Lean Manufacturing Through PDCA: A Case Study of a Press Manufacturing Industry

Abstract

Globalization has resulted in increased market competition. A large number of choices in the market have affected the behaviour of the customer. They expect high-quality goods at low prices and with short delivery times. It is, therefore, necessary for any industry to improve its existing production standards on a continuous basis in order to satisfy the needs of its customers and thus, save their market share. The continuous improvement projects help in optimizing the use of available resources through waste reduction which helps in improving manufacturing cost and product quality. The paper discusses a case study in which the productivity of a press manufacturing company is improved through a continuous improvement strategy. The paper is focused on the use of the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle to improve the marking standards of a heavy component known as Dish End used in the link frame mechanical press. A marking jig is designed and manufactured to improve the marking cycle time of Dish End manufacturing and it has resulted in a reduction of 255 min of the marking process.