Abstract:
The main aim of this project was to improve the capacity & material utilisation through the
design and implementation of effective nesting and batching processes. This led to improved
production planning and control processes, through the reduction of wastage and off-cuts.
The previous nesting and batching processes were insufficient and resulted in the waste of
material, labour hours and money. A further area of concern was the level of inventory
control.
The improvement of the material utilisation was done through the effective use of batching
and nesting techniques, algorithms and software. Inventory control was used to determine
the length of the production window. The management of Shop-Floor control tools greatly
reduced the inventory levels of both the material and the work in process (WIP). Various
reports and GANTT Charts was also used to measure the adherence to plan and served as
key performance indicators (KPIs). The “Dynamic Conservatism” method was used to
manage the change in processes.
This project improved the capacity and material utilisation through the design,
implementation and use of nesting and batching methods and processes. This reduced set-
up and material handling times. The production of off cuts was minimised and waste were
reduced.
