Cellular Manufacturing Systems Design and Implementation for Plywood Product Manufacturing Process Improvement********

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Benefits of cellular manufacturing (CM) based on Group Technology (GT) in batch production have been long established in the area of flexible advanced manufacturing systems. This type of manufacturing systems are to make a balance between highly efficient mass production systems and highly flexible job shop systems, and are typically suitable for mid-size batch-based manufacturing systems. SEATPLY Products Inc. in Montreal area is to convert its mainly job-shop based systems to cellular manufacturing systems for productivity and system flexibility enhancement. The proposed research will use available numerical tools and develop new simulation and/or optimization tools for converting wood product job shop to manufacturing cells. The research challenges are expected in the analysis of numerical results for system implementation. Practical aspects related to wood product manufacturing such as work-in-process inventory, mold inventory and management, cell interactions, labor force capacities, etc., will also be taken into account. The outcome of the research will lead to improved product quality, smoother material flows, reduced workforce fluctuations and desirable inventory levels and eventually yield higher production efficiency and lower production cost, making SEATPLY more competitive in this sector of important Canadian industry.****