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Continuous Improvement In Manufacturing
Continuous improvement methods and metrics such as Lean Manufacturing, Overall
Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and Six Sigma are being utilized to meet the increasing
demands placed on manufacturers. A key aspect of any continuous improvement program
is the comprehensive capture and analysis of actionable, accurate, manufacturing
performance data. For years, manufacturing leaders have struggled with the challenge
of working with the deficiencies and controversies of manually collected data (i.e.
stop watch and clip board) or embarking on high-risk, high-waste and high expense
IT projects. World-class manufacturers have found the Informance solution as the
most effective tool in quickly identifying waste/performance opportunities, measuring
improvements and sustaining gains.
Lean Manufacturing
Lean Manufacturing is often described as an approach where waste is targeted
and systematically eliminated. Its goal is to incorporate less human effort, less
inventory, and less space to become highly responsive to customer demand while producing
top quality products in the most efficient and economical manner possible. At its
most basic level within a manufacturing environment it involves an ‘attack’
on rework, inventory, unreliable equipment, poor quality, and unnecessary activities
and labor.
Lean incorporates a number of tools and techniques that can be significantly enhanced
by the Informance solution:
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Total Productive Maintenance
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Kaizen
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Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED)/Quick Changeover
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Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
Total Productive Maintenance
Total Productive Maintenance is an essential element of Lean Manufacturing and
focuses the entire organization on improving manufacturing effectiveness (i.e. availability,
efficiency and quality). It is universally recognized that TPM is built upon ‘lThe
Five Pillars’ and to be successful ALL five of the pillars must be used to
eliminate losses in a sustainable manner. However, the 1st Pillar ²Improving equipment
effectiveness by targeting the major lossesÓ is the corner stone to any TPM program.
It is difficult to target major losses and the cause of those losses without accurate,
actionable data. Utilizing the Informance system Overall Equipment Effectiveness
(OEE), one of the fundamental measures in TPM that includes major losses, can be
measured.
One of the biggest misunderstandings about the pillars of TPM deal with the
first pillar–Improving Equipment Effectiveness by Targeting the Major Losses–and
its relationship to the other pillars. All TPM activities, including the remaining
pillars, are designed and developed to be measured by the first pillar. If a TPM
activity does not result in, or contribute to, improved equipment effectiveness
then we need to ask "Why are we doing it?" Robert M. Williamson Strategic
Work Systems, Inc.
Kaizen
Kaizen is an ongoing improvement process involving everyone, from top managers
to low-level workers. A key aspect of Kaizen is the seeking out and exploitation
of new performance opportunities. In a manufacturing environment these new performance
opportunities are identified by examining the 6 major loss categories: breakdowns,
setup & adjustments, idling & minor stops, reduced speed, start-ups and defects
& rework. Utilizing the Informance application in conjunction with the Informance
IMPACT Methodology, Kaizen Events or Blitzes are significantly enhanced for the
manufacturer with the additional data and support needed to quickly spot the opportunity,
take action, measure, and sustain gains.
Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED)/Quickchange Over
Setup reduction, quick changeover, or Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED)
is the technique for reducing the downtime involved when a process changes from
making one product to another. SMED measures the time from when production stops
on the first product, to the time when the first good unit of the second product
is made.
Setup time represents one of the largest improvement opportunities for manufacturers.
Using the Informance system setup time variance can be analyzed by shifts, SKU or
asset. To learn more how the Informance solution can support your SMED/Quick Changeover
read the Reducing Setup Changeover Setup Times Application Note.
View the INFORMANCE Setup/Downtime article.
Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
Manufacturing efficiency leaders are using OEE as a true plant efficiency metric
that when measured and improved, improves cash flow, increases manufacturing capacity,
avoids capital equipment purchases and improves Capability to Promise (CTP) that
is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.
Overall Equipment Effectiveness can be used to help focus on improving the performance
of machinery and associated processes by identifying those performance opportunities
that will have the greatest impact to the bottom line. Improvements in changeovers,
quality, machine reliability, working through breaks and more, can be measured and
improved utilizing the OEE metric.
OEE = Availability x Performance x Quality
Availability: available time - downtime / available time
Downtime losses can be calculated by adding together the amounts of time lost due
to equipment failures, setup adjustments, and changeovers.
Performance Rate: available time x processed amount / ideal cycle time
Speed losses are calculated by combining time lost due to minor stops, hesitations,
reduced speed and operator fatigue.
Quality Rate: processed amount - defect amount / processed amount
Defect amount is calculated by combining defects in process start up and reduced
yield.
The Informance solution allows manufacturers to rapidly deploy and automatically
track OEE–from the SKU/asset level, all of the way to the plant level. Major
and minor downtime is captured automatically, eliminating the need for inaccurate
manual systems. To learn how to use OEE to drive manufacturing performance, download
the whitepaper, All Downtime is Not Equal
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Six Sigma
The fundamental objective of the Six Sigma methodology is the implementation of
a measurement-based strategy that focuses on process improvement and variation reduction.
This is accomplished through the use of the DMAIC process (define, measure, analyze,
improve, control) to identify, achieve and sustain incremental improvements. Using
Informances Downtime Analysis capabilities, manufacturers can determine the variability
in their setup times and analyze their TAKT time to provide the critical data needed
for each step of the DMAIC process.
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Define – Used to identify processes that is in need of improvement
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Measure – Support the problem statement definition and establish current performance
baseline
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Analyze – Enable the identification and validation of the root cause of the
problem
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Improve – Establish performance targets and future performance state
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Implement – Monitor the process as changes are made thereby measuring results
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Control – Continue to monitor the process to ensure gains are sustained
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