Case Study 3: Aylesbury Pressings
| Case Study 3: Aylesbury Pressings | Case Studies, Bsc Hons Quality Management and Technology | | Authors :Roddy McGuinn (s00093607) and Martin Toher(s00093928 ) | 12/5/2009 |
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Using the Lean Principles as a framework, what improvements do you consider that the management team at Aylesbury should be giving priority to, and why?
Introduction
Aylesbury pressings is a manufacturing company that produces automotive metal components that supplies the automobile industry. The business displays characteristics of a high volume high variety operation as its’ products are considered runners or repeaters with batch ranges of between 150-500 parts and a variety of 80 main products many of which have several versions. This complex environment posses some difficult challenges for the Aylesbury pressings operation. Many of the difficulties faced by Aylesbury pressings can be alleviated by using some techniques associated with lean manufacturing.
Suggested improvements
1/ Quality: The Lean philosophy identifies seven different forms of waste (muda), these are over production, waiting time, transport, process, inventory, motion and defectives. One obvious source of waste in the operation is in the production of defectives in the pressing stage of operations. Many of the dyes used are old and difficult to adjust which results in defective materials being produced. These dyes should be replaced as a matter of urgency and should be the first priority of the management team. This is so because if the output of this early stage of production is of a high quality and the process itself controlled, it will make all subsequent stages of production much easier to improve as the supply of materials to these stages will be more predictable and of higher quality. Quality, right first time does not seem to be a major priority for Aylesbury pressings as only 4 of the 280 staff are actually
|
Using the Lean Principles as a framework, what improvements do you consider that the management team at Aylesbury should be giving priority to, and why?
Introduction
Aylesbury pressings is a manufacturing company that produces automotive metal components that supplies the automobile industry. The business displays characteristics of a high volume high variety operation as its’ products are considered runners or repeaters with batch ranges of between 150-500 parts and a variety of 80 main products many of which have several versions. This complex environment posses some difficult challenges for the Aylesbury pressings operation. Many of the difficulties faced by Aylesbury pressings can be alleviated by using some techniques associated with lean manufacturing.
Suggested improvements
1/ Quality: The Lean philosophy identifies seven different forms of waste (muda), these are over production, waiting time, transport, process, inventory, motion and defectives. One obvious source of waste in the operation is in the production of defectives in the pressing stage of operations. Many of the dyes used are old and difficult to adjust which results in defective materials being produced. These dyes should be replaced as a matter of urgency and should be the first priority of the management team. This is so because if the output of this early stage of production is of a high quality and the process itself controlled, it will make all subsequent stages of production much easier to improve as the supply of materials to these stages will be more predictable and of higher quality. Quality, right first time does not seem to be a major priority for Aylesbury pressings as only 4 of the 280 staff are actually