Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has developed the
world's first mass-production automobile assembly line with a main
line that incorporates a flowing cell production system. The ARC
Line installed to HATC's new Prachinburi Plant
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has developed the world's first(1)
mass-production automobile assembly line with a main line that
incorporates a flowing cell production system. Honda has named this
original assembly line the ARC(2) Line and introduced it to Honda's
new Prachinburi Plant in Thailand that became operational in March
2016. The plant is part of Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
(HATC), Honda's automobile production and sales subsidiary in
Thailand, and is located within the Rojana Industrial Park in
Prachinburi Province.
The newly-developed ARC Line is a world's first innovative and
unique assembly line that is different from a conventional line
production system and was developed by incorporating flowing cell
production-style production units in the main line. In production
on a conventional line, which has been broadly adopted for
automobile production to date, each production associate takes
charge of a single process and installs parts to vehicle bodies
flowing on a conveyor. In cell production, on the other hand, one
production associate takes charge of a broader range of production
processes and installs multiple parts.
In ARC Line production, four production associates get on board an
ARC Unit, a unit of a conveyor that carries one vehicle body and a
complete set of parts to be installed to the vehicle body, and
assemble the vehicle while moving along the production line
together with the vehicle. This system reduces any incidental
movements by production associates - such as selecting the proper
parts for the specifications of the next vehicle body coming down
the line and installing them while walking along with the vehicle
body. These are not considered essential assembly movements but are
inevitable in conventional production processes. The ARC Line
production achieves a significant improvement in production
efficiency through the reduction of such process loss.
Moreover, with ARC Line production, each production associate takes
charge of a broader range of production processes, which makes it
possible for associates to gain a broader range of production
knowledge and skills. This is expected to have a positive effect on
the development of proficient production associates who will be
capable of providing feedback from the production team to the
development team in the future.
Honda will continue its efforts to increase the efficiency of
production processes for the purpose of delivering attractive and
high-quality products to its customers in a timely manner and at
reasonable prices.
Key technologies adopted for the ARC Line
ARC Unit:
An ARC Unit constitutes the function of a conveyor that moves with
the fixed layout of a vehicle body, with assembly parts and a
workspace for each production associate onboard. Traffic lines of
production associates do not cross, therefore four associates can
work on one vehicle simultaneously with a reduced amount of
unnecessary incidental movements, which increased ARC Line work
efficiency by approximately 10% compared to that of a conventional
line. In the area of logistics, because of the loop-shape of the
conveyor, supplying full boxes of assembly parts at the start of
assembly and retrieving empty boxes at the end of assembly can be
done at the same spot. As a result, the number of spots where
assembly parts are brought to the line was minimized, which reduces
the workload related to parts handling within the plant by
approximately 10%.
The ARC Unit can be added to the production line unit by unit,
which enables the plant to change the layout of a production line
flexibly to accommodate future changes in production volume as well
as the additions of production models. Moreover, the ARC Line has a
structure that is less likely to be affected by spatial
restrictions of an installation site, therefore reduction of
investment cost can be expected when structurally identical ARC
production lines are installed to Honda production plants around
the world.
PLUTO(3) System:
The PLUTO System is a quality maintenance/management support system
designed to equalize both the skill level of ARC Line production
associates and the quality of finished products at a high level.
Using tablet-type devices placed in the work space on each ARC
Unit, the system provides visual and audio instructions such as the
sequence of parts assembly and points for quality management so
that human errors such as misassembly of parts by less proficient
associates will be prevented.
Moreover, inspection associates will immediately inspect each
vehicle at the Q-GATE, the quality inspection area which follows
the ARC Line, which makes it possible to immediately address any
assembly errors. After addressing identified error(s), the system
feeds inspection results back to the responsible production
associate. When any error is found, the system displays an alert
message on the screen when the associate turns on the system to
work on the next vehicle. With these functions, the PLUTO System
will ensure high quality maintenance during the assembly
process.
DiSC(4) System:
The DiSC System works in conjunction with production planning and
helps to supply the proper parts to each production associate. When
associates in charge of the parts storage area adjacent to the ARC
Line prepare assembly parts for upcoming vehicles, indicator lights
on parts shelves will illuminate to notify the location of
necessary parts. This system enables the accurate supply of parts
even for a production line where multiple models are being
assembled simultaneously.
(1) Honda internal research
(2) ARC: Assembly Revolution Cell
(3) PLUTO: Proficiency Learning and Ushering Target for
Operator
(4) DiSC: Distribution Set-pack Control
About Honda
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (TSE:7267/NYSE:HMC/LSE:HNDA) is one of the
leading manufacturers of automobiles and power products and the
largest manufacture of motorcycles in the world. Honda has always
sought to provide genuine satisfaction to people worldwide. The
result is more than 120 manufacturing facilities in 30 countries
worldwide, producing a wide range of products, including
motorcycles, ATVs, generators, marine engines, lawn and garden
equipment and automobiles that bring the company into contact with
over 19 million customers annually. For more information, please
visit http://world.honda.com.
Source: Honda
Contact:
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