Improvement of coffee production performance via integrated lean and automated mechanization techniques

Abstract

Thailand is among high-ranking coffee-exporting countries in the world. This study investigated, analyzed and proposed ideas for improved production of coffee to meet the demands from the local and international market. Using data collected from site visits, observation and interviews, value stream mapping analysis was used to identify the activities in the coffee production process. Automated machine deployment was used to improve the performance of coffee production. From the findings, it was shown that the total cycle time could be reduced by more than 82 %, the profit of sorted cherry coffee could be increased by 80%, and the processing time of green bean coffee could be reduced by almost 97%. An automated color sorting machine was deployed to improve the production process. With integrated lean and automated mechanization techniques, farmers can gain several benefits and become more responsive to future customer demands.