AiVibeIndustry 4.0 & Manufacturing Operations
Kanban
Kanban is a lean scheduling and inventory control method in which signals, traditionally cards, authorise the production or movement of materials only when downstream processes consume them, creating a pull system that limits work in progress.
The Japanese word kanban roughly means signboard or card. In a typical system, a withdrawal kanban authorises a downstream process to take parts from a supermarket, a controlled stock point, and a production kanban authorises the upstream process to replace exactly what was taken. Because no work starts without a signal, the number of kanban in circulation caps inventory and work in progress. Signals can be cards, empty containers, marked floor spaces or electronic messages.
Kanban was developed within the Toyota Production System as a tool for just-in-time production. It is used between production steps, with internal suppliers, and with external suppliers through electronic kanban linked to ERP or MES systems. It suits parts with relatively stable, repetitive demand. The same pull principle was later adapted to knowledge work as visual kanban boards in software development.
Sizing a kanban loop requires demand, replenishment lead time and a safety allowance; a common approach sets the number of cards from expected demand during the replenishment lead time plus safety stock, divided by the container quantity. Kanban works poorly with highly variable or low-volume demand unless the schedule is levelled. Rules such as never passing defective parts downstream and keeping the card count under control are essential.
Key points
- Signals authorise production or movement only after downstream consumption.
- The number of kanban in circulation limits inventory and work in progress.
- Developed within the Toyota Production System for just-in-time production.
- Works best with stable, repetitive demand and levelled schedules.
Where AiVibe comes in
AiVibe designs and manufactures the AiAmbA AI Factory as the OEM: edge devices plus AI agents that let people talk to PLC, CNC and robot controllers in plain language. Existing lines are retrofitted with edge devices, and a trained operator confirms every change an agent proposes.
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Related terms
- Just-in-Time (JIT)Industry 4.0 & Manufacturing Operations
- Heijunka (Production Levelling)Industry 4.0 & Manufacturing Operations
- Toyota Production System (TPS)Industry 4.0 & Manufacturing Operations
- Lean ManufacturingIndustry 4.0 & Manufacturing Operations
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)Industry 4.0 & Manufacturing Operations