Ðñïúüíôá ôïõ DJ, Á.Å.

Forklift ôá öïñôçãÜ åßíáé áêñéâÜ íá äéáôçñÞóïõí êáé åßíáé ìéá óçìáíôéêÞ ðçãÞ ôñáõìáôéóìþí êáé áêüìç êáé èáíÜôùí åñãáæïìÝíùí êÜèå Ýôïò. Ôï õøçëü êüóôïò forklifts óôá ðåñéâÜëëïíôá êáôáóêåõÞò, áðïèÞêåõóçò êáé äéïéêçôéêþí ìåñéìíþí ùèåß Ýíáí áõîáíüìåíï áñéèìü åðé÷åéñÞóåùí ãéá íá ðÜåé forklift-åëåýèåñï (äåßôå ôç èÝóç 11 Éïõíßïõ ìáò). Ç ìåôÜâáóç forklift-åëåýèåñç ìðïñåß íá ìåéþóåé ôéò áíÜãêåò êáôáëüãùí êáé åîïðëéóìïý, íá âåëôéþóåé ôçí áðÜíôçóç õëéêÞò ñïÞò êáé ðåëáôþí, ôçí áðïäïôéêüôçôá êýêëùí áýîçóçò êáé ôç ãåíéêÞ ðáñáãùãéêüôçôá, êáé íá ìåéþóåé ôéò ëåéôïõñãéêÝò äáðÜíåò. Óõã÷ñüíùò Ýíá forklift-åëåýèåñï ðåñéâÜëëïí åñãáóßáò âåëôéþíåé óçìáíôéêÜ ôçí áóöÜëåéá åãêáôáóôÜóåùí áíçóõ÷ßåò åõèýíçò ìåéþóåùí êáé ìåéþíåé åìöáíþò ôïõò ôñáõìáôéóìïýò åñãáæïìÝíùí êáé ó÷åôéêü éáôñéêü, ôçí áóöÜëåéá, ôçí áíéêáíüôçôá êáé ôéò ÷áìÝíåò äáðÜíåò áíèñùðþñáò.

Íá åêôåëÝóåé Ýíá forklift-åëåýèåñï ðñüãñáììá ìðïñåß íá åßíáé ðñïêëçôéêü êáé èá áðáéôÞóåé ìéá óõíôïíéóìÝíç ðñïóðÜèåéá áðü ôçí êïñõöáßá äéá÷åßñéóç, üëá ôá åðçñåáóèå'íôá ôìÞìáôá, êáé ôïõò ðñïìçèåõôÝò, èá ðåé John Neuman êáé Larry Tyler ìÝóá Áìåñéêáíéêüò ìç÷áíéêüò. Õðïãñáììßæïõí üôé ç åðéôõ÷ßá èá áðáéôÞóåé ôç äõíáôüôçôá íá äéáôçñçèåß «ìéá ìåãÜëç åðéóêüðçóç åéêüíùí ôïõ ðñïãñÜììáôïò êáèþò åðßóçò êáé ìéá êáôáíüçóç ãéá ôï ðþò êÜèå ôìÞìá êáé ïé ðñïìçèåõôÝò, êáé åóùôåñéêïýò êáé åîùôåñéêïýò, èá ðñïóêñïýóïõí.»

Ìéá åðéôõ÷Þò ìåôÜâáóç óå Ýíá forklift-åëåýèåñï ðåñéâÜëëïí áñ÷ßæåé ìå ìéá äéåõêñßíéóç ôùí óôü÷ùí êáé ôùí óôü÷ùí ó÷åäßùí êáé ôïí ðñïóäéïñéóìü ôùí åñãïíïìéêþí êáé áóöÜëåéáò áðåéëþí áðïâëÞôùí. Ôï Neuman êáé Tyler ðñïôåßíïõí ìå ôçí åñþôçóç ðþò ôéò äéáäéêáóßåò êáé ç áëõóßäá áíåöïäéáóìïý óáò áðü Ýíá forklift-åëåýèåñï óýóôçìá èá ðñïóêñïýóïõí. Ïé ÷áñáêôçñéóôéêïß õðåýèõíïé ðñïãñÜììáôïò ðåñéëáìâÜíïõí ôçí êáôáóêåõÞ êáé ôïõò âéïìç÷áíéêïýò ìç÷áíéêïýò êáé ôï õëéêü ðñïóùðéêü äéïéêçôéêþí ìåñéìíþí. Ç åéóáãùãÞ ðñÝðåé íá ìáæåõôåß áðü ôéò ïìÜäåò áóöÜëåéáò, ôïõò äéåõèõíôÝò ðáñáãùãÞò, ôïõò ÷åéñéóôÝò ãñáììþí, ôïõò ïäçãïýò ñõìïõëêþí, ôéò ïìÜäåò áíåöïäéáóìïý áãïñÜò, ôï áãïñÜæïíôáò ôìÞìá êáé ôïõò ðñïìçèåõôÝò óáò. Ç êáëÞ åðéêïéíùíßá, ï áðïäïôéêüò óõíôïíéóìüò ðëçñïöïñéþí, êáé ç óáöÞò áíÜèåóç ôùí åõèõíþí åßíáé óçìáíôéêïß óôçí åðéôõ÷ßá ó'áõôü ôï óôÜäéï ôïõ ðñïãñÜììáôïò, ðñïåéäïðïéïýí Neuman êáé Tyler.

Ç åêôÝëåóç åíüò äïêéìáóôéêïý ôñåîßìáôïò ðïõ åðéóçìáßíåé öõóéêÜ êÜèå âÞìá ôçò ëåéôïõñãßáò áðü ôïí ðñïìçèåõôÞ óôç ëáìâÜíïõóá áðïâÜèñá ìÝóù ôçò óõíÝëåõóçò êáé ðßóù óôç óôÝëíïíôáò áðïâÜèñá åðéôñÝðåé óôçí ïìÜäá åöáñìïãÞò ãéá íá áðïêáëýøåé ïðïéáäÞðïôå ðéèáíÜ ðñïâëÞìáôá ðñéí áðü ôçí Ýíáñîç. Ç õðïêñéôéêÞ ñüëùí åðéôñÝðåé óå êÜèå Üôïìï ðïõ èá óõììåôÜó÷åé óôç íÝá äéáäéêáóßá ãéá íá äïêéìÜóåé êáé íá äïêéìÜóåé ôéò ðñáãìáôéêÝò ìåôáêéíÞóåéò ðïõ èá ðñÝðåé íá áíáëÜâïõí óå ìéá forklift-åëåýèåñç ðáñáãùãÞ. Ïé ðñïôÜóåéò ðïõ êåñäßæïíôáé áðü ìéá öõóéêÞ äïêéìáóôéêÞ ëåéôïõñãßá ìðïñïýí íá ðáñÝ÷ïõí ôçí ðïëýôéìç äéïñáôéêüôçôá óôá ëåéôïõñãéêÜ, æçôÞìáôá ðñïóùðéêïý êáé ðñïìçèåõôþí ðïõ ðñÝðåé íá áíôéìåôùðéóôïýí ðñéí áðü ôçí ðëÞñç åöáñìïãÞ åíüò forklift-åëåýèåñïõ óõóôÞìáôïò.

Obviously, implementing a forklift-free environment in an existing plant presents a significantly greater challenge than in a new or remodeled facility where changes can be incorporated in the planning phase. Neuman and Tyler warn that “existing plant constraints may make the best forklift-free strategy less than optimal.” Aisle widths, conveyor heights, set backs, line space, ceiling height and floor quality are among the challenges that may need to be overcome. Incremental conversion beginning with one or two work cells or a common assembly area may allow for greater success in brownfield operations. Despite the added challenges, positive results can be achieved in brownfield operations though initial cost and implementation time may be somewhat greater.