In Bühl, the machine manufacturer has significantly more space than in the old facility: "With the facility in Bühl, we are increasing our production area by 50 percent; the parts storage is just as large as the assembly area," says Plant Manager Ralph Seiler. Both measure about 1,500 square meters. Additionally, despite the increased space, the distances are short - thanks to efficient layouts. For example, the warehouse is located directly next to the assembly hall. Those who are responsible for assembly, storage and work preparation also sit together in the foreman’s office. “With short distances, everything goes faster,” explains Seiler.
ARKU continues to hire employees
Some employees have taken the opportunity and transferred from the ARKU facility in Haueneberstein to Bühl. However, not all the positions envisaged in the personnel planning have been filled yet. The machine builder is therefore still looking for skilled workers for quality assurance, the warehouse and assembly in Bühl. "We are in a continuous lean process. There, as an employee, you can still participate in decision-making, help design, optimize, and implement the processes. The tasks are broader than in a large corporation," says Seiler, and continues: "We want to tackle this process together as a team."
At the new facility, ARKU has geared everything towards a lean operation. "Part of this process development is that everything is clearly structured," explains Seiler. The material flow from receiving, to storage and assembly move in a U-shape in one direction. The location for quality assurance is directly by the receiving dock. "Lean also means putting yourself in each person's shoes to make the process understandable for everyone," says the Plant Manager. The goal is to create a separate area in the warehouse, independent from assembly. The employees should then be able to work stress-free in a clean and tidy warehouse with a well-thought-out system.
Clear specifications are also important during assembly. "Our assemblers are supported by additional work instructions via drawings and labels and thus have a clear work structure," reports the Plant Manager. Due to the product mix of ARKU's various machines, the assembly process is very diversified. In addition, there is a person responsible for each machine model who is particularly familiar with it. Certain components are already pre-assembled and made available for the assembly line. "This makes us independent during synchronized assembly," explains Seiler.
Clear division of tasks
The tasks between the two facilities are clearly separated: coil processing lines and the large leveling machines are produced in Haueneberstein. Meanwhile, all deburring machines and the smaller FlatMaster® 55 and EcoMaster® leveling machines are produced in Bühl. Accordingly, the facility in Bühl is designed for series production. Flow assembly makes it easier to meet deadlines. In addition, orders from the ARKU web shop for consumables are shipped from Bühl. "The larger storage area allows us to ship spare parts and consumables quickly. Thus, customers benefit from faster delivery times," explains the Plant Manager.
The Plant Manager is also highly satisfied with the new facility. The facility is not only well connected to the highway, federal road and railroad. The building also included everything that was needed. "Right down to the color of the facility, everything really did fit," reports Seiler.
