Process Improvement Techniques

Process Improvement Techniques

Coursework 1

Background

The company manufactures a range of specialist radiator and heat exchangers. A Key component of all products is the metallic core tubing. Every product range contains these items. The company produces these tubes on a single machine. Due to the criticality of this equipment it is important to increase its effectiveness.

The process itself entails two raw material types, depending on product (brass or tin). Reels of raw material are loaded to the rear, and fed through the machine. The raw material is then folded, welded and cut to the required length, so producing the finished component.

Current situation

The company has designed a data collection chart and instructed operators to collect data. Currently there is one week’s worth of data collected. No corrective action has been taken.

All breaks are covered (the machine is planned to run continuously)

The shift starts at 8am and finishes at 4pm

A set-up is defined as a change of material or cutters (or both) Speed is recorded digitally and reported as an average over the shift.

The tasks

1 Calculate the daily availability, performance, quality and OEE figures (state any assumptions made).

2 Pareto analyse the losses and make brief recommendations for improvements.

(Bonus marks may be awarded for working out what the “Shift M/C speed” column really indicates, if anything).

Deadline date 25th October 2015

Remember – this is an individual piece of coursework. If you collaborate, you risk losing all your marks!

Course Work 2

The radiator and heat exchanger manufacturing company which provided the tube machine data you analysed in coursework 1 now wishes to improve its output. What steps should it take, in what sequence, and why?

In your answer, you should include brief descriptions of: the tools the company should use, the order in which they should implement them, the organisational structures they should adopt, how the management team can motivate their employees and demonstrate their commitment, the results they can expect and the timescales typically involved in such a programme.

Your answer should ideally be approximately 1500 to 2500 words in length and include a “business case” for the changes. You may include photographs, drawings, tables etc in addition to the text. Pictures can be sourced from your experience, that of friends and colleagues or any other source, but they must be properly referenced and credited.

Solution