Analysis and Development of Flooring Installation Processes : A Case Study of parquet installation in manufactured timber-based apartment production

Sammanfattning

This thesis investigates the parquet installation process in an industrialised timber-based apartment production system. The study was carried out as a case study at a Swedish company producing volumetric wooden modules in a paced manufacturing environment based on Lean principles and one-piece flow. The purpose of the work was to analyse variations in working methods, identify bottlenecks and ergonomic challenges, and evaluate how standardised work methods and structured preparation can improve production flow and reduce variability. The study combined observations, semi-structured interviews, method studies, ergonomic analysis, and scenario testing. The analysis was guided by theories of Lean production, standardised work, and human-centred production design. Three different improvement concepts related to pre-cut preparation of parquet pieces were developed and tested iteratively in the production environment. In addition, an Excel-based cutting schedule was developed to support more consistent preparation and time estimation. The results show that a significant share of the installation time was related to measuring, cutting, and handling parquet pieces rather than the laying itself. Variations between operators and room configurations contributed to uneven cycle times and bottleneck formation. Testing of the proposed preparation method indicated a potential reduction of approximately 36% of the time spent on the production line, while the stop-block concept reduced measuring and cutting time from approximately 80 seconds to 40 seconds. The results also indicated that structured preparation methods and cutting schedules could reduce interruptions, improve workflow efficiency, and create more stable production conditions. At the same time, ergonomic aspects were identified as important when evaluating new work methods.