Balancing the Popcorn Production Line Using Tecnomatix Plant Simulation

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) significantly contribute to the country's growth, particularly in the snack food manufacturing industry. As a popcorn manufacturer, this company is now experiencing challenges with production efficiency and bottlenecks in creating a balanced line. Simulation software may save time and deliver key insights by simulating the production line in less time than human bottleneck detection. Therefore, this study focuses on identifying the bottleneck process and determining the productivity of the present popcorn manufacturing line using Tecnomatix plant simulation. This study utilized qualitative methodologies, including interviews with the manager of human resources and supervisor of the production department, as well as direct observation of the production line using time study sheets as data collection methods. The results indicate that three main bottlenecks currently exist at the modelled popcorn production line, namely the automated sealing machine, the labelling machine, and the grading tray stations, with lead times of 70.13%, 64.96%, and 36.01%. The simulation reveals that the popcorn production line's current efficiency is 70%. According to prior research, these bottlenecks may be resolved by enhancing worker skills through frequent training, scheduling equipment preventative maintenance, and expanding the number of machines. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge and encourages the company to improve and take additional measures to increase production line efficiency and solve the identified bottlenecks in any manner possible.