-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueBox Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
Boost Your Sales
Every part of your business can be evaluated as a process, including your sales funnel. Optimizing your selling process requires a coordinated effort between marketing and sales. In this issue, industry experts in marketing and sales offer their best advice on how to boost your sales efforts.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
What are the Most Important Principles of Lean Manufacturing?
April 6, 2017 | Neil Sharp, JJS ManufacturingEstimated reading time: 3 minutes
Lean manufacturing is nothing new, but it remains an important philosophy for manufacturers seeking to grow and effectively contend in a competitive, global environment. Essentially, it provides you with the tools to successfully identify and eliminate waste within your operation.
Waste comes in numerous forms, from physical waste (such as components and packaging), to metaphysical waste (such as time and effort expended). In whatever shape it occurs, waste has a detrimental impact on your output, efficiency and bottom line.
Through implementing lean manufacturing, you can focus only on what adds value to your operation, thereby enabling you to reach your business goals. In this post, we will outline the most important principles of lean manufacturing and explore how these can benefit your organization.
Lean Manufacturing and Toyota
Lean manufacturing is generally associated with the Toyota Production System (TPS), which is "steeped in the philosophy of 'the complete elimination of all waste' imbuing all aspects of production in pursuit of the most efficient methods".
TPS is based on two concepts: "The first is called 'jidoka' (which can be loosely translated as 'automation with a human touch'), which means that when a problem occurs, the equipment stops immediately, preventing defective products from being produced. The second is the concept of 'Just-in-Time', in which each process produces only what is needed by the next process in a continuous flow."
By applying these concepts, Toyota has been able to successfully manufacture high-quality vehicles on a consistent basis, and to their customers' requirements. In fact, Toyota is the world's largest car manufacturer – so it's hard to argue with their approach!
What Does Waste Look Like?
Toyota identifies seven different types of waste or "muda" ("futility", "uselessness" or "wastefulness" in Japanese). These were originally coined by Toyota's late chief engineer, Taiichi Ohno, and are (with examples):
- Transport – moving products unnecessarily
- Inventory – unwanted components etc.
- Motion – unnecessary movement of people or equipment
- Waiting – superfluous downtime
- Overproduction – manufacturing more product than is required
- Over processing – using complex tools where simpler ones would be sufficient
- Defects – spending time resolving preventable issues
By focusing your attention on each of these areas - all of which are non-value adding - and working out where improvements can be made, you can gradually decrease the amount of waste generated by your organisation. There are a number of tools that enable this – for example, Six Sigma, which focuses on reducing errors, and 5S, which is concerned with "continuous improvement".
The Role of Culture in Lean Manufacturing
While lean manufacturing derives from TPS, the term "lean" was actually coined by John Krafcik in his 1988 article, "Triumph of the Lean Production System", which remains relevant today.
Writing on his blog, "lean healthcare" consultant Mark Graban says, “I recommend [Krafcik's article] to lean practitioners and leaders today, not just as a historical artefact, but because its key points are still valid and relevant. What makes a ‘lean production system?’ It’s not the tools; it’s the management style and the culture. That was true in 1988 and it’s true today.
“[Krafcik] didn’t write about tools like 5S, kanban systems, or heijunka boxes. He wrote primarily about management, leadership, and culture.”
This is an incredibly important point to make. There is a host of resources out there, to help you become a “lean” organization – but, with the best will in the world, you won't succeed in your endeavor without engaging with this philosophy on a human level; without making sure that your entire team is on board and understands the importance of what you're doing.
That's why it's helpful to understand lean manufacturing as a philosophy – it’s a holistic way of thinking and working that should inform every element of your manufacturing process. It's crucial to adopt the right mindset before rolling out the practical changes required.
At its most basic level, lean manufacturing reduces waste within your manufacturing operation. As a consequence, you can increase your productivity, better serve the needs of your customers and grow your organization, ready to compete in today’s fast-changing and exciting environment.
This article originally appeared on the JJS Manufacturing blog, which can be found here.
Suggested Items
ZESTRON Academy Launches 2024 Advanced Packaging & Power Electronics Webinar Series
05/01/2024 | ZESTRONZESTRON, the leading global provider of high-precision cleaning products, services, and training solutions in the electronics manufacturing and semiconductor industries, proudly announces the launch of its highly anticipated webinar series on Advanced Packaging & Power Electronics, a webinar series on the latest innovations, cleaning, and corrosion challenges.
KYZEN Announces Exclusive Partnership with Manufacturers’ Representative Restronics Florida
04/25/2024 | KYZEN'KYZEN, the global leader in innovative environmentally responsible cleaning chemistries, proudly announces its strategic partnership with Manufacturers’ Representative Restronics Florida. Just like KYZEN’s commitment to continuously improving precision cleaning, Restronics Florida serves as a consultative OEM sales representative organization dedicated to educating customers to enhance their processes and productivity.
KYZEN to Promote Pair of Stencil Cleaning Chemistries at SMTA Ciudad Jaurez Expo & Tech Forum
04/25/2024 | KYZEN'KYZEN, the global leader in innovative environmentally friendly cleaning chemistries, will exhibit at the SMTA Ciudad Juarez Expo & Tech Forum, scheduled to take place Thursday, May 9, 2024 at the Injectronic Convention Center in Ciudad Jaurez, Chihuahua, Mexico. During the event the KYZEN Clean Team will focus on understencil cleaning products KYZEN E5631J and CYBERSOLV C8882.
KYZEN to Focus on AQUANOX A4618 at SMTA Wisconsin Expo & Tech Forum
04/22/2024 | KYZEN'KYZEN, the global leader in innovative environmentally friendly cleaning chemistries, will exhibit at the SMTA Wisconsin Expo & Tech Forum, scheduled to take place Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at the Four Poins by Sheraton, Milwaukee Airport in Milwaukee, WI.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Innovative Products and Software from KYZEN
04/22/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOEditor Nolan Johnson meets with Tom Forsythe, VP of KYZEN, who discusses their latest products, including the AQUANOX A4618 water-based cleaning chemistry. KYZEN develops custom software designed for monitoring and documenting cleaning processes, and Forsyth underscores its labor-saving and defect-preventing features. The discussion concludes with a discussion of KYZEN's commitment to continuous improvement and the development of safer, greener products.