Reinventing the (product) wheel

Industrial engineers often are called upon to help operations managers decide how to resolve the challenges that today's dynamic markets present. Product wheels provide an integrated, holistic, time-proven methodology to respond to these challenges. Product wheel design creates a structured pat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Industrial Engineer 2013-11, Vol.45 (11), p.37
Main Authors: King, Peter L, King, Jennifer S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Assembly lines
Design
Engineers
Fluids
Industrial engineering
Inventory
Manufacturing
Operations management
Success
Wheels
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Summary:Industrial engineers often are called upon to help operations managers decide how to resolve the challenges that today's dynamic markets present. Product wheels provide an integrated, holistic, time-proven methodology to respond to these challenges. Product wheel design creates a structured pattern for all products, arranges the mix in the optimum sequence, finds the optimum leveling period for each product, and allows for the appropriate amount of each product to be made at its turn in the sequence. A product wheel is a visual metaphor for a structured, regularly repeating sequence of the production of all the materials that will be made on a specific piece of equipment, within a process system, or on an entire production line. In addition to BG Products and Appleton, the companies pioneering the product wheel methodology include Dow Chemical, DuPont and Exxon Mobil. They have used them to great advantage in producing automotive and house paints, extruded polymers, paper and plastic sheet goods, industrial chemicals, engine oil additives, waxes and pastes, laminated circuit board materials and a host of other products.
ISSN:2471-9579