A Proposed Model for Lead Time Reduction during Maintenance of Public Passenger Transport Vehicles

Abstract

An efficient public transport system contributes directly to a nation’s growth. It influences the development and growth of industries and thereby helps in increasing the national wealth. Transport services should be made available in such a way that the ‘Right vehicles are in the Right place at the Right time’ which also signifies a profitable business. Reliability of a transport vehicle with its key factors plays an important role in deciding its performance. It is also requires to find out the modifications and changes in the servicing and maintenance methods that are to be followed for reducing the lead time taken. Being an engineer, I considered this as a challenge and experimented in Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Chennai) Limited by using a new proposed model of vehicle assembly flow line during maintenance in reducing the lead time in order to increase the efficiency of the existing practices. In this particular case the passenger transport vehicle assembly involved is very vital for the passenger’s transport service. Hence, the lead time taken for refurbishing the vehicle is to be minimized. To meet this requirement, all the subsystems which are undergoing refurbishment are to be closely monitored for servicing, testing and delivery to the final assembly line. In addition, some of the assemblies can be carried out in parallel to minimize the lead time. This has resulted in improving the lead time taken from 60 days to 45 days i.e. 25% of lead time can be reduced. This increases the availability of passenger transport vehicle 15 days ahead to the passengers. Managing maintenance, repair and refurbishing is a more challenging task than managing most manufacturing facilities since high degree of uncertainty has to be overcome in such operations.