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Machines & lines

Buffer station

A buffer station is a position in a production line where elements can wait between two processes, so a short stop in one does not stop the other.

Also known as buffer, buffer table, line buffer, element buffer, WIP buffer

Stations in a line never run at exactly the same pace: one element needs more framing, the next more boarding. A buffer between them absorbs those differences and keeps both stations working.

Buffers cost floor space and tie up work in progress, so they are placed deliberately, typically ahead of the bottleneck, where an idle minute costs output for the whole line.

Related terms
BottleneckA bottleneck is the step in a production process with the least capacity, which limits the output of the whole line. Takt timeTakt time is the pace at which a product must be completed to meet demand: the available production time divided by the number of units required. Wall production lineA wall production line is a sequence of linked stations that takes a wall from framing through to a finished panel.
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