Page 19 - MetalForming February 2010

effectiveness of the lean implementa- tion,” says Accorti. “Some of our most energetic discussions as a leadership team involved metrics. These discus- sions helped us understand that lean manufacturing isn’t just applying some tools to the shop floor and hoping for the best.”
The leadership team committed to posting, every month, easy-to-read charts to track the metrics. In addition, the team still meets to discuss progress on the metrics at the start of each month.
“The charts drive a lot of energy and action,” says Peplin. “They help us iden- tify problems and opportunities early rather than when it’s too late to solve or take advantage of them.”
During the planning sessions, the senior leaders also developed a 12- month calendar of activities for the lean implementation. The team’s deci- sions were based on their own knowl- edge of what was needed in the plant coupled with the results of the consul-
tant’s report. First, a series of 5S action workshops were scheduled; each press was to have its own 5S workshop. The workshops addressed two objectives: teach supervisors and operators the principles of 5S, and actually get the presses and the areas surrounding them organized.
Workplace Flow and Organization
The 5S tool addresses workplace flow and organization, focused on sorting, straightening, shining, standardizing and sustaining. More than a house- keeping program, 5S initiatives address a variety of important factors including workplace safety, material and infor- mation flow, preventive maintenance, standardized work instructions, inven- tory control and purchasing procedures.
“We were very interested in starting with 5S,” explains Parziale, “to get every- one involved, develop a teamwork approach and make a visible difference. The 5S workshops were a good start to
the overall initiative.”
The 5S workshops highlighted the
importance of preventive maintenance on presses and auxiliary equipment. They also focused on the importance of organizing and standardizing die- change tooling. For example, the 5S teams put into use a series of die carts, and also color-coded clamps and other tooling.
“We also found that we had to audit weekly to keep the 5S program ener- gized,” adds Parziale.
Creating a Visual Factory
The 5S workshops introduced visu- al factory methods at Talan Products. For example, operators were expected to record oil pressures each hour. In doing so, many stated that the gauges were too small and were located such that they were hard to read. As a result of 5S, the firm invested in larger gauges that were relocated so that they became easier to see and read. Operator compliance with the task of recording hourly pressures

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