The improvement of capacity and material utilisation through effective nesting and batching processes

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.