LEAN Production

Lean Production

LEAN Production increases your productivity by at least 20%

LEAN Production is more than short transport routes and tidy tools. It is the consequent implementation to avoid all waste. LEAN Production and Kaizen are buzzwords that we encounter more and more often when it comes to optimizing production processes, reducing waste and achieving continuous improvement. In the future, companies will have to pay more attention to these topics in order to remain competitive. For more than 10 years, we have been optimizing our own production according to LEAN Production principles. Based on our experience and the existing product variety, we are able to offer individual solutions for our customers' needs. Shorter lead times and lower inventories quickly lead to a positive return on investment. Practical experience shows that LEAN Production solutions from Phoenix Mecano can increase productivity by at least 20%.

Mitarbeiter montiert auf einem Montagewagen entlang einem Regal mit den Bauteilen

THE 7 MUDAS

These 7 wastes must be reduced in LEAN Production

Waiting and searching

Moving and running

Stock and intermediate stock

Defects and reworking

Transports

Overproduction

Ineffective processes

Wait and search

Wastes related to waiting and searching are probably the easiest to identify. The employee looks for the material to be assembled in shelves or boxes or waits for the delivery. Even if the number delivered is not correct, he has to wait or look for it. Often the tools for assembly are also not neatly arranged or, in the worst case, can no longer be found.

Moving and running

While the employee is moving, he is no longer productive. For example, the assembly parts are stored too far away on the shelf or arranged incorrectly. C-parts are stored centrally on a shelf or cart instead of where he needs them. With an individually set up workstation or assembly line with material feed, this waste can be easily eliminated. Following lean production principles, materials and tools are arranged within easy reach.

Inventories and intermediate stocks

High raw material inventories and intermediate stocks are usually not seen as waste, but as safety. However, this prevents addressing the real process problems. Inventories are tied-up capital. They are lying around somewhere or have to be stored temporarily in the warehouse. With Kanban, for example, this can be counteracted. Only what is actually needed is ordered or produced.

Errors and rework

Everyone wants to prevent rework or rejects, because they cause high costs. On the one hand, they do not add value and, on the other hand, they destroy the previously created work. Lean Production has solutions for this. Poka-yoke, Pick by Light systems or production in One-Piece-Flow can be used to counteract this. With assembly in one-piece flow, you receive feedback on the quality after each fully assembled part and can react, whereas with batch production the entire batch has to be reworked.

Transports

Transport is one of the "necessary" wastes. However, it is important to reduce them to a minimum. With a spaghetti diagram, all movements of materials in the process can be visualized. This makes it possible to see how material moves from department to department and from hall to hall, creating unnecessary intermediate stock. In transportation, much of the waste is hidden.

Overproduction

Like intermediate stocks, overproduction is also tied-up capital. Although value is added in the classical sense, it is not certain that the goods can be sold. In the case of product adjustments, the finished product must be processed again. Overproduction also ties up material that could be used elsewhere for production.

Ineffective processes

Ineffective processes make the product unnecessarily expensive. These include over-engineering, multiple inspections or multi-stage approval processes across several hierarchical levels, to name just a few. But insufficient data, missing information and queries are also part of it, because they unnecessarily interrupt the production process. In lean production, processes are defined in such a way that production can be lean and efficient.

One-Piece-Flow

One-Piece-Flow Assembly

Compared to conventional "batch production", in one-piece flow assembly the product is assembled in one flow from A-Z whenever possible, including quality control. The workstation is set up accordingly for this purpose. All materials and components are arranged in the sequence in which they are needed for assembly. The delivered material is brought directly to the workplace without intermediate storage. Material and tools are in the right place so that the employee can assemble efficiently without "searching". Implemented projects show that when switching from batch production to one-piece flow, lead times can be reduced by up to 90%.

Fewer production errors

Receive immediate quality feedback after each assembled product, preventing serial defects

Fewer inventories

Significantly lower inventories or intermediate stocks due to assembly in one-piece flow

Shorter throughput times

Throughput times are reduced by up to 90% compared to batch production

Less space required

Compared to conventional assembly, the compact LEAN workstations require significantly less space

Higher productivity

Increase in productivity by at least 20% compared to conventional assembly

Stress-free employees

The work becomes much more pleasant for the employees. A higher output is achieved with less stress

Project Workflow

Successful implementation of LEAN Production solutions

Capturing ACTUAL situation on site

Creating LEAN production concept

Development and preparation

Assembly and commissioning

Guarantee of success

We draw on the experience and knowledge gained from numerous LEAN projects implemented in recent years. In addition, we have been practicing LEAN ourselves in our company for years. You are welcome to visit us and convince yourself.

Our goal is to provide you with a solution that will enable you to produce more effectively and competitively! After an initial analysis of the ACTUAL situation on site, we will draw up a rough concept of how you will work more productively in the future. In order to involve your employees in the process, there is also the possibility to design and experience the process together with your team in a LEAN Workshop. If the concept fits for you, we develop and design the workstation solution in CAD. After approval, the workstation is built and installed. If the workstation includes a cobot or a pick-by-light assembly system, we will carry out the commissioning on site and train your employees. The focus of interest is your implementation success, which we guarantee. Your success is our motivation. The resulting "Pay Back Time" is on average 1 year. Let yourself be inspired by our enthusiasm and motivation and put your LEAN ideas into practice today.

Why Phoenix Mecano

Why you should choose LEAN Production solutions from us:

Increase in productivity

We guarantee an increase in productivity

Experience

We produce according to LEAN principles ourselves and know what we are talking about

LEAN Live Workshop

Together we work out the process optimization in the workshop

Smart Factory Assembly

Combined solutions of LEAN Production and digitalization

Convince yourself

Come by and see our production for yourself

Direct communication

You speak directly with our experienced Lean specialists

"The cooperation with Phoenix Mecano was really highly efficient. Within 4 weeks the assembly line was in our hall and helps us with SETAGO® to an increase in productivity of up to 30%."

Daniele Cazzato

Assembly manager, GRIBI Hydraulics AG

"What impressed me about Phoenix Mecano was the professional approach and implementation of the project. The experience from the own production flows together with a lot of theoretical knowledge into the project."

Timy Christen

Production manager, Reed Electronics AG

“The support and advice received from Phoenix Mecano throughout the project was very professional. I also thought the LEAN Live Workshop at Phoenix Mecano was great. We have learned a lot, which will also benefit future projects.”