The document discusses improvements made to a company's machining operations through lean initiatives. The first steps consolidated CNC machines so an operator could run two machines and removed an obsolete CNC machine. The next phase was to purchase a faster new CNC machine to increase capacity. Subsequent phases moved machining areas closer to related operations like casting and tooling to improve production flow and reduce material handling. Fixtures were also modified to let CNC machines perform tasks previously done manually but faster and with better quality.

1. Machining operations did not permit
multi-tasking and product flow required
multiple moves due to poor flow
The correction of the product flow would
take time and would be done in steps.
The first steps would be to consolidate
CNC machines so that the operator could
run two machines. We would also remove
an old CNC that was obsolete and used
for parts.
The next phase would be to purchase a
new CNC machine that would be 4 times
faster and would give us capacity to move
single person machining operations to the
CNC

2. Before Lean Initiative
clutter and poor flow impacted
quality and performance
After the first Lean Initiative,
combining machine centers
doubled thru-put without
adding cost
Elimination of manual machining
increased thru-put three
fold over manual operations

3. Machining area now
open and moved to the
new location to improve
production flow and
reduce material
Handling. This creates
more assembly space
The new location is
closer to the die cast
area and to the tool
room which conducts
most set-ups
An additional benefit is
that the VF-3 can be
made available to
repair molds.
We have modified two
molds to date with
greatly improved molds

4. Originally this plate required a person to
counter-sink 6 holes on a manual drill, with
4 holes being one size and 2 holes being a
different size
This fixture now allows one set-up to do all 6
holes in half the time, producing a more
consistent counter-sink in the holes.

5. This fixture now permits us to cut 6 cam shells
per cycle on the CNC, whereas before we were
cutting a single in manual operations
The result is a process that is a high quality part
made 4 times faster than the manual operations
this method replaced,

6. Both of the tapping operations above, were
in the old machining area, almost half a
plant away.
These tapping operations are performed
on parts that are die cast and now are
no more than 50 feet from their origin

7. This drill operation was
in an independent operation
in the machining area.
We moved this operation to be an
internal operation to the
casting operation, reducing cost
and foot print in machining

8. As we reduced the foot print required for
machining by increasing load on the CNC
equipment, we also worked in parallel to
move other machining operations closer
to eliminate the amount of transport time
and frequency of moves.
This allows for a closer bonds and ownership
in the work force, as well as faster feed back
in regards to quality.
It also permits a highly visual approach to
inventory as the group works together and
pull parts to the next operation creating an
awareness of what is on-hand.
This in turn allows the team to visually see
need to either work extended hours or drive
the need for creative solutions for
productivity.