// ROBOTICS AND SMART FACTORIES TERM
One-Piece Flow
One-piece flow is a manufacturing method where products move through production one unit at a time, instead of in batches. This helps reduce work-in-progress and quickly identify defects.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
One-Piece Flow, a Lean manufacturing principle, involves processing and moving products through sequential production steps one unit at a time, minimizing work-in-progress (WIP), lead times, and facilitating immediate defect detection and quality control.
BACKGROUND
Lean manufacturing is a management system built on three principles: produce only what is needed, when it is needed; correct abnormalities as soon as they occur; and empower workers to improve the process themselves.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Single-piece flow
- Continuous flow
- Flow production
- Unit flow
USAGE NOTE
Implementing one-piece flow requires careful balancing of workstations and often leads to significant lead time reductions.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to One-Piece Flow.
Develops the Digital Enterprise Suite, including MES (Opcenter) and Digital Twin software (Tecnomatix), which allows manufacturers to simulate, manage, and optimize the real-time movement of individual products through the production line, a core requirement for one-piece flow.
A market leader in collaborative robots (cobots) that are designed for flexibility and can be easily deployed in manufacturing cells to perform tasks on a single workpiece at a time, enabling adaptable and human-centric one-piece flow systems.
Creates intelligent and modular transfer systems, such as the TS 2plus and ActiveMover, which move workpiece pallets independently and asynchronously. This technology provides the physical infrastructure for precise and efficient one-piece flow production.
Specializes in Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) that offer a dynamic and flexible alternative to fixed conveyors. Their AMRs transport single parts or kits between workstations on-demand to support lean, single-piece flow layouts.
Offers integrated automation and software solutions, including the Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform (MES), to orchestrate and control production processes at the single-unit level, ensuring visibility and efficiency in one-piece flow environments.
Manufactures industrial robots, cobots, and autonomous mobile platforms (KMP series) that form the core of flexible manufacturing cells. Their technology enables the automated handling, processing, and transport of individual parts required for one-piece flow.
Provides the 3DEXPERIENCE platform with DELMIA applications for digital manufacturing. These tools enable the virtual simulation, planning, and operational management of production lines geared towards high-mix, low-volume, and one-piece flow methodologies.
A leading provider of industrial robots, CNC systems, and factory automation. Their products are fundamental in creating automated work cells that can process items one at a time with high precision and speed, a key enabler of one-piece flow in advanced manufacturing.