Lean manufacturing principles were pioneered by Toyota and have led to increased productivity and quality. However, simply copying Toyota's practices without customizing for one's own industry often fails to achieve benefits. Lean aims to reduce seven types of waste regardless of industry. For mould making, lean can reduce lead times and costs by cutting non-value-added activities, enabling competition. The author recommends using kaizen events to involve employees in identifying waste and driving continuous improvement through accepting and sustaining lean changes.

1. Lean Manufacturing in Mould making Industry.
Lean principles when applied in manufacturing industry are called as Lean
Manufacturing. Lean manufacturing was pioneered by Toyota , in Japan and subsequent to its
marvellous success in automobile manufacturing in terms of increased productivity ,reduced
lead times, improved delivery system, quality and customer service , Lean became a
household name world over. But most of the industries in different sectors like aviation,
mould making, and other non-automobile sectors try to apply the principles of Lean as it is,
by copying the practises followed in Toyota, as a result, the purpose of going Lean is often
defeated .Some industries even claim that Lean is not applicable to them, because they don’t
produce in large volumes on continuous basis and it is difficult for their work force to adapt
to lean. In this context, the author has opined that Lean is a universal concept applicable to all
types of industries, and merely copying the Lean practises implemented in Toyota will not
result to any improvement in productivity. It needs to be customized as per the industry type
and business objectives. Author has further advocated that effective implementation of lean
involves lean thinking and degree of accepting change. It begins with examining one’s own
current reality, ideal state, and then utilizing lean systems to improve upon the existing
systems. Lean basically targets reduction of 7 types of wastes, such as over production,
transportation, motion, defects, inventory, over processing and waiting, regardless of type of
industry.
Coming to mould making industry, which involves high variety and low
manufacturing volumes, lean transformation can play a vital role in reducing lead time in
meeting customer needs on account of quality level and delivery schedule, and cut down on
other non-value adding activities. This shall enable the mould makers in economizing their
cost of production and hence, price and also, compete in the international market. Author has
also recommended for Kaizen events in mould making factories at shop levels, through which
ideas and experience of employees who are closest to the work system can be utilized in
driving out “wastes” from the production system. The secret to success behind kaizen events
is its capability to combine business success with people success. Business success which
aims for reduction in wastes, increase in profitability, and improvement in quality,
undoubtedly depends on people success. People success is accomplished by making people
accept the lean change and commit towards the sustaining the lean practise through Kaizen
Events.
Based on the above and author’s comments, Lean transformation can be regarded as a
continuous journey (where an organization continuously strives for excellence), not a
destination.
moldmakingtechnology.com
-submitted by
Subhrajyoti Parida
Roll-124, Sec. B,
PGDIE-40.
Reference:
Flinchbaugh, Jamie, of the Lean Learning Center (Novi, Michigan, US
jamie@leanlearningcenter.com,), 2002, “Lean Manufacturing in the Mould Making Industry”,
reprinted from MoldMaking Technology Magazine