You probably already have a clear understanding of what Lean Manufacturing is, but you might be wondering… How do I apply it? What do I need for it? There are various options, depending on many factors. Now is the time to bring you a compilation of the fundamental Lean Manufacturing tools.

When we talk about Lean Manufacturing, we are referring to a concept rich in nuances that can be implemented through a wide variety of methods and tools.

Throughout several articles on our blog, we have extensively covered various aspects of the Lean philosophy in industrial plants. Therefore, we believe this is an excellent opportunity to bring together in a single text the main tools for applying Lean Manufacturing principles in an industrial facility.

1. 5S
2. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
3. Continuous flow or One-Piece flow
4. Housekeeping
5. Kanban
6. Task automation
7. Poka Yoke
8. Value Stream Mapping (VSM)

Order and cleanliness are the key to this Lean tool, which, as its name suggests, is based on 5 principles aimed at eliminating anything unnecessary within production processes:

• Sorting (Seiri): Identify anything that is not useful and eliminate it.
• Set in Order (Seiton): Organize the workspace in order to optimize it.
• Shining (Seiso): Eliminate all dirt and clutter from the workplace.
• Standardization (Seiketsu): Define and document a set of protocols and rules to prevent disorder and dirt.
• Discipline (Shitsuke): Become aware of the importance of following each principle to achieve set goals and continuous improvement.

Its main objective is to minimize equipment breakdowns and, consequently, the costs associated with them, both from the actual repair and from the production downtime while everything returns to normal.

In Total Productive Maintenance, the contribution of the 5S is very helpful, as the organization and cleanliness of the equipment are essential to preventing breakdowns.

TPM is based on three fundamental pillars:

• Predictive maintenance: It involves monitoring critical variables that allow for detecting patterns that predict a failure.
• Preventive maintenance: Periodic interventions are scheduled, regardless of whether there are signs of a breakdown or not.
• Corrective maintenance: Intervention takes place once a failure has occurred.

Within TPM, a key metric known as Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) plays a special role. This measures the degree of utilization of equipment in a factory, and its calculation depends on availability, performance, and quality.

According to a study conducted by specialists from Universitas Brawijaya Malang, in plants that use Lean Manufacturing tools, their OEE is around 85%.

This technique is based on pull production systems, where manufacturing operates based on demand, reducing inventory and its associated costs, and adhering to the just-in-time principle.

Only the quantities required by the customer are produced, and at each stage, those responsible for it must:

• Inspect the received piece to ensure it is in perfect condition.
• Proceed with manufacturing according to the specifications.
• Inspect the pieces or products that come out of that stage.

With this methodology, the overall manufacturing process flows without stoppages or bottlenecks that hinder it.

Housekeeping is closely related to 5S and the planning of audits that evaluate aspects related to this tool within Lean Manufacturing.

Within Housekeeping, a series of very interesting options are available in the corresponding Polaris module. Among these possibilities, we have the option to work in real-time with corrective actions and to use a Kanban board as reinforcement.

And since we're talking about Kanban, let's refresh the basics of this Lean tool. It is based on two key elements:

• A series of cards associated with each item that contain key information for manufacturing.
• A board, either physical or virtual, that shows the phase of the process in which each item or product is.

Lean Manufacturing is closely related to the automatic execution of actions within production.

These automations go far beyond the robots that often come to mind when thinking of a modern production line.

Automation also includes actions such as the intelligent assignment of tasks based on variables like skills, location, or workload, as well as the automatic collection and processing of variables of interest for aspects like quality, equipment maintenance, or production optimization.

Poka Yoke is a tool designed to minimize human errors that may occur within a factory. Depending on the purpose for which they are established, we can identify different types of Poka Yoke tools:

• Physical: They ensure the prevention of errors in a specific operation.
• Sequential: They prevent failures when implementing an order in the manufacturing stages.
• Grouping: These typically consist of a batch or kit of tools or components. In this way, we ensure that we have everything necessary at hand to perform our work correctly.
• Information: They provide the worker with real-time information to perform their tasks correctly and safely.

Through VSM (Value Stream Mapping), we obtain a visual representation of all the processes and the flows of materials and information that take place in the plant.

With this visualization on a map of the critical and highest-value points in the factory, we can also identify the main sources of problems and losses in time, resources, or materials.

But, while the problems are clearly visualized, VSM also helps to identify potential solutions to these barriers to efficiency and productivity.

They may not all be included, but we have brought you a selection of the most notable Lean Manufacturing tools for the industry, key to transforming a factory into a true Smart Factory.

If we have sparked your interest and you've decided to implement them in your company, at Sixphere, specifically with our Polaris solution, we provide you with tools that facilitate their integration and development into the production routine.

With Polaris, you can make use of the module or modules that best fit your needs, with Lean tools perfectly adaptable to your situation and that of your factory. Don't hesitate to contact us to learn more!

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