Analyzing Bottlenecks and Capacity Scalability in Engine Manufacturing

Sammanfattning

This master thesis investigates the production capacity of the D4/D6 engine lines at VolvoPenta’s manufacturing facility in Vara. The study leverages the combined strengths ofValue Stream Mapping and the Theory of Constraints to identify systemic bottlenecks andevaluate optimal staffing configurations under varying production volumes. The researchfocuses on analyzing a gradual increase in customer demand to determine the scalabil-ity of the current assembly process. Through the development of a capacity model, thestudy identifies critical constraints that emerge as production scales. A key finding ofthe analysis is that the current production flow, in its existing configuration, possessesa maximum capacity of 31 engines per day shift, a significant increase from the currentdemand of 18 engines, without the immediate necessity for operational rebalancing. Theanalysis specifically identifies the point where the Longest Operation Time (LOT) createsa physical bottleneck. This shows that beyond a certain volume, adding more staff willno longer increase output without changes to the station layout. This serves as a deci-sion support tool for Volvo Penta, highlighting when infrastructure investments becomenecessary to meet forecasted demand.