Parker Hannifin Corp has embraced the Lean management philosophy by developing a corporate "Lean Enterprise System" that provides top management commitment, Lean tools and training, and implementation roadmaps to all facilities. Dedicated Lean managers are appointed at the group, division, and plant levels. Lean goals are established for each facility and progress is monitored by tracking key metrics. Each of the plant''s value streams is mapped to show the current state and desired future state. The future state map identifies opportunities to eliminate waste, implement continuous flow, and ultimately meet customer demand while producing the least amount of inventory.
This program is in line with traditional Lean philosophy, which utilizes the concept of continuous improvement to remove waste from systems and processes. "Waste" is any activity which uses company resources without adding value for the customer (i.e., overproduction or excessive work-in-process inventory). In a manufacturing environment, Lean can be used to reduce cycle time, production costs, or scrap.
Parker Fluid Control Div, a division of Parker Hannifin Corp, manufactures solenoid and process control valves for commercial and industrial applications under the Skinner™, Gold Ring™, and Sinclair Collins™ brand names. The division''s New Britain, CT headquarters is the central location for design, sales, marketing, and purchasing, but also houses a manufacturing floor that produces over half of the company''s products.
Recently, one of Parker Fluid Control Div''s assembly cells in New Britain was identified as a productivity improvement opportunity. The cell required two operators, contained several batch operations, and appeared to utilize unnecessary floor space. A 5-person cross-functional team was chosen for the 5-day Kaizen event. (See before and after views of the cell, above and below: adjustment of the cell''s setup focused on creating one-piece flow. Thus, every item in the cell was given its own clearly marked place. One-piece flow can result in time and labor savings. Also, a more organized workspace is safer for employees.) The team''s goals were to:
- create "standard work"
- create one-piece flow
- eliminate waste.
Standard work, a vital part of Lean methodology, is a tool that details the motion of the operator and the process sequence in producing a part. It can be used as a training tool for employees as well as a foundation for productivity, quality, safety, and cost improvements in the future. One-piece flow is the moving of one piece at a time between operations. Standard work and one-piece flow help identify quality issues as they occur and prevent building inventory of nonconforming product.
The team spent a large part of the first day in Lean training, learning how to identify and implement 5S (an internal audit and scoring system focusing on safety and organization) and standard work. The second day was spent gathering baseline data on the cell''s operation and performance as a means of objectively measuring later improvements. To gather the initial data, the team observed the cell operator''s work sequence, mapped the process from beginning to end, and measured the cycle time for the cell''s entire set of tasks. The baseline data showed that:
- The cell utilized 272 sq ft of floor space.
- Cycle time for the cell was 8 minutes per piece.
- At any given time, the cell had a work-in-process inventory of 50 pieces.
- Two workers per shift were dedicated to the cell.
Then, the team brainstormed ways to connect work steps and create continuous flow. The team developed several ideas, including:
- As two tasks in the cell required the use of a hydraulic press, a second machine was moved into the cell. As a result, each press could be used to complete its own job.
- Part of the cell''s assembly responsibilities involved six 2-piece fixtures. The Kaizen team reengineered these to create modular fixtures, which could be assembled more easily and quickly.
- Two workbenches, each measuring 2.5 x 5 ft, were removed from the area to reduce the cell''s footprint, reduce walking steps for cell workers, and improve part flow.
- Part bins throughout the cell were labeled and relocated as needed.
- Part location templates were created on the workbenches themselves to provide suggested workflow for the cell''s workers.
- Foam cutouts to identify tools were created and added to the tool drawers to ensure organization of assembly materials.
All standard work tasks were documented and tested to ensure that they provided the desired output and time. Visual work instructions and training were provided to the operators. By the end of the fourth day, operator feedback was positive and the improvements provided the following results that were presented on the fifth day:
- Floor space in the cell was reduced by 26%.
- The number of walking steps for workers was reduced by 17 to 12.
- Cycle time was reduced by 34% to 5.3 minutes per piece.
- Single-piece flow created
- Manpower in the cell was reduced to one operator per day.
- Setup time was reduced by 5%.
- The cost of product assembly decreased by at least 4%.
Thus, in a single week''s work, this Kaizen team was able to create solutions that improved the entire plant''s bottom line using a single, methodological approach.
"As an ISO 9001-2000 certified business, we are always seeking ways to provide better quality products," says plant operations manager Tim Deasy. "Lean is a powerful tool in our continuous improvement efforts, because it takes a common-sense approach to problem-solving, with solutions coming from our own employees."