Streamlining logistics flows with lean tools using TX Plant Simulation software support

Abstract

A critical factor in the manufacturing industry is waste and losses in individual operations and processes. The expansion of elements of lean production, such as the pull system with the interconnection of key technologies, brings new elements of production planning and control. Thanks to new technologies, many more possibilities exist to uncover potential bottlenecks. Simulations and modelling bring new possibilities for experimentation in the virtual environment of prepared systems or devices without directly disturbing the functioning system. The presented article deals with the issue of applying lean approaches in finding optimal solutions within logistics flows. The aim of the article is to define and test the potential for streamlining logistics flows with TX Plant Simulation software support. The research and empirical part of the study was solved based on a rigorous analysis of the initial situation in a specific company for the selected product group, as the Value Stream Mapping method was used for the analysis. A simulation model of a real line was created in the TX Plant Simulation software with the help of the Value Stream Mapping library for value creation, which is part of the software. The goal was to find out possible waste within the logistics flow, and its causes and propose the necessary steps to eliminate the waste.