The manufacturing plant in Jamestown, N.Y. of automotive components supplier Valeo has recently improved lineside parts staging by using portable flow racks. The racks have provided better access to the parts, improved ergonomics and have freed more space for production.

Jamestown builds engine cooling systems and modules for trucks. Components are produced in production line workstations manned by two to three people. Before moving to the flow racks, parts had been delivered in large bulk containers using lift trucks. There was little control over the amount of materials that would accumulate at the line and often the containers would have to be placed further from the workers than desired. The lift trucks also required wide aisles to operate, and workers complained about the difficulty of reaching down into the large containers to retrieve the parts.

Valeo has seen significant improvements since moving to portable flow racks. Small delivery trains now take parts to the flow racks, which are positioned along the line stations. This, coupled with the space savings in using the racks instead of large containers, has gained almost 1,000 square feet in floor space that has now been turned over to production.

The flow racks also bring parts much closer to the workers, so they do not have to leave their stations to collect parts from the containers. This has also improved ergonomics, as there is little lifting now.

Valeo's racks are easily adjustable to handle a variety of container sizes. They are also designed to be very flexible. Since they are portable, the racks are well suited to quick line changes. In some areas that require changeovers, two racks may be used. One is used to support current jobs in the workstation while the other is loaded externally with parts needed after the changeover.