Master Thesis (30HP) Production capacity optimisation/line simulations

Scania is now undergoing a transformation from being a supplier of trucks, buses and engines to a supplier of complete and sustainable transport solutions.

Background
Production capacity calculations are of great importance for the optimization of future production capacity. Today this is done every year with a 5 year forecast using the global market demands as a basis. The demand is broken down from complete vehicle to individual part numbers, and further distributed among the machine lines which are capable to produce them. Key factors affecting the production capacity is the bottle neck of the machine line i.e total cycle time, possible buffers and their size and position in line, process planning, batching of articles and overall production efficiency (OPE), to name a few.

One machine line can be capable to produce more than one individual part creating a mixture. This kind of machine lines usually have a varying bottle neck that can be affected by other key factors, like the composition of the mixture, process planning, buffers and so on.

Previous simulations have been done to obtain the theoretical maximum OPE and capacity for a machine line producing output shafts, a part in the gear box of a Scania truck. This line is now a continuous line flowing all the way from raw material to finished part ready for assembly. At this time new articles are being introduced giving a great opportunity to implement new strategies to reach maximum capacity. We are now interested in further investigations on how the theoretical maximal OPE and capacity is affected by different factors and how these impact each other. To take this one step further we would like to simulate not only the traditionally varying factors from the normal production cycle, but also investigate alternatives “outside the box” like how decoupling of the machine line can affect the OPE and capacity for the entire line as a whole.

Effect and Product goal
The goal of the project is to find the theoretical maximum capacity and OPE for the output shaft machine line at Scania and further analyse the results. The project should consider a wide range of scenarios, including alternative solutions, like decupling, new buffer stations etc.

The project should


• Describe the dynamic in the current machine line.
• Simulate different production line scenarios.
• Compare the current machine line to the most promising alternatives accordingly to simulations.
• Describe key actions for increased capacity of the machine line in both short term and long term actions.

Simulation will be done using ExtendSIM and the previous verified model created for this machine line.

Student(s) Profile(s)
We are looking for master student(s) with a back ground in the field of  systems engineering, process development or similar and with an interests in lean production.

You have a good ability to cooperate, high analytic skills, and power of initiative.

We will provide support, supervision, and guidance.

Number of students: 1-2

Start date: January 2021

Length: 20 weeks

Contact and Supervisor at Scania:

Caroline Lejonklo, Industrial Engineer, Project Manager, Tel. +46 76 516 69 20, Caroline.Lejonklo@scania.com

Application:
Enclose CV, personal letter and school-leaving certificate. Welcome with your application at latest 2020-11-22. JobID 20202910.


Scania is a world-leading provider of transport solutions. Together with our partners and customers we are driving the shift towards a sustainable transport system. In 2018, we delivered 88 000 trucks, 8 500 buses as well as 12 800 industrial and marine engines to our customers. Net sales totalled to over SEK 137 billion, of which about 20 percent were services-related. Founded in 1891, Scania now operates in more than 100 countries and employs some 52 000 people. Research and development are concentrated in Sweden, with branches in Brazil and India. Production takes place in Europe, Latin America and Asia, with regional production centres in Africa, Asia and Eurasia. Scania is part of TRATON.SE. For more information visit www.scania.com.