Simulator training for employees in the field of production: a robert bosch gasoline systems case

• Autores: Imanol García, Enrique Soriano, Higinio Rubio, Jesús Manuel García
• Localización: The International journal of engineering education, ISSN-e 0949-149X, Vol. 29, no. Extra 6, 2013, págs. 1377-1386
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • As a result of market globalization and increasing demand of products, companies have to improve their production processes andmodify their operations to adjust to changes and be competent. This context is being steadily accentuated in the manufacturingsector, where many companies are conducting research on formative methods that allow engineers and operators, whether newlyhired or transferred from other plants of the company, reach the standard production level quickly, thereby achieving andmaintaining the necessary level of market competitiveness.In this paper, we introduce a case of formative software development at the Robert Bosch Gasoline Systems Company(Aranjuez, Spain) that has just begun the implementation of a Lean Transformation project, performed in order to standardiseproduction according to their global benchmarks and thereby improve the productivity of the filter manufacturing lines. During aprevious evaluation of production lines, we decided that cultivating employees based on parameters of machine management andthe knowledge of their influence on the final product is the key area of concern since it significantly influences production lossesand the productivity indicator of each line. In order to achieve this, we focused on the production of diesel filters; a master’sstudent at the company was designated to analyse various formative methods. Finally, we developed a decision-making simulatorof the manufacturing parameters. The resultant software was implemented in Visual Basic and Excel, which allowed the integrationof the tool in the company’s work culture. The simulator was then tested with plant employees, observing the general improvementof knowledge about the production processes of diesel filters. Finally, it was implemented at the factory. We realised that timereduction on technical and on organizational losses led to an increase in the productivity.