{"id":55865,"date":"2024-09-18T13:30:09","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T17:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/?post_type=structure&p=55865"},"modified":"2025-09-25T14:54:57","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T18:54:57","slug":"kitting-carts","status":"publish","type":"structure","link":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/ca_en\/structure\/cart\/kitting-carts\/","title":{"rendered":"Kitting Carts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In lean manufacturing environments, Flexpipe kitting carts ensure production employees have the necessary tools, consumables, bill-of-materials (BOM), work-order instructions, and work-in-process (WIP) parts needed to complete a work order or work task. Mobile Flexpipe kitting carts are critical to ensure that workflow remains uninterrupted and that production employee wait times are minimized.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manufacturers with welded or fixed-structure kitting carts cannot modify them without significant costs and incurring long refurbishing lead times. Given the constantly changing requirements in lean manufacturing \u2013 where continuous improvements and never-ending changes thrive \u2013 a low-cost, modular, and scalable Flexpipe kitting cart can quickly be adjusted or modified as needed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, why are Flexpipe kitting carts a difference maker in lean manufacturing environments?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Understanding Kitting Carts:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A common misconception is that kitting carts are the same as material handling carts. Yes, both transport materials. However, a modular and scalable Flexpipe kitting cart is specifically designed to carry work-order-specific materials and consumables, and a material handling cart or trolley is meant for transporting general production materials or finished goods.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While somewhat like lean manufacturing carts or material handling carts, Flexpipe kitting carts are designed for production employees because they provide the cut-to-length materials, ready-to-assemble parts, the tools, and the instructions needed to complete a specific production work order or work task. Flexpipe kitting carts can be specifically designed, assembled, and disassembled to adjust to the constantly changing requirements in lean manufacturing.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to think about lean manufacturing carts and material handling carts is to think about how they move materials throughout a company\u2019s manufacturing facility. They can move finished goods or raw materials. A kitting cart contains materials and parts specifically \u201ckitted\u201d so that the production employee within the workstation can complete his or her work task. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kitting cart might include the raw materials, a special Allen key for assembly, work order instructions, fastener packs, subcomponent parts, and anything else needed for the production employee in their workstation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Benefits of Using Kitting Carts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A Flexpipe kitting cart can act as an error-proofing, Poka-Yoke<\/a> solution for production employees. If any raw materials, consumables, fasteners, or other critical parts needed to complete the work task or work order are missing, then the production employee can\u2019t finish their work order. In the most advanced lean manufacturing environments, a production employee will often check to make sure the kitting cart has the proper allotment of materials and parts to finish the work order. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flexpipe kitting carts can be configured with simple solutions like Kaizen foam inserts<\/a> to ensure the proper placement of tools. They can be customized with ESD-compliant materials and decking materials so that only the right-sized parts, materials, and consumables can be placed inside the kitting cart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flexpipe kitting carts are all about efficiency. They ensure that production employees in lean manufacturing workstations never have to leave to get parts, raw materials, tools, or much-needed instructions. Everything they need to complete the work order should be included in the kitting cart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flexpipe kitting carts enhance workflow and dramatically improve productivity. They ensure an uninterrupted flow of work by allowing production employees to focus on their work tasks. No time is wasted searching aimlessly for instructions, fasteners, work orders, raw materials, consumables, or parts. Everything is included in the kitting cart to reduce search times and limit motion waste.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An often-overlooked benefit is how kitting carts ensure a clean, well-maintained workstation. Instead of having materials, consumables, instructions, work order information, and fasteners strewn about the workstation, they\u2019re all properly placed within the Flexpipe kitting cart. They ensure that production employees properly adhere to essential 5S principles<\/a> of workspace organization.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, a Flexpipe kitting cart is a customizable solution that can be tailored, quickly modified, or changed to meet the constant demands of continuous improvement processes in lean manufacturing. This allows manufacturers to quickly scale up or down the size of their carts to meet whatever changes they make to their production floor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given the importance of flexibility and scalability in lean manufacturing, a Flexpipe kitting cart is the perfect solution for continuous improvement environments.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Drawbacks of Welded, Fixed Kitting Carts<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are several drawbacks to purchasing welded, fixed kitting carts. First, asking for a customized welded kitting cart is extremely expensive. Welded kitting cart manufacturers prefer to stick to me-too, standard-sized welded carts. It allows them to mass-produce welded carts at lower costs. A customized welded cart would include non-recurring engineering design charges (NRE).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, the lead time for a customized welded kitting cart makes this option untenable. It can take weeks or even months before you receive your customized welded kitting cart. Third, welded kitting carts aren\u2019t scalable or modular. They cannot be changed without incurring substantial costs for modifications.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fourth, welded kitting carts don\u2019t do a good job of protecting raw materials, parts, bins, tools, or consumables. These items are often haphazardly laid on the top of the welded cart. They\u2019re allowed to move freely and damage is frequent. Finally, welded kitting carts are incredibly expensive, cumbersome, and difficult to maneuver.<\/p>\n\n\n

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To learn more about the different types of modular and scalable carts that can be made with Flexpipe, visit Customizable Industrial Carts \u2013 Tailored for Efficient Material Handling<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Kitting Cart Design Principles<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first rule of designing any Flexpipe kitting cart is to ensure you\u2019ve properly accounted for safety. Designing an ergonomic Flexpipe kitting cart with no protruding steel pipes, Flexpipe fasteners, or joints ensures that no production employees are accidentally injured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, incorporating simple solutions like Flexpipe\u2019s Kaizen foam ensures that all tools and critical items fit neatly and securely in their proper place. This is but another, simple Poke Yoke\/failsafe solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, you can easily add steel supports to your Flexpipe kitting cart to reinforce certain areas. Adding a simple 3-foot section of support pipe to a portion of your Flexpipe kitting cart to ensure its durability, typically costs no more than $10 when the Flexpipe j<\/a>oints<\/a> are added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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