Improvement Study of Material Handling Method Using Karukuri Concept at Pull Cup Assembly Work Station

Abstract

This study was conducted to improve the material handling method at
the pull cup assembly workstation using the Karakuri concept. Wasteful
movement and limited storage space have been identified as causes of
waste at pull cup assembly workstations. The objective of this study is
to design a Karakuri rack that is driven by gravity to improve the
material handling process and reduce the cycle time at the pull cup
assembly workstation. The Karakuri rack in this study was designed
using CATIA software. The findings of the study show that the use of
Karakuri racks successfully reduced the work process from four work
processes to three work processes and one work process was
successfully eliminated. Next, the cycle time analysis on this workstation
showed a decrease of 51.9 percent. So overall this study succeeded in
improving the material handling process at the pull cup assembly
workstation. The Karakuri rack design has also reduced motion waste
and further increased productivity at the pull cup assembly station.