Process flow improvement at a Parallam mill using simulation modelling

In this project, the intern will study the impact of staffing changes and process improvements on the throughput of the remanufacturing department of a Vancouver Parallam mill. The intern will work closely with the Management Team and department employees to conduct the analysis. The objective of the work is to develop new and modify existing simulation models to evaluate potential alternatives in order to improve the productivity and efficiency of the remanufacturing department of the mill. In a previous project, it was determined that the packaging station was the bottleneck of the department, and it was recommended that further research be conducted to reduce the bottleneck. The developed simulation models will be used to evaluate the impact on throughput of several scenarios where staffing changes are made and then combined with changes in the processes of the department. Recommendations will be provided to the partner organization to assist the facility with their goal of increasing their throughput.

Faculty Supervisor:

Taraneh Sowlati

Student:

Partner:

Weyerhaeuser

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Forestry; Manufacturing and Construction; Natural Resources

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: