Empirical findings on manufacturing cell design

Cell design is the most researched topic in the area of cellular manufacturing. The preponderance of studies has focused on the development of models to assist with cell formation, i.e. the initial stage in the cell design process where the parts and equipment are determined. On the other hand, fairly little is known about the broader context in which cell design takes place, and the processes that users follow. The purpose of this study was to learn more about the methods, goals, considerations, and constraints that industrial users apply to cell formation and cell layout, as well as the actual outcomes of those processes (such as cell configurations and staffing patterns). This paper adds to the sparse literature on empirical cell design by reporting on findings derived from a survey study of cell users predominantly drawn from the metalworking industry (related data have previously been published in Wemmerlov and Johnson (1997)). Supporting evidence is primarily taken from survey and field studies by Wemmerlov and Hyer (1989), Harvey (1993), Choi (1996), Suri et al. (1996), Olorunniwo and Udo (1996), Marsh et al. (1998), Johnson (1998), and Hyer and Brown (1999). The findings should be of interest to both students and practitioners of cellular manufacturing, and could serve as guidance for researchers seeking to develop more effective methodologies for solving the cell design problem for industrial users.