|
|
|
Implementing One Piece Flow in Medical Device Assembly: A Kaizen Case StudyMarch 1, 2008 Creating flow is one of the five principles of lean thinking. It is also considered the ideal state in manufacturing since it results in the least inventory and shortest lead-time or cycle time. In this article, I will describe a case study based on an actual kaizen event that EMS facilitated. The event dealt with a medical device company that assembles its own products (while purchasing most of the component parts from suppliers). The tools/principles utilized in this event were as follows: 1. Standardized Work 2. One Piece Flow / Cellular manufacturing 3. 5S Principles The current state metrics for this particular operation were as follows:
A kaizen team consisting of assemblers, manufacturing engineers, an area supervisor, and a few employees from outside the area was formed. After spending day one in training, the team began to observe and collect time data for each step in the manufacturing process. The team discovered significant waste in the process:
Using the principles of one piece flow, standardized work, 5S, and SMED, the team instituted the following changes:
The improvements resulted in a 50% reduction in manufacturing cycle time, a 70% productivity improvement and a 30% reduction in floor-space used. Click here to subscribe to our free e-newsletter Learning to Lean and receive three articles like this one each month. About the Author Darren Dolcemascolo is an internationally recognized lecturer, author, and consultant. As Sr. Partner and co-founder of EMS Consulting Group, he specializes in productivity and quality improvement through lean manufacturing. Mr. Dolcemascolo has written the book Improving the Extended Value Stream: Lean for the Entire Supply Chain, published by Productivity Press in 2006. He has also been published in several manufacturing publications and has spoken at such venues as the Lean Management Solutions Conference, Outsourcing World Summit, Biophex, APICS, and ASQ. He has a BS in Industrial Engineering from Columbia University and an MBA with Graduate Honors from San Diego State University. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Send mail to
webmaster@emsstrategies.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
