ABSTRACT
The trap cell had been in operation only a few weeks when one of the machines in the machining subcell broke down. Because all the machines in the subcell performed virtually as a single operation, the whole subcell shut down. The assembly side kept going for four more days, then the kanban buffer ran out and it shut down too. The maintenance supervisor was notified immediately; however, he was accustomed to traditional batch production where each machine has its own big pile of input material and can keep going even if a machine elsewhere breaks down. Ordinarily, the inventory on the floor could easily absorb a week’s downtime, and the supervisor could leisurely treat any breakdown on a first-come, first-serve basis.
