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AN APPLCATION FOR MODULAR PRODUCTION SYSTEMS ON APPAREL

MSc. Esra DRGAR 1, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ziynet NDOAN 2

1 Ege University Bergama Vocation School, Bergama Izmir / Turkey2 Ege University Engineering Faculty Textile Engineering Department, Bornova - Izmir / Turkey

INTRODUCTION

Consumers now demand more variety in product lines and retailers expect faster delivery, better quality andlower costs. As global markets change, manufacturing strategies are also changing. Flexible manufacturingthat strives to be responsive to customer demand. For the apparel manufacturing plant, flexiblemanufacturing means the capability to quickly and efficiently produce a variety of styles in small productionruns with no defects. This may require philosophy changes, new performance criteria, effective use of newtechnology and beter development and use of resources than with traditional production systems. Theunderlying philosophy is that the manufacturing firm will operate with the flexibility needed to meet theneeds of its customers and the inherent ability to adapt to immediate changes in the apparel market.

Firms that are able to operate in a flexible manufacturing environment have a strategic advantage in themarketplace. Although flexible manufacturing involves the entire firm, much of the focus for improvingflexibility has been on the production function.

METHODOLOGY

An apparel production system is an integration of materials handling, production processes, personel andequipment that directs work flow and generates finished products. Two types of production systems that arecommonly used to mass production in the apparel industry. These are progressive bundle system andmodular production system.

In progressive bundle system, bundles of garment parts are moved sequentially from operation to operation.

Bundles consist of garment parts needed to complete a spesific operation or garment component. Forexample; an operation bundle for pocket setting might include the shirt front and pockets to be attached.Bundle size may range from one part to a hundred parts. Operators perform the same operation on acontinuous basis, which allows them to increase their speed and productivity. Large quantities of work in

process are often characteristic of this type of production system. This may lead to longer throughput time,poor quality concealed by bundles, large inventory, extra handling and difficulty in controlling inventory.Also large quantities of work in process make it difficult to track spesific orders and provide flexibility forcustomers.

Figure 1. Progressive Bundle Production System


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Modular production system is contained, manageable work unit that includes an empowered work team,equipment and work to be executed. Modules operates as minifactories with teams, usually five to fifteen

people, responsible for group goals and self-management. Team members are interchangeable among taskswithin the group to the extent practical. Incentive compensation is based on meeting team goals for outputand the quality. Giving teams full responsibility for a finished product encourages group ownership of the

product and its success, which includes the product quality, throughput and methods of assembly.Responsibility for the completed product builds a sense of accomplishment and motivation for team

members. Quality becomes a team responsibility and therefore is monitored at the source. Researches showsa significant improvement in quality when the team is responsible for the quality of finished products. Inmodular system, it is possible to reach zero defect.

Figure 2.Modular Production System

In this study, two factories has been compared. One of them is carrying out progressive bundle system andthe other is carrying out modular production system on apparel production.

CONCLUSION

These two systems are compared ;

- Bundle workers can be productive as soon as they learn one operation but module worker must betrained to carry out several operations before they can be fully integrated into the team. So thetraining costs are increased on modular production system.

- To achieve Zero Defect is possible on modular production systems.

- Modules are required fewer supervisors, fewer quality inspectors, fewer service workers to moved

bundles around.- Modules are required less space on the factory flor.

- Modules are able produce similar output at a lower cost.

- In modular system,As work teams are taken responsibility for the finished product, there areadditional savings from reductions in rework.


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Comparison of ResultsProgressive Bundle

SystemModular Production

SystemThroughput (days) 12-15 days 1-5 daysSquare Feet / Operator 8.5 m2 5.5 m2

Quality / AQL 4-6 % 1-2 %Labor Cost Per Unit Equal or LowerLabor Turnover 50-60 % 20-40%Absenteeism 5 % 2-4 %Direct Labor Excesses 5-15% 1-6%Indirect Labor Ratio 20-30% 10-15%Utilization of Operator Time 75-80% 100%Training Costs More expensiveEmployee Attitude Competitive CooperativeCustomer Service Poor ExcellentResponsibility Poor Excellent

Flexibility Poor Excellent

Table 1. Comparision Progressive Bundle System

In accordance with the results obtained, the competitive advantage that implies the adoption of modularproduction system is demonstrated.

REFERENCES

- Acar, N., 2002, Tam Zamannda retim, MPM Yaynlar, Ankara

- Atalay, N., Birbil, D., Demir, N. ve Yldrm, ., 1998, KOBlerin Esnek retim Sistemleri Ynndenrdelenmesi ve Bir Uygulama, MPM Yaynlar, Ankara

- CARR , H., LATHAM, B., 1994 , The Technology of Clothing Manufacturing , Blackwell

Scientific Publications, ISBN 0-632-03748-2

- Glock, R.E., Kunz, G.I., 1995, Apparel Manufacturing Sewn Product Analysis, Prentice Hall

International Limited, London, ISBN 0-02-344142-9

- Schilling, M.A., 2001, Industry Determinants of the Adoptation of Modular Organizational Forms : An

Emprical Test, Academy of Management Journal


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