4 Proven Techniques To Increase Manufacturing Throughput

For manufacturers, falling behind on manufacturing throughput simply means delayed deliveries, which drives customers to find suppliers that deliver in a timely manner. Your success in the manufacturing industry relies largely on your ability to find ways to increase throughput and satisfy your customers. Before delving into techniques to improve manufacturing throughput, it is important to understand the difference between throughput and output.

The output refers to the total production: quantity produced or completed including rejections, scrap, and stockpiled items. In other words, the output is considered as a measure of the productive capacity of an industry, machine, factory, or an individual. On the other hand, throughput only counts parts that are delivered and accepted by customers. Throughput is also defined as the rate at which something is processed or produced. Considering the difference between these two terms, let’s move forward and discuss 4 proven ways to increase manufacturing throughput:

1. Use of factory automation

Manual production systems do not work when it comes to meeting tight production tolerances. Even the most dedicated and skilled employees get exhausted after a few hours of heavy labor. The appropriate use of factory automation can dramatically increase the manufacturing throughput. Automated production systems outsmart humans in terms of precision and the ability to perform repetitive tasks at a great speed. In the presence of smart machines, operators can focus on planning, programming, and implementation. Modern industrial technology makes it possible for us to produce a large number of products while meeting the stringent quality control requirements. The right automated machines on the floor can have a great impact on your overall productivity.

2. Reduce rejection rate

In some cases, manufacturers have a high output, but fail to meet throughput objectives due to high rejection rate. If a system produces 2000 parts per hour, but has a 20% rejection rate, 400 parts will be wasted in an hour. Reducing rejection rate by half will lead to increase in throughput by 200 parts per hour. By doing so, a manufacturer can meet production goals and reduce resources wasted on rework or reprocessing. One way to reduce rejection rate is to identify and eliminate production processes that damage parts.

3. Hire skilled labor

The frontline operators taking care of the production line have a considerable impact on product quality and manufacturing cycle efficiency. When your workers lack skills and the required training, they will not be able to perform efficiently. Undertrained operators can cause delays as they do not understand the entirety of the production process. Hiring skilled labor and training them so that they can make well-informed changes is key to maximizing throughput.

4. Reduce equipment downtime

An effective maintenance management system is necessary if a manufacturer wants to reduce equipment downtime and improve throughput. One-stop engineering companies do provide maintenance and support services to the manufacturing industry. Choose a solution with real-time visibility where you can request and receive quick assistance.

BP Automation is one of the leading engineering companies in Canada where we solve complex manufacturing problems and offer economically viable solutions. We focus on designing and developing machines and control systems that enable you to optimize your existing assets and increase manufacturing throughput. Feel free to discuss your project with us!