On relatively simple systems, the planning horizon might be within the buying cycle of the equipment. If the cell is used to manufacture parts for a new project, the time frame will be considerably longer because new equipment needs to be tooled, machinery programmed, and fixtures and tooling designed and built. Process and proveout work delay the process even further. Cross training needed Wichman said that operators have to work together for a cell system to function correctly because they are no longer working on just one machine but have to move from machine to machine. At one point in time a part needs to be reloaded, then a tool needs to be refreshed, a new insert needs to be put in, another job set up or data entry issues dealt with.
Cross training is another essential piece of the puzzle.
Moving from a single machine and a single operator to a cellular system and multiple operators requires knowledge of how several machines work and how the machines work together to form a system. A lack of skilled workers could be another problem. Usually a higher level of technology is associated with a cellular system. As you add flexibility you add complexity, and with that complexity you need a higher skilled workforce to implement and manage that system. To combat that problem, Graham recommends involving the people who will run the system early in the specification and build period, as opposed to delivering the system and expecting them to be able to run and manage it without having any input into the process.