Creform Corporation has developed a single-sided Kanban Station that acts as a scheduling system for lean and just-in-time production. Creform engineers worked hand-in-hand with its long-time automotive supplier customer to design the station and to provide an assembled structure. The customer requested that this unique structure be professionally built and didn’t have the manpower available.
The station, which measures 74 W x 24 D x 87 in. T carries a total of up to 400 individual positions, eight rows of 50 Kanban slots oriented vertically. The plastic slots, which hold the Kanban cards, are modular and are designed to be assembled into the best configuration for the user. The white slots interlock with one another and can be oriented in either vertical or horizontal positions. Kanban cards are a key component of Kanban. They signal the need to move materials within a manufacturing or production facility or move materials from an outside supplier into the production facility. The Kanban card is, in effect, a message that signals that there is a depletion of product, parts, or inventory that, when received, Kanban will trigger the replenishment of that product, part, or inventory.
In the station pictured each single Kanban slot is 5/8 W x 6.25 D x 4 in. T but are easily resized. Spacers are available to create wider slot openings if the need arises. The spacers can create wider slot openings and can double the slot size from 5/8-in. wide to 1.25 in. for added versatility. Slot caps, that easily snap in and out, are also available to provide a labeling surface or just to block off a certain position.
The Creform structure is built with rugged plastic-coated steel pipes and metal joints ideal for use in a manufacturing/industrial environment. As needs change the user can dismantle the unit, recycle the components and reconfigure the structure. If it should get damaged, the Creform system allows it to be quickly repaired rather than replaced.
