Modelling material flow using the Milk run and Kanban systems in the automotive industry

Abstract

Material flow management refers to the analysis and specific optimization of the inventory-production system. Material flow can be characterized as the organized flow of material in a production process with the required sequence determined by a technological procedure. The Milk run system assures the transportation of materials at the right time and in an optimal manner. It should be combined with the Kanban system to highlight when something is required in the production process. This paper presents biological swarm intelligence, in general, and a particular model, particle swarm optimization (PSO), for modelling material flow using a Milk run system supported by a Kanban system in the automotive industry. The aim of this study is to create a new model for the optimal number of trailers for one train and optimal number of containers in a tugger train system when the route time period has been defined. A new modified PSO approach for integrating inventory-production in a unique optimization model is used. The major modification to the original PSO is using the capacity of a container instead of a velocity component. Each new Kanban trigger is checked, and the total timing for the Milk run delivery solution is calculated for the necessary raw material capacity for each shop floor.

Lean and industry 4.0: Mapping determinants and barriers from a social, environmental, and operational perspective

“…Other environmental benefits have been observed in terms of decreased CO2 emissions. In a theoretical study based in the automotive industry, material flow was modelled to integrate Kanban and Milk-Run routines (Simić et al, 2020). A Milk-Run routine is a logistic methodology that aims to reduce the transportation and inventory cost through optimising time, route, schedule, and parts that need to be delivered from multiple suppliers (Sadjadi, Jafari and Amini, 2009).…”

Assessing the moderating role of the extent of implementation of lean methods in predicting productivity improvement

“…Thus, under this system, only the correct quantity of product is made available at the right time reducing the over-production waste (Garza-Reyes, Kumar, Chaikittisilp, & Tan, 2018). Simic et al (2021), highlighted the importance of the Kanban system in improving the transportation of materials from one workstation to another with minimal work-in-process inventory when it is effectively combined with material flow management in the automotive industry (Yang, 2000).…”