Lean Manufacturing
Get Lean, Go Global
A successful manufacturing company must achieve world-class capability within its walls. At the same time, a company has to go after global business opportunities. Hanel Corporation (New Berlin, Wisconsin) is a case in point. It has implemented several U-shaped production cells that help the company keep costs down and productivity up. At the same time, company leaders have aggressively courted customers in countries around the world by offering both tangible and intangible values.
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Lean From The Get-Go
This shop was lean from day one. Its visual management tools form its lean manufacturing foundation.
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Creating A Machine Shop Franchise Template
This contract shop applies basic franchising concepts to maximize efficiency in all aspects of its business. Its intent is not to sow multiple franchise locations, but rather to make its sole facility perform as predictably and profitably as possible.
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Vertical Machining Centers For Volume Production
At this model plant for lean manufacturing, Parker Hannifin personnel became convinced that the simple approach was the strongest choice for the application. Part of the lesson learned at this plant is that the most difficult part of going lean may lie in the discussion.
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Lean Manufacturing Shapes A Cell
A machining cell that seeks to optimize product flow may look very different from a cell that seeks to optimize a machining process.
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Picture-Perfect Manufacturing
The vision of a production process with little or no waste is the inspiration behind lean manufacturing. Value stream mapping is a graphical tool that this contract manufacturer uses to create that vision.
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The Technology Of Lean Machining
This plant makes different choices for its machining cells depending on whether the parts to be machined there are known or unknown.
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Setup Reduction Is Central to Lean Manufacturing
This shop cut average setup time nearly in half. Now small batches can move quickly through the production process, making the company more responsive to customer needs than ever before.
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This Shop Shines...And Sorts, Simplifies, Standardizes And Sustains
The 5S principles are proving to be a powerful prelude and prerequisite to lean manufacturing at this aerospace job shop.
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The Measure Of Success
For this small job shop, measuring and controlling everything are the keys to lean—very lean—manufacturing. Yet its management style is surprisingly open and trusting.
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