The web camera production line faces a bottleneck at the screw-fastening stage, involving repetitive tasks of picking and positioning small screws before fastening. This complexity causes high variability in cycle time, often exceeding the customer’s takt time, leading to insufficient output and workflow interruptions.

To address this issue, the work method was redesigned by installing a CNC-fabricated POM guide sleeve with magnetic tuning at the torque screwdriver bit. This solution improved stability in handling a single screw, minimized multiple-screw pickup errors, and reduced variability in the “pick–place–fasten” process.

The experimental results showed that the average cycle time at the Assembly & Test 1 station decreased from 268.87 to 221.1 seconds per unit (−17.8%), aligning with the takt time (~222 seconds/unit). The production rate increased from 13.39 to 16.28 units per hour (+21.6%), and the monthly output rose by 1,332 units. Additionally, work-in-progress decreased, workflow became smoother, and screw-handling issues were nearly eliminated.

The findings confirm that integrating industrial engineering tools—time study, kanban data, prioritization matrix, and system simulation—with low-cost tool design effectively enhances production efficiency in the electronics industry.

Natdanai Chalalawong

Affiliation

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Productivity Improvement in Web Camera Assembly Line Using Low-Cost Guide Sleeve Design and Simulation Analysis