Browse Topic: Lean manufacturing

Items (112)

Weld Fatigue Assessment of Rail Track Maintenance Machinery: Regulatory Compliance and Practical Insights

SAE-PP-0874609/29/2023

The use of appropriate loads and regulations is of great importance in weld fatigue assessment of rail on-track maintenance equipment and similar vehicles for optimized design. The regulations and available loads however are often generalized for several categories which proves to be overly conservative for some specific categories of machines. The work presented in this paper is about the strength and weld fatigue assessment of self-propelled rail on-track maintenance machines or similar equipment. It outlines the methodology and challenges associated with utilizing existing regulatory loads for weld fatigue assessment, specifically employing the endurance limit approach, also known as the infinite life approach. In cases where an endurance limit is undefined, particularly for welds, the fatigue strength limit at expected life cycles can be employed within the endurance limit approach. Availability of track-induced fatigue load data for the cumulative damage approach in track

Dongari, Madhukar

Identification and Measurement of Best Practice in Implementation of Lean Operation

J4000_202104 (Current)

04/06/2021

SAE J4000 is a tool to identify and measure best practice in the implementation of lean operation in a manufacturing organization. Implementation of lean operation is defined as the process of eliminating waste exhibited in an organization’s value stream. Best practice in this process is Level 3 conduct as described in the standard’s component statements. A description of the levels of implementation is: A procedure for evaluation and scoring of each component will be included in the SAE J4001 Implementation of Lean Operation User Manual.

Automotive Quality and Process Improvement Committee

Fault Identification of Assembly Processes Using Fuzzy Set Theory

2020-01-048704/14/2020

Effective identification of sources of faults in modern manufacturing systems play a critical role in their performance and productivity. Tracking faults in a typical manufacturing system is inherently an inverse problem which makes it more challenging and difficult to solve. Presented in this article is the development of a new methodology for fault identification and root-cause analysis of complex assembly systems. A combination of a knowledge-based system and fuzzy set theory is used to develop this new technique, which is an intelligent system that mimics the behavior of an expert in the field, and can trace back the source or sources of the fault to the relevant station. Presented are the concepts of faults, their detection in an assembly line, and their generic characteristics. Study of the fault's fundamental properties reveals that there are certain levels of uncertainty involved in describing them. This has led us to the adoption of fuzzy set theory as a basic tool for

Mehrabi, Mostafa, Weaver, Jonathan, Mehrabi, Mostafa, Weaver, Jonathan

A Phased Approach to Optimized Robotic Assembly for the 777X

2019-01-137503/19/2019

Low rate initial production of the 777X flight control surfaces and wing edges has been underway at the Boeing St. Louis site since early 2017. Drilling, inspection, and temporary fastening tasks are performed by automated multi-function robotic systems supplied by Electroimpact. On the heels of the successful implementation of the initial four (4) systems, Phases II and III are underway to meet increasing production demands with three (3) and four (4) new cells coming online, respectively. Assemblies are dedicated to particular cells for higher-rate production, while all systems are designed for commonality offering strategic backup capability. Safe operation and equipment density are optimized through the use of electronic safeguards. New time-saving process capabilities allow for one-up drilling, hole inspection, fastening, fastener inspection, and stem shaving. Multi-function end effectors with dual spindles permits drilling and reaming within a single clamp, and hybrid cutting

Mir, Ryan, DeVlieg, Russell

Improving Manufacturing Efficiencies through Industry 4.0 Technologies in Aerospace

2018-01-192910/30/2018

1 In the age of 4th industrial revolution, operational and information technologies are increasingly getting converged to help organizations improve their topline through new innovative products and services, and improve bottom line by improving efficiencies. This transformation is driven by convergence of many advanced technologies such as advanced sensor and communication technologies, big data, advanced analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, additive manufacturing, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR). Enterprises digitization journey continues to adopt advanced technologies through multi-pronged approach to achieve their near-term and long-term goals. This paper summarizes Industry 4.0 journey, its relevance and applications to aerospace. It also summarizes how Industry 4.0 concepts can be applied to a composite manufacturing shop floor of aerospace components, how effective convergence of IoT, analytics, machine learning, AI and AR/VR help in improving the overall

Veluri, Sastry, Kumar, Ravi, Vasudevan, Ramji, Gorur, Ravi Prakash, Nampuraja, Enose, Shankaraiah, Mahesh, Tanjore, Simha, Rao, Shama

Optical Bonding of Automotive Smart Surfaces

TBMG-2834002/01/2018

Behr Hella Thermo Control (BHTC) of Lippstadt, Germany, manufactures automotive interior components. As the demand for smarter cars increases, BHTC encountered a new automotive interior challenge: optical bonding of automotive smart surfaces. The challenge of optical bonding led to a working relationship with Precision Valve and Automotive (PVA) of Cohoes, NY, to meet BHTC’s production and flexibility needs.

Implementation of Lean Approaches in Proto Body Build to Improve Productivity and Flexibility

2017-28-196507/10/2017

Lean approaches are being implemented in various manufacturing facilities across the globe. The application of lean approaches are extended to Body proto build shop to maximize the efficiency of the shop with lesser floor space and optimized equipment. Weld fixture, Weld equipment and assembly tools are the major tools required essentially for proto BIW assembly. This paper explains how the Weld equipment planning was carried out with lean approaches and implemented effectively in proto body assembly shop. The implemented lean concepts are compared with Italy and Japanese proto body build makers to validate the frugal planning of the facility for the said intent. The implemented facility is capable of producing more than a model at a time. Weld parameter selection for weld gun, gun movement to the fixture with minimized change over time and movable weld gun gantry are the lean approaches implemented.

Selvam, Ganesan, Vaidhyanathan, Surya Prakash, Sebastian, Prince Arockia Doss, Zaheer Abdulla, Mohamed, Baskaran, Vedantham

Creating a leaner, ‘greener’ value stream with LPPD

16AUTP10_1310/01/2016

James Morgan, Ph.D, is a senior advisor for lean product and process development at the Lean Enterprise Institute. A former global director of Body Exterior, Safety, and Stamping Engineering at Ford, Morgan is a two-time recipient of the Shingo Research Award and co-author with Jeffrey Liker of The Toyota Product Development System (Productivity Press, 2006). He has developed and taught graduate courses on both lean manufacturing and product development and shares insights from his work in this month's Q&A. How does cross-functional planning contribute to an organization being lean and ‘green’?

Brooke, Lindsay

11 Rules of Design for Manufacturing when Producing Pre-Impregnated Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Components - an Application at SAAB Aerostructures

2016-01-212409/27/2016

Carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) is one of the most commonly used materials in the aerospace industry today. CFRP in pre-impregnated form is an anisotropic material whose properties can be controlled to a high level by the designer. Sometimes, these properties make the material hard to predict with regards to how the geometry affects manufacturing aspects. This paper describes eleven design rules originating from different guidelines that describe geometrical design choices and deals with manufacturability problems that are connected to them, why they are connected and how they can be minimized or avoided. Examples of design choices dealt with in the rules include double curvature shapes, assembly of uncured CFRP components and access for non-destructive testing (NDT). To verify the technical content and ensure practicability, the rules were developed by, inter alia, studying literature and performing case studies at SAAB Aerostructures. The research was done through a

Nilsson, Sara, Jensen, Jonas, Björkman, Mats, Sundin, Erik

Value Streaming Through Customer Participation in Product Realization

2016-01-034404/05/2016

Success in lean product realization depends on the ability to specify value from the voice of the customer at the beginning of the process. Value streaming, is therefore essential for assuring that the specified value is being pursued and achieved throughout the process. During lean implementation, however, it is usually assumed that nothing but value will be streamed if wastes are eliminated using value stream mapping. While waste elimination is necessary to make the process leaner and facilitate value streaming it is not sufficient for assuring that specified value is being streamed without structured and formalized participation of customers. With current structure of product realization processes, the voice of the customer is provided during the planning phase at the beginning of the process and customer satisfaction feedback is provided after product launch. With limited customer Participation during the process it is harder to assure that the voice of the customer specified value

El-Sayed, Mohamed

Lean Product Development. How to Create Flow? Reflection after a 4 Years Implementation in One Business Unit - Part 1

2016-01-034604/05/2016

During the 4 last years, Lean has been successfully implemented in one of the Tenneco’s Business Units: Ride Performance. This paper reflects on the results and more specifically on the third principle of Lean [1] “How to make flow” and on the fifth principle “To strive for perfection” obtained in the fields of “Product Development” related to Processes, Tools and People. Processes and Hard Tools. How to improve the flow in the engineering processes? It will be shown that In general standardized processes supported by some integrated tools and, more specifically Some workload leveling in testing, CAD Departments, Standardization in design processes, testing procedures and prototypes development processes and Standardization and availability of components and parts for prototype building are key enablers to enhance flow in the Product Development. Additionally the application of some Poka Yoke principles improves the Product Development quality and front loading of the development

Garcia, Patrick, Radous, Jiri, Krol, Artur, Bosek, Jacek, Baeten, Caroline

Total Quality Assurance of Aerospace Components Applying Process Capability Analysis

2015-01-261509/15/2015

The aerospace industry is continually becoming more competitive. With an aircraft's large number of components, and the large supplier base used to fabricate these components, it can be a daunting task to manage the quality status of all parts in an accurate, timely and actionable manner. This paper focuses on a proof of concept for an aircraft fuselage assembly to monitor the process capability of machined parts at an aircraft original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and their supply chain. Through the use of standardized measurement plans and statistical analysis of the measured output, the paper will illustrate how stakeholders can understand the process performance details at a workcell level, as well as overall line and plant performance in real time. This ideal process begins in the product engineering phase using simulation to analyze the tolerance specifications and assembly process strategy, with one of the outputs being a production measurement plan. This establishes clear

Jasurda, Donald

Implementing the Hybrid Lean-Agile Manufacturing System Strategically in Automotive Sector

2015-01-908305/01/2015

In order to strike a balance between cost and availability, the present study presents the strategic implementation of the hybrid lean-agile manufacturing system. The proposed implementation is based on literature review and statistical analysis. The study presents short term and long term proposed plans for implementing this newly developed system in a sustainable way. It shows how the strategic facet of the hybrid lean-agile manufacturing system addresses the key manufacturing competitive dimensions. The paper presents as well a cost-benefit analysis in comparison with the lean manufacturing system and agile manufacturing system based on the net present value. The study shows that the expectedly most efficient among the manufacturing systems is the Hybrid Lean-Agile Manufacturing System with normalized comparative improvement of about 58% and 42%, respectively. The study concludes through a statistical sample that about one third of the variation in successfully dealing with the

Elmoselhy, Salah A.

Integration and Lightweight Design in Automotive Doors

2015-26-024201/14/2015

Future doors require light weight, cost efficient and acoustic optimized solutions. Current steel doors offer only a small range of possibilities in these areas. With the use of aluminum doors the weight will be reduced but production complexity and costs will be increased. A modular door approach supports all of these future demands. Door modules have set milestones for door concepts in the past. Due to technological progress, door modules are more relevant in the current scenario. The use of reinforced plastics allows a high degree of design freedom with high integration of features.[2] In addition to weight reduction of up to 1.5kg per door the complete production process comes leaner with a higher grade of quality. The acoustic performance of a door system can be adjusted for noise reduction and improvement of the sound quality of speakers as illustrated. Functional integration is the key driver of weight and cost reduction

Hybrid Lean-Agile Manufacturing System Strategic Facet in Automotive Sector

2014-01-910401/01/2015

The lean production system has been successful in the cost-based winning order criterion markets. However, the automotive market has been volatile and the new criterion of winning orders has been availability, which has called for an agile system. The present paper argues that because of fierce competition the current automotive market winning order criterion is now a blend of cost and availability. It shows how a hybrid lean-agile system can strategically meet such a challenging criterion. The study presents the drivers, attributes and providers in lean manufacturing, agile manufacturing, and hybrid lean-agile manufacturing systems. It investigates how the strategic facet of the proposed hybrid lean-agile manufacturing system addresses the six manufacturing competitive dimensions. It presents as well the hybrid lean-agile manufacturing key performance indicators. The strategic facet of the proposed hybrid lean-agile manufacturing system has been validated through industrial case

Elmoselhy, Salah A.

Wheels and Tires Assembling Case Study

2014-36-025309/30/2014

This paper makes an analysis of problems encountered in assembling components from automotive vehicles. It shows wheel and tires assembling cases of an automaker that applies lean manufacturing concepts in the production process. This study not only makes the analysis from the best way to apply the methodology to seek for the root cause, but also uses methodology to identify containment measures, defining robust solutions capable of preventing the incidence of similar problems. This methodology can be applied to solving problems of any production process, even outside of the automotive industry

Caracciolo, Ronaldo Mansur, Junior, Leonardo Macarrão

The 3i paradigm: India's story

14MEIP09_0209/01/2014

The concept of ideation, incubation, and implementation is enhancing the growth of the Indian automotive industry. The 3i paradigm is a powerful trident of ideation, incubation, and implementation. It is about steering each of these elements separately and then in unison to connect dots in the growth matrix of an organization for high-throttle traction. Bringing in a strategic mindset change and a synchronization with the organizational culture is the key to the 3i paradigm. During the last decade, the 3i paradigm has enhanced the pace of growth of the automotive industry in India through technologies and varieties of features delivered at an affordable price to customers. Ideation is the phase in which ideas are solicited, generated, and consolidated-individually or in a group and through open and closed techniques. The Indian automotive industry has intentionally focused increasing amounts of time and energy into the ideation phase. This phase is not solely about products; it

Jaura, Dr. Arun

Applications of Lean Logistics on Engine Manufacturing Planning

2014-01-077204/01/2014

Lean logistics is an application of lean manufacturing principles. The core of lean logistics is to eliminate all non-value-added activities (waste) within productions, movements and storages. It reduces lead time, cuts cost, and improves quality. In order to be competitive, enterprises in western countries widely use lean manufacturing and logistics principles in automotive industries, especially for engine manufacturing system due to its high contents of assembly work. However, in China, lean logistics and its applications are fairly new to many companies. This article analyzes the current status of lean logistics in engine manufacturing in China, summarizes lean logistics principles, put forwards application of lean logistics principles based on a real case study of a new manufacturing system planning. In details, origins of the lean logistics are introduced, characteristics of engine manufacturing logistics are outlined, requirements of the lean logistics system are proposed, PFEP

LI, Fengzhu, Bao, Shunan, LI, Sijun

AEROSPACE ENGINEERING 2013-07

13AERD070307/03/2013

Going lean from scratch Embraer applied lean manufacturing concepts during the planning and construction of a new composites assembly line for its Legacy 500.

Going lean from scratch

13AERD0703_0107/03/2013

Embraer applied lean manufacturing concepts during the planning and construction of a new composites assembly line for its Legacy 500. In 2008, Embraer, the world's largest manufacturer of commercial jets of up to 120 seats, and one of Brazil's leading exporters, announced the development of two new plants in Portugal, both based in the city of Évora, south of Lisbon. The facilities were to be dedicated to the manufacture of machined metal structures and composite material assemblies. Deciding to locate these centers of excellence in Évora was the result of a careful assessment that included several factors, such as potential access to skilled labor, logistical infrastructure, and the presence of the Aeronautical Industry Park near the municipal airport. The plants are expected to start operating this year.

Reverse-Engineering Design Corrects Performance Failures in Laser Flow Cytometers

TBMG-1654506/01/2013

With numerous developments in medical equipment and software, physicians no longer have to wait three to five days for lab results for accurate and timely blood analysis. Now, specifically designed compact laser flow cytometers (blood analyzers) can conveniently sit on a countertop in the physician’s office and analyze blood samples in fewer than 15 minutes. This technology breakthrough has become the new standard for providing on-site, real time feedback for critical blood analysis.

Lean Implementation in Integrated Design and Manufacturing

2013-01-132904/08/2013

Lean applications in product development usually start with manufacturing due to the relative experience of measuring improvements and identifying wastes in physical settings. The full potential of lean implementation in any product development, however, can only be realized when applied throughout the process, starting with early process. Considering that the first and most essential principle in lean implementation is the characterization of value from the customer's perspective, it is imperative that the proper definition of value is realized at the beginning of the process. In addition, streaming and flowing of this customer's specified value should be realized throughout the process from start to finish. This paper discusses the application of lean principles to integrated design and manufacturing phases of the Product Development Process. The importance of introducing lean principles at the beginning of the product development phases for successful lean implementation is

El-Sayed, Mohamed

Design for Manufacturing: Concept to Reality

TBMG-1529412/01/2012

Design for Manufacturability (DFM) is a well-established practice, essential in realizing the transformation of new product concepts into mass-produced medical devices. And yet, all too often issues that could have been avoided are identified very late in the process and impact production costs and schedules. This suggests that key DFM principles are often underutilized in practice and not applied consistently, or to the degree necessary, to avoid these negative implications.

Implementation of BorgWarner Production System - Case Study at DivgiWarner Private Limited

2012-01-205509/24/2012

In the pursuit of manufacturing excellence BorgWarner, Inc., USA has utilized some key aspects of Toyota Production System and General Motors Quality System Basics tools to create a systematic framework called as Borg Warner Production System (BWPS). The goal of BWPS is to have robust manufacturing systems to deliver flawless quality products at lowest possible cost and give hassle free customer experience. This case study covers the BorgWarner Production System implementation experience of DivgiWarner Pvt. Ltd. India, one of the BorgWarner's plant based in Pune and Sirsi, India. The BWPS consists of 7 foundational elements and 23 tactical strategies. These seven foundational elements are Safety and Environment, Quality Systems, Employee Development, Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing, Pre-Production Planning, Metrics and Audits This framework delivered following benefits to the company: “Zero” safety incidences Customer PPM reduced from 675 to 122 100% On Time Delivery to

Vani, Dipak Annasaheb, Deshpande, Sudhindra

Legacy 500 Empennage Assembly - Design for Manufacturing

2012-01-187209/10/2012

On product design the use of composite materials has been steadily growing on aircraft industry, driven primarily by weight lost on structural components, which leads to better efficiency on fuel consumption, closely linked to economic issues and sustainability. On manufacturing planning the use of lean concepts has helped aircraft manufacturers to better manage its production resources leading also to more efficient and sustainable ways to fabricate and assemble aircraft structures. This paper describes how Embraer is combining these two philosophies for the development of the vertical and horizontal stabilizers of its latest product, the Legacy 500, and the planning and construction of its new composites assembly line in Evora. It first analyzes how automated composites fabrication methods like ATL help to reduce parts thus reducing weight and assembly hours. It also analyzes solutions developed to guarantee design for assembly and design for automation concepts. Going from product

da Silva, Daniel Carlos, Guimaraes, Gustavo, Da Rocha Lima, Antonio, Zenebon, Fabio Silva, Carvalho, Andre Barbosadearaujo, Meffert, Gerhard

Automated Horizontal Tail Plane Assembly Environment

2012-01-189109/10/2012

Cost reduction efforts are driving aircraft manufactures to new assembly methods and strategic sourcing approaches. Global challenges, international competitors as well as increasing wages and salaries are leading to higher automation levels. ThyssenKrupp started researching new harmonized solutions for wing box, center wing box, vertical tail plane and horizontal tail plane that in 2007. The first step was to research the available technologies and to define how they can be used together to attend the new requirements of the aircraft industry. In 2009 ThyssenKrupp got the opportunity to apply the achieved results in a real application. One of the major challenges was to decide on the main premises for the assembly concept. Business case studies showed reasonable automation approaches; early investigations for health and safety topics showed up potential issues and detailed 3D concepts gave reliable results during the preliminary design review. The outcome is an automated environment

Brooksiek, Michael, Bunke, Joerg

Sterilization with Nitrogen Dioxide Gas: A New Tool for Designers and Manufacturers

TBMG-1463709/01/2012

Noxilizer has developed a room temperature sterilization process for medical devices that is based on nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas. Currently, industrial sterilizers and contract sterilization services using NO2 gas are being offered to medical device manufacturers for terminal sterilization during the manufacturing process. A hospital model is also being developed for use in the clinical setting as a means of sterilizing reusable medical devices. As such, designers should be aware of this technology today for disposable and implantable devices, and also in the future for reusable devices sterilized in hospitals using NO2 gas sterilizers. At present, the terminal sterilization market for medical devices is primarily serviced by ethylene oxide (EO) gas or radiation processes, with gamma accounting for the majority of radiation sterilization. In this article, NO2 sterilization is discussed in the context of other gas sterilization processes, but it may also be applicable to devices that

Equivalence Unit Assumptions on Productivity and Capacity Evaluations

2012-01-050204/16/2012

In addition to providing a wide product range and meeting individual requirements of the customers to make the companies able to orient themselves to the competitive conditions in the automotive industry, properly structuring a capacity-productivity calculation algorithm is of a great importance in obtaining a competitive price advantage. In cases product diversity is too wide, and finished products cannot be measured with a single unit, measuring the production efficiency gets complicated. In addition, the ability to analyze all the inputs and outputs of the production with a single unit based on the same value for enterprises instead of analysis of combined units carried out based on a single perspective when calculating the production efficiency of the enterprises underlies continuous improvement and being able to set goals for the processes. This study describes an integrated system design based on equivalence logic, which can set forth production efficiency and the capacity

Karaca, Tahsin, Soner, Murathan, Ertunc, Sinan, Arpacik, Mehmet Ali, Karaagac, Mustafa, Kanbolat, Ahmet

Critical Success Factors of Lean Manufacturing Implementation in Automotive Industry in China

2012-01-051604/16/2012

Purpose - This research aimed to investigate the process of lean manufacturing implementation in automotive industry in China in order to identify the critical success factors. Design/methodology/approach - A review of relevant literature is used to identify potential critical success factors for lean manufacturing implementations. The research had targeted lean-manufacturing management, practitioners, process users, and consultants working in automotive industry in China. Data were collected with an electronic survey which included 20 close ended questions, each measured by using five-point scale, Out of total 200 questionnaire distributed, 80 useable responses were received resulting in 40 % response rate. A judgmental sampling technique had been selected. Both descriptive and inferential statistics had been used to analyze this data. Findings - Our findings indicated that the belief among the respondents that management engagement, communication, training, monitoring progress among

El Safty, Shady Baher

Preparing for and Navigating Material Changes

TBMG-1281502/01/2012

One of the phone calls that product managers fear most is a supplier notifying them that a material used in their product is being discontinued. The impending change forces a litany of time-consuming (and potentially expensive) procedures to identify and implement a suitable replacement material so production can continue. After all, one change creates a trickle-down effect for everyone on the project team: engineering, quality, manufacturing, and more.

5S Lean Manufacturing

1094611/18/2011

Sample of 5S lean training video. The sample covers 'Sort'. Great for a refresher and to insure all employees are up to speed. For full video see ... http://www.bin95.com/5slean/5s-lean-manufacturing-training.htm

Reducing Energy Use in Aircraft Component Manufacture - Applying Best Practice in Sustainable Manufacturing

2011-01-273910/18/2011

Rising energy costs and increased regulation in recent years have caused industrialists to investigate how to apply ‘energy efficiency’ to their manufacturing operations. As well as reducing operating costs, the benefits of a ‘green’ image as a market differentiator are beginning to be realised. The literature describes the successful implementation of a variety of approaches to energy reduction, with particular focus on energy intensive industries (such as foundries) and on improvements to building services (such as lighting). However, a systematic approach to applying sustainable practices to the manufacturing processes involved in the production of high value products, such as aircraft, is noticeably absent. This paper describes how a number of sustainable manufacturing approaches have been combined, enhanced and applied to the shop floor of a manufacturing facility in the UK responsible for the production of large component assemblies for the aerospace industry. The focus is on

Lunt, Peter, Levers, Andrew

Assembly Concept for the Fixed Trailing Edge based on Moveable Jigs

2011-01-261210/18/2011

The demand to produce aircraft structures with new materials, at acceptable investment levels, without restricting product quality or equipment reliability prompts suppliers and customers to think about new concepts for production processes. The manufacturing system in this paper, for a Fixed Trailing Edge Assembly Facility, combines traditional manual manufacturing processes with highly automated machinery. The introduction of a flow process, with moveable assembly jigs, enables high production rates with optimized operating times of the equipment. The system also provides the flexibility to handle different aircraft variants. This paper is intended to focus on the main aspects of the state of the art technology of the manufacturing system and shall explain the integration of such a system from the design phase to the operational launch in an actual aircraft program.

Wilde, Thorsten

Next Generation Composite Wing Drilling Machine for Vertical Builds

2011-01-261310/18/2011

Growing use of composite materials in aircraft wing construction requires a new generation of drilling machines. Electroimpact developed the LTD machine to address the specific needs posed by large scale composite wing box assembly. The machine maximizes the efficacy of blind access to create a single sided assembly process. Innovative design greatly reduces machine weight and foundation requirements. Optimized processes and automation tools increase the drilling capacity. The mobile machine maximizes plant flexibility by carrying out work on both wing surfaces across multiple assembly jigs. Through thoughtful engineering and thoroughly developed processes the LTD presents a highly capable and cost efficient solution for composite wing box drilling automation.

Peck, Jesse, Massey, Kurt

Reverse-Engineering Addresses Performance Failures in Laser Flow Cytometers

TBMG-1133510/01/2011

When it comes to critical, life-saving care for animals, veterinarians rely on accurate, timely blood analysis to help them make treatment decisions. Thanks to new developments in medical equipment and software, physicians no longer have to wait three to five days for lab results. Now, specially designed compact laser flow cytometers (blood analyzers) can conveniently sit on a countertop in the veterinarian’s office and analyze blood samples in less than 15 minutes. This technology breakthrough is quickly becoming the new standard for providing on-site, real-time feedback to pet owners and their veterinarians — and is increasingly being used for human blood analysis.

Innovative Robust Solutions for Lean Manufacturing in Automotive Assembly Processes

2011-01-125404/12/2011

The article presents an innovative approach to the implementation of a robust design optimization solution in an automobiles assembly process. The approach of the entire project is specific to the 6 Sigma optimization process, by applying the DMAIC cycle integrated in a robust engineering approach for rendering lean the final product assembly process. According to the improvement cycle, the aspects specific for such a process are presented sequentially starting with the “Define” phase for presenting the encountered problem and continuing with the presentation of the scope of the project and its objectives. The “Improvement” cycle phase is applied by the analysis of the monitored 6 Sigma metrics (defined during the previous “Measure” phase and the cause and effect analysis, done during a brainstorming meeting developed during the “Analyze” phase). There follows a proposal for the innovative robust solution by which the assembly process is optimized. Therefore, we propose the final

Negrus, Andrei Mihai, Mihail, Laurentiu Aurel, Chiru, Anghel

Implementation of Lean Manufacturing to Improve Competitiveness

2010-01-202510/05/2010

In traditional manufacturing processes a lot of material is wasted in hidden ways. These can be identified through Lean Manufacturing systems. It is proven that the Lean Approach eliminates waste and improves value. This reduces excessive investment in working capital and improves Return on Invested Capital (RoIC). As a result, the shareholder's value is maximized through simultaneously reducing costs and increasing capital efficiency. To demonstrate this we analyzed the production process of the Upper Output Shaft , a key component in a typical drive train assembly like a Four Wheel Drive transfer case, used in a pickup truck or SUV. Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is used to identify and reduce non value-added activities. VSM methodology for Output Shaft delivered the following benefits for DivgiWarner: Reduction in Inventory by 66%, Process cycle efficiency improved by 228%, Manpower cost reduced by 43% Material movement in the plant reduced by 68% Improvement in RoIC by 32% Cost of part

Pingale, Abhijeet, Vani, Deepak

Virtual Commissioning of Factory Floor Automation: The New Paradigm in Vehicle Manufacturing

2010-01-001304/12/2010

Never in the history of the automotive industry has it been more critical for automakers to prove that they are capable of producing vehicles efficiently and cost-effectively. In the coming months and years there will be a growing requirement for lean product design and manufacturing strategies that will re-shape the way the automotive suppliers and OEMs conduct business. Computer-aided-design and manufacturing have become commonplace in automotive product design and manufacturing processes. These technologies enable efficiencies and quality improvements through virtual simulation and testing of kinematic designs. However, to date, there has been no ability to incorporate the process controls into these simulations. Vehicle introductions require new manufacturing processes and equipment which is typically outsourced by the OEMs to a supplier. Equipment, such as large welding and assembly lines, are built and tested at the supplier facility then disassembled, shipped, reassembled, and

AN OPTIMAL SOLUTION THROUGH LEAN MANUFACTURING USING VALUE STREAM MAPPING TOWARDS EFFICIENT PRODUCTION FOR A WORLD- CLASS AUTOMOBILE BRAKES MANUFACTURING COMPANY

2009-28-005412/13/2009

Today, numerous companies have a major opportunity to reduce their costs and customer lead time and cycle time through the application of Lean Manufacturing processes. In recent years, almost every manufacturing industry has been trying to get ‘lean’. Lean thinking represents a set of principles and techniques for the identification and elimination of wastages in manufacturing and administrative processes. Value Stream Mapping (VSM) which is one of the lean manufacturing approaches has emerged as the preferred way to support and implement the lean approach. VSM is a helpful tool to identify the waste and improvement areas. VSM enables a company to see the entire process in both its current and desired future state, and develop the road map that prioritises the projects or tasks to bridge the gap between the current state and the future (lean) state. Improvements in processes, facility layouts, and managerial spans of control encourage redefining an organizations hierarchy and adopting

Satheeshkumar, V., Renald, C.J.Thomas, Thiagarajan, M., Sathiyamanoj, G.K.

Lean Product Development in the Automotive Supplier Industry

2009-01-011604/20/2009

Steadily increasing challenges to achieve a competitive position in the automotive supplier industry emphasize the importance of being successful in product development (PD). Much effort has been made to develop effective processes within the manufacturing environment, but PD may be the next focus area to increase the competitiveness in the future. The aim of this study is to discuss Norwegian automotive suppliers in term of lean PD, using the four cornerstones in the conceptual model by M. Kennedy described in the book “Product Development for the Lean Enterprise”. These are: entrepreneurial leadership, responsibility based planning & control, expert engineering workforce and set-based concurrent engineering [1]. The study is performed by combining a questionnaire and interviews with 19 automotive suppliers in Norway. In summary the Norwegian automotive supplier industry is not lean in the sense of all the principles behind the conceptual model. It is important to note that there are

Ringen, Geir, Lodgaard, Eirin

Lean Product Development - Redefining the Indian Automotive Product Development Process using Lean Framework

2009-01-011704/20/2009

“Building quality into processes” - Eiji Toyoda, Toyota Motor Corporation The Indian automotive industry has grown at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14 per cent per annum over the last five years. According to the UNIDO International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics 2008, India features among the top 15 auto-makers. Currently, it ranks 11th in the world in terms of car production and 13th in terms of commercial vehicle production. As India is becoming a hub for global car makers, companies are looking to enhance their component engineering, product design and development capabilities in India to increase their share in the automotive knowledge-based business. So there is an urgent need to infuse new process improvement techniques to the product development cycle, to stay ahead of the global competition. This paper discusses about the basics of lean principles & wastes, lean product development and mainly discusses about the fundamental framework for applying lean to the

Anand, D . Uma, Janakiraman, S. R., Sethukannan, V. S.

Applying Lean Manufacturing Principles & Tools to Laboratory Operations

2009-01-119104/20/2009

Lean manufacturing has greatly changed the way many companies produce products. Lessons learned in lean manufacturing are being applied to many non-manufacturing situations including design, logistics, and transactional processes. Such tools can be applied to metallurgical laboratories which support daily production or design and development. Four key principles of lean management and nine tools are presented with specific examples demonstrating how these lean tools can be successfully applied to a metallurgical laboratory operations. These principles and tools have been successfully implemented by the author in a captive metallurgical laboratory over the last year resulting in reduced cycle time, higher productivity, less variation in analysis methods allowing for direct comparison of data over time, and improved quality.

Vinarcik, Edward J.

Application of Lean Manufacturing to React to Fast Market Growth

2008-36-039910/07/2008

Brazilian automotive market has been growing faster than ever. In order to react properly to market increasing demand in terms of volume and diversity, production systems have to be carefully designed. Traditional manufacturing tends to react to demand increase by outsourcing or investing in new equipments or facilities. Lean thinking suggests that by reducing waste along the value stream it is possible to increase flexibility and freed resources to reduce the investment level required to cope customer’s needs. This paper presents two cases of a system redesign based on the lean manufacturing principles to support the demand.

Favaro, Cleber, Jorge, Roberto

Lean Six Sigma Applied to Manufacturing Capacity Increase Project – Case Study

2008-36-016610/07/2008

Nowadays, auto-parts companies spend a lot of efforts in trying to improve their manufacturing performance, which can be easily explained by the influence of many competitors, and also due to strong pressure besides their costumers to reduce prices of their products. Normally, the investments to buy new machines and contract new labors to respond customer demands gets lower as day goes by, due to this, the manufacturing team must use the best techniques available to get the maximum of their manufacturing system in an effort to meet flexibility, by the way, there is a constant effort to eliminate waste and variation in manufacturing system, for such work, many companies have adopted lean manufacturing principles in order to eliminate waste as a good response to produce more with less, and aligned with this thinking, Six Sigma methodology comes to add to lean manufacturing a robust way to eliminate variation on manufacturing process. So, this paper has per objective to show based on case

Joel da, Conceição

A NEW MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR OVERALL EQUIPMENT EFFECTIVENESS WITH EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT

2008-36-039510/07/2008

The incessant search for lean manufacture processes become the Total Quality and Continuous Improvement tools a practice of any corporation who wants to have a competitive price without compromising quality. The manufacturing measurement system has become essential to the continuing improvement in shop floor. There is, within the TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) methodology, a measuring tool, an indicator known in the international literature as OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), which assesses the health of manufacturing, can be focused on production lines or in a global context, evaluating the manufacturing as a whole. This metric is based on availability-performance-quality triad. This paper presents a case study of the OEE management system implementation in an auto industry where the differential is the OEE metric management used by shop floor employee. The results enable the main focus on waste, thus supporting with Continuous Improvement events of the plant.

Cavalcante, Daniel Haddad, Goes, Keurrie Cipriano, Filho, Dimmer Coccio Diferro

Lean manufacturing applied in a Aftermarket assembly lines

2008-36-024410/07/2008

The characteristic of an aftermarket assembly line is the low volume and high quantity of product to be assembled in the same assembly line. The objective of this article is to show how a Lean Manufacturing tool can improve the capacity and results in the assembly line. Even in a cell already “mature” we can put in practice the principles of continuous improvement. The tool has been used here was SMED, TPM, 5S. This principles applied in the aftermarket create an improvement. In this way we can decide to put another part numbers in the same cell as much as the volumes of the old ones decrease. The major result was the gain in setup time, and does same parts in smaller area.

de Mello, André Luiz

Vision Assisted Laser Marking Delivers Lean Manufacturing

2008-01-113004/14/2008

To achieve permanent, high quality, non-contact marking, automotive manufacturers use laser marking processes. But, the ability to accurately position small characters in a limited space, to recognize the proper parts before being marked, and the capability to repeatedly mark in a robust way without operator's adjustments still create challenges for those who attempt to achieve lean manufacturing. Described in this paper is a high-speed vision based laser system capable of rapidly and accurately marking a large number of automotive parts of different shapes in a single pass. The vision based laser system has shown, that in a production environment, a reduction of waste, an increase in product throughput, and an improvement in the overall manufacturing cost can be achieved.

Benayad-Cherif, Faycal

Tenneco's Lean Engineering Journey

2008-01-112904/14/2008

Lean Engineering began at Tenneco in 2004 [1], [2]. A current status of lean engineering is shown. This paper focuses on 2 major principles of Lean Product Development: Establish customer defined value to separate value add from waste Front load the product development process to explore alternatives thoroughly.

Garcia, Patrick, Wiemeler, Dirk, Drogosz, John

How Management Can Focus on Core Functions

2008-01-055204/14/2008

Every second one spends managing operations the competition is working on improving their processes to use less labor while maintaining quality. While it is important to maintain smooth operations, strong leaders must also concentrate on improvements for their own product. This was the strategy of a Tier 1 global tire manufacturer when they decided to in-source the manufacture and supervision of their non-core processes. The result? Forty percent in labor cost savings and managers were able to move from non-core operations to core areas where they could concentrate on improving the core business. Meanwhile, the in-sourced manufacturing service successfully supports the production lines while implementing Six Sigma process improvements. In-sourcing the manufacture and supervision of non-core products can significantly change the way one is able to manage a plant.

Holland, Jim, Beam, Wendy

Energy Conservation through Productivity Enhancement in Manufacturing Facilities

2008-01-116404/14/2008

The goal of this research work is to explore the energy savings that may result from productivity improvement recommendations. The productivity improvement recommendations on setup time reduction and finished goods inventory reduction were taken from Industrial Assessment Center (IAC-WVU) and Industries of the Future (IOF-WVU) databases at West Virginia University (WVU) and analyzed to evaluate the corresponding energy savings. A simulation analysis was performed to compare the peak energy demands (kW) in the present and proposed scenarios for the setup time reduction recommendation. It was found that productivity improvement recommendations can result in significant energy savings (2% to 4%).

Gupta, Deepak, Gopalakrishnan, Bhaskaran, Godavarthy, Hima Bindu

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