steps to maximize labor ability

Conventional machine

Upper limit
for male
Upper limit
for female

35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Developed machine

Stator, Rr flame

Rr bearing
bush, terminal sub- assy
Dr bearing

under cover

10
15
Load kgf /each time

20

electric tubeauto
Hydraulic pressauto
Press
Press position Omega SW auto

Fig.9 An example for evaluation of manual operation

Load check

Unit

Unit

Function
Work check Photo

Load celljig

Load OK/NG

Control circuitauto

Work discharge

Photo
electric tubeauto

Operatormanual
Hand presstool

Point sw tool
Inside

springjig

Lump tool
Operatormanual

30
Fig. 11 Labor-intensive machine example

Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Fig. 12
Production cost

1.0
Indirect
material

0.9
0.9

0.7

Labor
1.1

0.9
0.6

Depreciation

Cause of Past Field Claim in DNTH

0.9
0.7

Clump forget of retainer screw

DNJP
Automatic machine

DNTH
Conventional Machine

Process skipping of the

DNTH
Developed machine

Unconsciousness
of Rule or system

pulley lock nut

Forget

Fig.10 Production cost result

Size mistake of the flame tap

of Rule or system

Coil covering for Rotor

Wrong position Assembling

Mistake
of Rule or system

of the position setting jig

Terminal Screw Torque short

Fig.12 Expected examples of failure mode in DNTH

44

4.1

SE

4.2 DNTH SE

Fig. 13

Defects

DNTHSE

2
DNJP level

13.1

Pokayoketimes

DNTH

Fig. 13 The idea based on probability

QAFig. 14

11QA

Table 23

Table 2 Quality assurance level of labor-intensive

Pokayoke in DNTH

Mechanical assurance

high

Mechanical

checker
Labor-intensive
pokayoke

low

System reliability

operator

Assurance rank for the process defects

Fig. 14 Quality assurance matrix in low-labor country

N

Table 2

DNTH

45

Vol.No.2004

15

1SQC:

1994p.43.

2:QA

N=2

2004
pp.1-8.

Fig.15 Quality assurance matrix in DNTH

NDNTH
N=2

DNTH SE

46

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