As responsible for the end-of-line operations you want to get rid of all the extra hours spent on unnecessary interruptions. Here are five things that slow down your work, and tips for how you can avoid these situations from happening.
1. Using employees to move vehicles from the assembly line
In end-of-line operations you have employees doing important jobs like quality checks, last-minute adjustments, and pulling the plastic off the vehicles. When everything runs smoothly you’ll have an operator start the car and drive away when the final checks are done.
But, now and then you’ll have a car that doesn’t start – a non-starter. If you are using a car dolly or if you’re pushing the car by hand, you need to pull the operators away from their work. It can take 5-10 minutes to get the car off the line. When you use a vehicle mover, you only need one operator to remove the car. The operator assigned to maneuver the machine can have the car out of the way within 60 seconds.
Compare: Using a vehicle mover vs push cars by hand
2. Situations when you need to lift the entire vehicle
Sometimes, you need to lift the entire vehicle. This means you won’t be able to pull or push the car, you have to carry all four tires at the same time. When you’re using equipment that isn’t designed to transport an entire car, getting all four wheels upon your moving devices is a time-consuming challenge. The quicker way of doing it is to use a professional moving technique and method that can lift all four tires.
3. When a tool breaks
Broken tools are never good news when you’re working against the clock. If this happens when you are in the middle of moving a vehicle, it’s even more critical. Weak tools can cause damage to the car, and if this happens you might end up with a broken vehicle and a broken tool. To get the car out of the way you now have to find another solution capable of moving a heavy car, and this could take days.
It’s not easy to predict a situation like this. However, if you make sure to use tools and equipment that is professional in the first place, you’ll be up and running much faster – and it’s a lot safer. Professional tools are also easy to fix if something happens. Find a partner who’s available for customer support, and who can deliver spare parts quickly. When unexpected events like this occur, it’s valuable to have a consultant to speak to that can help you solve the problem immediately.
4. If somebody gets hurt
There’s no doubt that high safety standards are a priority at professional automotive manufacturing facilities. No one wants to see an employee or coworker get injured. However, some dangerous methods in car moving are still practiced in plants all over the world.
When you have your operators push the vehicles by hand there’s always a risk of someone getting hurt. If this happens several events will follow. First, you need to stop the line, you need to call safety personnel, and the whole production process will be put on hold. No matter how serious it is, employee injuries don’t take minutes – it can take up to an hour.
Using safe equipment, like a high-quality vehicle mover, you’ll remove the risk of injuries in car moving. The equipment you use should be protecting the operator, and have safety features that keep the vehicle steady at all times.
5. Using inferior equipment
Inferior, commercial, and homeowner products don’t belong in the manufacturing environment. Still, this kind of equipment can be found in many end-of-line operations. It’s cheap and it usually works – for a while. Equipment that isn’t made for high-performance use is likely to be damaged or break if you don’t put it on correctly, or if the assembly line is bumpy.
Using professional industrial products with good quality will save you both time and money. Investing in low-maintenance equipment with a life-cycle of 5-10 years will pay off in the long run.
Learn more about how to save time and money at end-of-line
