Eriks

Eriks Newsletter May 2011

Fokker approached Eriks as strategic partner for the delivery of the wide packet on WTB material. From closures, tubes and tabs to tolls and personal protection products.

Eriks found the solution in the TwinBin system. A revolutionary new bin system which works as follows:

  • Both compartments of the TwinBin are filled with the same quantity of the needed materials. In the upper bin there is a green indicator. This indicates when the both tubs are filled.
  • Users take the amount of materials from the tub beneath. The tubs are transparent so the contents are visible.
  • The upper bin is closed off. This prevents materials being taken from both bins at the same time.
  • As soon as the bottom bi is empty the user can let the contents of the upper bin fall into the bottom bin. He does this by means of pulling a slider handle that divides the upper and lower compartments of the bin. At the same time a red indicator appears on the upper bin which indicates that the upper bin is empty.
  • During the periodic refilling check the Eriks worker will see immediately that the bin is empty. He will scan the bar code label on the tub and pill a leaver (sliding handle) which will then change colour to yellow. This colour indicates that’s the article needs re ordering. During the following periodic refill the kanban bin indicator will be set to green again.

Advantages

In a total of 35 locations divided over five halls within the Fokker facility.

The user friendly TwinBin has been installed in a total of 35 locations divided over five warehouses. There are over 1,000 bins in use in total.  Eriks has adapted the size of many of these by Fokker. During the periodic checks of the tub a large number of the articles and provided with a so called COC document which give information about where the product has come from and the date if expiry.  Because this Twin Bin system always uses the older dated supply of material before then new batch is made available an enormous improve in gained in reinsuring that the product does not extend over it’s expiry date.

This makes it a very flexible system that can be adapted at any moment as a new component in any existing assembly department. Fokker profits from this system in the following ways:

  • Strongly improved material suppliers on the work floor
  • Dramatic reduction in the time need to maintain he material supply in the internal magazine
  • Dust free storage
  • Materials are very easily visible so the searching for materials has become a thing of the past
  • Improved control in the durability of the product because of the “first in – first out” system.
  • Clear insight of the weekly per cost of the units
  • Time saving in the storage department due to the direct re-filling of the bins in their fixed location
  • Improved systematic re ordering as ordering can be done collectively
  • Reduction and ease of ordering time.

Adaptability

Though the success of the system at Fokker Aero structures has looked at adapting it for use in other Fokker production locations. In addition, Hoogeveen are also using TwinBin for the support materials. In this way, more and more materials from small suppliers or larger suppliers and being added. This results in an total availability of materials.

Savings

In addition to the availability of the materials there is a saving in terms of the reduction of transport costs, a reduction in the amount of stocks of materials needed to be held in store, reduction in packaging waste, less wastage of suppliers and a reduced number of FTE’s.

The total saving comes close to €150, 000 per year and that is a 30% of the buying costs of the materials.