Lean Developments

Lean manufacturing is not a fixed method: it feeds on creativity.

For example, take a standard lean diagram. You will find the new logistics and productivity created at the line side. However, there remain the small mudas of waiting 1/ and motion on the line linked to choosing parts on the racks and also the muda of inventory 2/ of parts in the line side racks.

Finally, there is still a muda of transport due to small motorised trains.

LeanTek and Lean Manufacturing : Advanced Lean solution

Once JIT and pulled flow tools are mastered, lean manufacturing can develop. For example shopstocks have been moved to the immediate vicinity of the line side and set up in the preparation zone: this is known as “kitting”.

The principle of this development is to improve the function of conventional “lean” shopstocks (1) by introducing a sequence preparation zone: a localised preparer in the shopstocks prepares a “part kit” for each model which is then delivered on line by LeanTek “shooters” (3) pushed by hand.

The result is to reduce mudas of waiting, motion and inventory to their simplest form by picking sequenced kits. The operator (2) only has to turn around, pick the kit and assemble it without worrying about managing diversity.

This method improves still further the level of added value at the workstation, while reducing the muda of repair/rejects which could be generated by mistaking a part.

The logistics team is slightly increased in this configuration because of the preparation time but the cost of this logistics load is more than compensated by line productivity gains:

• Additional gains of space on the line.
• Reduction of other mudas, especially those of transport and inventory: elimination of motorised trains and use of the manual LeanTek shooter together with simple and compact line side racks, with automatic return of empty bins.
• Reduction of the muda of repair/rejects.