Production Supply
A production line does not wait. Getting material to the line at the right time and in the right quantity decides the performance of production, not of logistics.
- Line feeding
- Tugger train
- Milk run
- Kanban
- Line-side stock
The bridge between warehouse and production
Production supply means taking raw material and semi-finished parts from the warehouse to the edge of the production line. What sets it apart from the other steps is that the target is rhythm, not speed: material that arrives early blocks the line side, material that arrives late stops the line.
For that reason production supply relies on tugger trains running a fixed route to a fixed timetable rather than on individual forklift movements. One tugger train drops material at several stations in a single run and collects the empty containers on the way.
- Milk run: A line feeding round on a fixed route at fixed intervals.
- Line-side stock: The material held at the station, which should be as little as possible.
- Empty return: Taking full and bringing back empty; the detail that decides how productive the round is.
What happens in line feeding
In most plants forklift traffic in the production area is a safety problem and a productivity problem at once.
- A separate forklift movement is made for every station and traffic builds up in the production area.
- More material than necessary piles up at the line side and space gets tight.
- When material is late the line stops, and the cost of that stoppage exceeds the logistics budget.
- Empty containers and pallets are not collected, so the area around the station fills up.
- The production area is busy with pedestrians, and forklift traffic runs through them.
- Individual movements are combined into tugger train rounds on a fixed route.
- Round frequency is set by the consumption rate at the stations; line-side stock is reduced.
- The round plan is built around the production rhythm, so the risk of a delay is visible in advance.
- Empty container collection is built into the same round on a take-full, return-empty basis.
- Pedestrian safety and speed limiting solutions are planned for the production area.
From the round plan to commissioning
In production supply the solution is the design of the round, not the truck itself.
Consumption Analysis
Hourly material consumption and the current number of movements are worked out station by station.
Round Design
Route, stop sequence, round frequency and trailer type are set.
Tractor and Trailer Selection
Tow tractor capacity and trailer system are chosen for the container type to be carried.
Commissioning
A pilot round is run and measured, and the route is revised where necessary.
Truck families used in production supply
Tow tractor and trailer system are chosen together, to suit the containers and pallets being carried.
What line feeding with a proper rhythm delivers
In production supply projects the gain shows on the production side rather than in the logistics budget.
Truck Movements
Turning individual movements into rounds reduces the total truck traffic in the production area.
Line-Side Space
Frequent deliveries in small quantities shrink the material piled around the station.
Line Stoppages
Feeding at a steady rhythm makes material-related stoppages predictable.
Production Area Safety
Less forklift traffic lowers the risk level in areas busy with pedestrians.
Frequently asked questions about production supply
Is a tugger train right for us?
It suits production with regular consumption, more than one station and a route that can be fixed. On a single-station line or with very irregular consumption, staying with individual trucks usually makes more sense.
How many trailers can we pull?
Tow tractor capacity, trailer type, floor gradient and manoeuvring space decide it together. In round design the tightest turn on the route is usually the limiting factor.
Does it make sense for us to move to automated solutions?
Rounds that are genuinely fixed, repetitive and with little obstructing traffic suit automation. On changing routes an operator-driven tugger train is still more flexible. There are projects where we use both together.
Can we use our existing containers?
Usually yes. The trailer system is chosen to suit your container and pallet dimensions. If you have no container standard, we may have to propose standardisation along with the round design.
Let us design your line feeding round together
- Consumption and movement analysis station by station
- Route, stop and round frequency design
- Tow tractor and trailer system proposal
- Pilot round, measurement and revision
As an authorised STILL Arser dealer and service partner we run the whole process in one place: site analysis, installation, operator training and after-sales support.