Development of Production Concept : Process development at ABB Control Products with focus on generating new production concept

Abstract: This Master thesis is within the area of innovative production. The authors are Master students at Mälardalen University in the field of production and process development. The purpose of the thesis is to design a production development process and to apply it in the case study performed at ABB Control Products in Västerås, Sweden. The new production concept developed is needed due to several changes in production of large size contactors that will take place during 2012; a new product size will be introduced, a new design of current products will be implemented, and production capacity for future increasing demands must be investigated. The approach to generate the production concept has been based on theoretical methods and models with focus on the lean philosophy. Through the theoretical framework a process for production development has been designed with the stages; Planning and Preparation, Current State Analyze, Concept Generation, Concept Analyze and Selection, and Visualization of Concept. The outcome of the thesis project is a mapping and disturbance analyze of current production, and a new production concept with an automation solution and a new balancing of the production line included. Finally the new production concept has been visualized in a 3D-simulation model. The main differences of the new production concept compared to current production is that conveyors are used as transportation system through the entire production process and two parallel flows is used in the production line in aim to shorten the lead time.