Ergonomic Cartridge Transfer Car Design to Improve Lean Manufacturing and Operational Efficiency in Tire Production

Increasing competitive pressures in industrial enterprises require continuous improvements in production systems to enhance occupational health and safety, operational efficiency, and product quality. Within the framework of lean manufacturing, a process analysis conducted in a tyre manufacturing facility revealed that the transportation of semi-finished cartridges of varying weights by three operators and a crane caused significant time losses, excessive labour utilisation, ergonomic risks, and interruptions to production flow. Given the continuous and high-volume nature of tyre production, maintaining uninterrupted and safe material flow is critical for operational performance. To overcome these challenges, this study proposes the design and prototype development of an innovative cartridge transfer cart that enables transfer operations to be performed safely and efficiently by an operator. The system was developed to eliminate waste associated with existing material-handling practices, reduce labour requirements, and support continuous production flow. The prototype was integrated into the production line and evaluated under real industrial operating conditions. The implementation results demonstrated substantial operational improvements. The number of operators required for transfer operations decreased from three to one, corresponding to a 67% reduction in labour demand. Transfer time was reduced from 20 to 5 minutes, achieving a 75% improvement in process efficiency. Furthermore, the proposed system significantly reduced labour costs, eliminated ergonomic risks and crane dependency (100% reduction), and decreased production stoppages by 80%. These findings demonstrate that the developed cartridge transfer system provides an effective and sustainable solution for improving occupational health and safety, reducing operational losses, and increasing production efficiency through lean manufacturing principles. Moreover, the study contributes to the material handling systems literature by presenting a practical industrial solution for redesigning semi-finished product transfer operations in the tyre industry according to lean manufacturing and ergonomic design principles, with significant potential for enhancing both productivity and workplace safety in high-volume manufacturing environments.