TVS Motor company
In its bid to increase operational efficiency, TVS Motor Company enhanced rigour in application of TPM tools and techniques to reduce losses like tool change loss and repair and maintenance. Besides maximising utilisation of wind energy, the company looked at power intensive areas like paint shops by reducing operating hours. In the assembly conveyors, it ensured availability of parts with enhanced information sharing between the company and the supplier partners by leveraging IT. Flexible and simpler automation helped. Before adding resources, it worked at de-bottlenecking and re-engineering and conducted an extensive and continuous improvement in usage of advanced toolings to control the manufacturing cost. Kitting helped to ensure reduced inventory and just-in-time production.
For this year, the company would like to reduce production batch sizes in feeder units and employ a mixed model production. It wants to create flexibility in process for multi-model operation, e.g. single touch change-over/multi-model fixtures. For transparency in information and material flow, it will leverage IT for pull based supply. The multiskilling of team members and Poka Yoke implementation should eliminate potential defects arising out of multi-model production.
Another move the company is planning is attaining flexibility and recycling of resources, end-to-end traceability, and progress towards cleaner and energy efficient processes.
The company sold 202,209 units in January 2017 as against 201,233 units in January 2016.