Lean Manufacturing Word Cloud Concept in black and white with great terms such as quality, discipline, concept and more.
Lean Manufacturing is often associated with a focus on cost reduction. However, through the implementation of lean manufacturing processes, many injection molders also realize reduced lead times, improved on-time delivery scores, and an increase in overall customer satisfaction.
With those types of added benefits, it’s easy to see what many shops are adopting lean principles. But what are 2 things you can do in the short term that will help you get closer to lean. 5S and Kaizen Blitz.
5S refers to five steps, namely Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize and Sustain, which are core to laying the foundation for continuous improvement. It is a way to systematically organize workplace to ensure it is safe and efficient.
The 5S organization concept provides an amazing boost to a lean manufacturing program, as it mandates constant checks and repairs of machinery and equipment, and it makes results immediate and notable. The results improve because of availability of required tools, properly labeled materials in their appropriate place, along with a general atmosphere of everything being in right place. There are many injection-molding companies who maximize the benefits of lean manufacturing by adopting the 5S principle.
Kaizen is a practice developed by Masaaki Imai of Japan as a way to continuously improve the workplace to make it more efficient and competitive. The various aspects of Kaizen are tackled by the whole team and involve setting up optimal processes and taking prompt actions to contain as well as resolve the actual causes of issues and problems.
A Kaizen Blitz is a concerted and focused approach to improve processes in an accelerated, expedient way. It is an intensive and rapid improvement where results are noticeable within a few days rather than over a longer period of time. In manufacturing environments, teams work together to come up with structured and creative ways to improve processes and solve problems within a short timescale.
Through the process of Kaizen Blitz, you are picking a specific area of focus. This is an important step towards progress and also gets multiple people across multiple departments and functions involved. However, the process is short yet intense by nature.
Reducing costs, and reducing waste are directly related. The lean manufacturing process can play an integral part in your competitive strategy. By implementing 5S and pursuing rapid improvements through a Kaizen Blitz concept, your shop can make real progress in a short period of time.
The Nanoplas family of products can also play an integral role in your lean approach and can also help you achieve your competitive goals. Through reduced scrap rates, improved maintenance performance and other tangible benefits, our products can make a difference across multiple areas. We invite you to contact us to learn more, and let us show you the Nanoplas difference.
