Aug 18 2014
Toyota Cutting the Fabled Andon Cord, Symbol of Toyota Way | Automotive News
Toyota is retiring the fabled “andon cord,” the emergency cable strung above assembly lines that came to symbolize the built-in quality of the Toyota Way and was widely copied through the auto industry and beyond.
Source: www.autonews.com
Michel Baudin‘s comments:
The point of having a cord rather than buttons was that the cord could be pulled from anywhere along the line, whereas buttons require you to be where they are. It is the same reason many buses have cords for passengers to request stops rather than buttons.
Toyota’s rationale for moving to buttons, according to the article, is the desire to clear the overhead space. Another advantage, not stated in the article, is that the alarm from a button is more location-specific than from a cord.
Another reason to use a cord was that you didn’t have to change it when you rearranged the line, whereas relocating buttons required rewiring. But the wireless button technology has made this a moot point.
See on Scoop.it – lean manufacturing
August 18, 2014 @ 10:39 pm
Great move indeed! Michel thanks for your additional thought on the benefit of moving to buttons.
#IoT (Internet of Things) is coming to the production floor. Advancements in technology enable new concepts along the line.
What other “new concepts” will we see soon to come to a production plant near us?