The OPT method (Optimised Production Technology)

Simcore uses Flow Simulation tools to model your equipment. Once the model is made, varying the parameters allows you to test the impact of the constraints.

The OPT method (Optimized Production Technology) is a method of production flow management. It is essentially based on the identification and the removal of bottle necks, origin of useless stocks (mudas) in the production line. The aim of this method is to put a maximum just-in-time flow through the whole chain, without creating any additional stocks.

 

The principles of the OPT method

In the production line, the machines and workshops do not necessarily have the same production capacity per hour. The work speed and the output depend on the workstations and tasks from one pole to another. The low capacity resources are an obstacle to the daily output. If they are not identified and taken into account in the planning, they will generate stocks that will not stop increasing at their level.

The OPT method is the management approach that offers working on the bottle necks of the production line. In fact, these latters decrease the size of the production flow and increase the size of the intermediate stocks. According to this method, we have to dimension the flow volumes from the bottle necks capacity in order to avoid the development of useless stocks.

 

The main advantages of the OPT

The OPT allows you to do a better balancing of the flows on the whole logistical line. The bottle necks are critical stations that need a meticulous monitoring. The limit capacity of a bottle neck determines the size of the flow that goes through the line. The lateness on a bottle neck has a direct impact on the manufacturing and delivery times.

 

The implementation of the constraints’ theory

When we engage in a production growth process, with the risk of investing in additional and maybe useless resources acquisition, the management by the constraints suggests detecting bottle necks and optimising their capacity.

The implementation of the constraints’ theory is a continuous approach that takes the following steps that are close to the Deming cycle or PDCA:

• Identification of the bottle neck;
• Increase of its use, its capacity;
• Revaluation of the global capacity compared to the one of the bottle neck;
• Balancing the chain of activities and calculation of the performance;
• Repetition of the previous steps on the next bottle necks.

SIMCORE offers to establish a model of your system with a 3D simulation tool. The bottle necks are detected via the results of statistical analyses but also visualised via the animation. This latter allows you to be aware of the impact of the accumulations on your system.