This document discusses the implementation of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) to reduce manufacturing costs at a railway spring manufacturing company in India. The study identifies non-value added activities, develops current and future state maps, and proposes improvements to enhance performance, resulting in a cost reduction from 62.5 crore to 61.88 crore. The findings advocate for procedural and layout changes to streamline operations, showing significant waste reduction without capital investment in new machinery.

1. International Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering Applications,
Volume 1, Issue 1, 1-5, 2014
Reducing Manufacturing Cost through Value
Renu Sharma, Sanchaya Goyal, Kamlesh Kushwaha
Mechanical Department, MPCT / RGPV university, India
Abstract- To survive in today's competitive world, companies require low costs and high customer service levels. As such,
companies pay more effort to reduce their manufacturing cost. Value stream mapping CVSM) technique has been used on a broad
scale in big companies such as toyato and boeing. This paper considers the implementation of value stream mapping technique in
manufacturing technical spring by railway spring manufacturing company. It focuses on product family, current state map and the
future state map. The aim is to identify waste in the form of non value added activities and processes and than removing them to
improve the performance of the company. Current state map is prepared to describe the existing position and various problem
areas. Future state map is prepared to show the proposed improvement action plans. The achievements of value stream mapping
implementation are reduction in manufacturing cost. It was found that even a small company make significant improvements by
adopting VSM technology. It was concluded that if we adopt the VSM technique the company could reduce the manufacturing
cost from 62.5Cr to 61.88Cr.
Keywords- VSM, Value stream analysis tool (VALSAT) process activity mapping tool, current stat map,
Future stat map.
1 INTRODUCTION
Stream Mapping
Rail Spring Karkhana is the largest and only
dedicated coil spring manufacturing unit of Indian
railways. It was set up in 1989 on a turnkey basis by
M/S Ernst Komrowski & Co, Germany, a leading
spring manufacturing of Germany. Having a turn
over of 49 crore , the plant has state of art
manufacturing facilities springs from hot rolled
spring steel bars. The plant is capable of
manufacturing spring with wire diameter up to 60
mm. The plant manufactures 90000-100000 springs
per annum.
This paper will show how the waste
reduction can be made throughout the process by
using value stream mapping. It analyses the processes
involved in manufacturing and identifies the key
areas of wastage and possible solution to overcome
them. Value stream mapping is a lean-management
method for analyzing the current state and designing
a future state for the series of events that take a
product or service from its beginning through to
the customer. Value stream mapping is a tool
that helps to see and understand the flow of
material and information as a product and
service make its way through the value stream.
Hines and Rich (1997) defined seven
value stream mapping tools. They are:
1. Process Activity Mapping
2. Supply chain responsiveness matrix
3. Product Variety Funnel
4. Quality filter mapping
5. Forrester effect mapping
6. Decision point analysis
7. Overall Structure Maps
Value stream analysis tool (VALSAT)
This is the procedure which defined that
which tool is suitable for us. In this , the vale stream
to be reviewed were identified and through a series of
interview with manager they were ranked. The
manager were given written overview of each waste
and these waste affect the efficiency and profitability
. This led to the drawing up of the overall structure
of the seven waste and the appropriate tools to use for
analysis.
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2. International Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering Applications,
Volume 1, Issue 1, 1-5, 2014
NOTE: H= High correlation and usefulness
M= Medium correlation and usefulness
L = Low correlation and usefulness
The researches then used the identified tools
for the major wastes shown in above table to develop
the current state map as well as the future state map.
So by table I find that as my research is on
industrial based so I follow the process activity
mapping tool.
The aim of this research was to:
 Understand the current state map of the
manufacturing karkhana .
 Identify the key area of waste, problem and
opportunities across the karkhana
 Develop of ‘future state vision’ of each of the
supply chain.
 Reducing cost
2. DATA COLLECTION AND
ANALYSIS:
This section will describe the processes which take
place throughout the factory and will identify
problems and issues. The processes which take place
throughout the factory have been summarized as
follows
• Take a peeled bar (metal bar). This bar is made
up of different composition of metal like Cr, V,
Mo, steel etc.
• Then end tapered bar supplied to bar heating
furnace (prepare for coiling), coiler, oil
quenching tank, and tempering furnace.
• Then sample check for quench hardness. Coiled
and tempered spring are end grinding to provide
flat end for proper seating of spring are end
grinded to provided flat end for proper for
developing residual compressive stress on
surface and improving fatigue strength
• Shot penned coiled springs are then tested for
crack testing by magna flux testing.
• Then primer coating, scragging pre load testing
and black painting are done.
• Rejected part are repitched and hot scragged.
• Finally black painted spring is checked for
ultimate tensile test and dimensional test
table 1 Summary of the data in the current state
map for RSK
Table 2 Root cause analysis & remedial action
• Take a peeled bar (metal bar). This bar is made
up of different composition of metal like Cr, V, Mo,
steel etc.
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3. International Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering Applications,
Volume 1, Issue 1, 1-5, 2014
•Then end tapered bar supplied to bar heating furnace
(prepare for coiling), coiler, oil quenching tank, and
tempering furnace.
S.N. Process Cause Corrective action
plan
1 Tempering Delay in
process
Parallel inspection
process
2 Grinding
process
Extra time
on handling
spring
Change material
handling
technique.
3 Primer paint Process
layout
Change process
sequence
3. METHODOLOGY AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF VSM
The Complete Value Stream Mapping Step
Fig No.1.2: Value stream mapping steps (web
resource 2)
Selection of critical product family
A particular product or product family
should be defined as the target for future
improvement. In our study we choose a helical spring
having a diameter of 33mm because this dimension
diameter spring is most demandable
Current state value stream mapping
To construct the current state value stream map,
relevant information was collected by interviewing
people on the shop floor. As Data relevant to the
customer, such as quantity to be delivered, delivery
time were observed and information related to the
assembly line, such as processing time, inventory
storage, inspections, rework loops, number of
workers and operational hours per day were collected
and documented properly. To complete the value
map, a timeline is added at the bottom of the map
recording the lead-time and the value-added time.
Eventually, the value stream map for the current state
is constructed.
4. DATA ANALYSIS
Here we analyze the data collected by us Basically
improvement/modification is done by us in this
section. Here we calculate the value addition
percentage in the different process. Also we analyzed
the root causes of different problems and suggested
their remedial actions.
Tempering
Alloy steel is not plastic as carbon steel and also
more liable to temp. from cracks Further more to
overheating and burning. The plasticity increase as
increase the temp increase hence alloy steel can be
heated safely at higher rates on higher temp. In our
study as consent production engineers when bar
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4. International Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering Applications,
Volume 1, Issue 1, 1-5, 2014
is heated at 900 C and then coiling but when it takes
more time between bar heating and coiling this result
scale formation and this cause spring hardness
decrees and pitch dia is reduce.
By using parallel inspection and If we use Go and
Non Go gauge this rejection could be minimized and
saving in cost.
% cost saving = 3.10%
Grinding process
In grinding process most of the time spend on
handling of coil from conveyor to machine, in
grinding machine in one time four springs is placed.
Each spring is placed one by one on machine and
unloading one by one by single hook. If we used
another handling system which can load 3 or 4 spring
at a time. I suggest another handling system which
can load four springs simultaneously
By using new technique lead time is reduced and cost
is also saved
Save money = = 403920.
Or 0.042cr
primer paint
Primer paint process is being after shot pining
then next process is inspection. In data
collection it shows rejection in final pas is 3 to 4
percent. So the rejected parts consume the cost
of primer paint also, if we change the sequence
of process i.e. primer paint is done after
inspection then primer cost related to rejected
spring could be reduced.
cost of saving in primer paint= 81005rs
Or 0.0081005cr
Reducing cost by Reduction in rejection
Tempering process In current state map there
was approximate 3.5% rejection in tempering
process and in future state map by applying parallel
inspection it reduced and cast saving is 3.1 %.
Grinding process In grinding process there was
energy consumption cost is 427680 and in future
state map it became 403920. Means now cost saving
is 5.5%. The lead time is also reduced With some
changes in techniques.
Primer paint In current state map there was cost of
primer paint 83550 and in future state map it became
2550.Means now cost saving is 3%
Saving in cost by reducing waste
Process % saving
Tempering 3.1
Grinding 5.5
Primer paint 3
Total cost saving
Total Cost of
spring
Before after
62.5cr 61.88cr
5. CONCLUSION
After analyzing the root cause, process activity charts
and results this can be concluded that the main reason
for non-value added activities are wrong handling
and not proper sequence. Thus it can be concluded
that in the plant the wastes is mostly in the form of
these activity. The VSM is an effective tool to
eliminating the wastes and it also suggests ways to
reduce wastage in a manufacturing process. The
layout of the plant currently shows a lot of back
tracking and it is proposed to modify the layout of the
organization.
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5. International Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering Applications,
Volume 1, Issue 1, 1-5, 2014
The root cause analysis sheet shows the reasons of
the wastages and also provides their solution. Large
reductions in wastage can be achieved just by
applying parallel inspection, change in technique and
change in process sequence . Most important point is
that to improve in process, no new machines were
purchased nor were operators expected to work faster
or harder; only procedures and layouts were changed
to allow the product to flow more smoothly through
the manufacturing process.
Future state map
6. REFERENCES
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and reduce production cost
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