Improving product flow and storage in a timber processing facility

Abstract

York Timbers Pty Ltd is a South African timber processing company that has four saw mills in the Mpumalanga province. York Timbers manufacture high quality timber products for local and international markets. All four saw mills are controlled and monitored by their head office in Sabie, Mpumalanga. Recently it has been observed that the Driekop dry mill in Graskop cannot fulfil all the orders that are received resulting from limited or no availability of products. Each saw mill has among other areas, a dry mill and rework area. There are several employees working at each of the processes that occur in the dry mill. There is a constant flow of products through the dry mill. The Driekop mill experiences difficulties with operations in their dry mill such as ineffective storage of work-in-progress and finished products and poor control over inventory. This is due to the absence of a fixed storage plan for work-in-progress and finished products. These problems are inhibiting optimum product flow and affect the functionality of the rest of the plant. There is urgent need for improved product flow through the dry mill as well as a storage plan to improve inventory control. A new layout will be developed for the dry mill area using Systematic Layout Planning (SLP) to better locate and access stacks. Industrial Engineering best practices for inventory management will assist in developing the storage plan and lean manufacturing techniques will be used to help eliminate the types of waste present. Overall improved product flow through the dry mill and rework area will be achieved to increase the daily number of products produced.