Overcoming the Implementation Bottleneck in Intelligent Manufacturing: A Lean-Based Production Process Design Method with Case Studies

This study aims to address the core bottleneck impeding the implementation of intelligent manufacturing in complex equipment manufacturing—namely, the lack of lean design and standardization of production processes. To this end, a lean-based production process design method is proposed and investigated, focusing on three key transformations from product process planning to production: refining operations into elemental tasks, reorganizing operations into workstations, and optimizing the production process in depth. The effectiveness of the proposed method is systematically validated using case studies at Company A's packaging operation and Company B's optical equipment assembly line, where work measurement, standard work combination charts, and improved process flow diagrams are applied. Results demonstrate that the proposed method significantly enhances production efficiency and process standardization. Specifically, without introducing additional automated equipment, the required labor for the packaging operation is reduced by 19%, and the per-capita efficiency of the assembly line is increased by 420%. Moreover, a manufacturing bill of materials and a refined process flow model that can directly support intelligent manufacturing operation are generated. The lean production process design framework established in this study provides an applicable methodological basis for the systematic implementation of intelligent manufacturing, highlighting a critical path toward achieving high efficiency, digitalization, and intelligence in manufacturing systems through front-end lean process design.