August, 2015
www.us-
tech.com
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Lean Manufacturing: Lectronics Completes “Do” Stage Continued from previous page
line, and then experimented with various tech- niques to reduce wasted motion. Each operator was also asked to improve their individual work- station and assembly process. All inputs were fed into the overall plan for the assembly cell, includ- ing for each work station. Direct inputs from each operator afforded critical insight into how the sys- tem should best operate, and allowed for Lectron- ics to debug various kinks before launching a line into full production. For example, before ordering the necessary
parts to create a part-transfer system, the support engineer worked closely with the operators to find the ideal height and width requirements for each work station in the system. Taking into considera- tion the various heights and arm-reach capabili- ties of each technician, the Lean Team designed a flexible system compatible with dif- ferent operator heights and reach ca- pabilities. Since the equipment was custom tailored to the operators and their specific motions, it is more com- fortable to use and causes less fatigue throughout a typical work day. By implementing a lean master
schedule effectively during the plan- ning stage, open and transparent communications were possible among all parties involved throughout the “do” stage. Daily meetings based on the lean master schedule provided all team members with the opportunity to understand how each element im- pacts the overall lean manufacturing development project and, specifically,
Jeff Eisemann, Process Technician,
programming the Apollo Seiko L-CAT-4430 EVO Dual Shuttle Robotic Solder for production use.
quality performance. Maintaining a regimented schedule on a high-volume line is vital for success, so the “And on Board” signal board is also pro- grammed to indicate break, lunch, and mainte- nance times throughout the day. The dedicated sig- nal board contributes to meeting daily production goals, which in turn enables on-time deliveries to the customer. For this medical product line, Lectronics in-
troduced robotic soldering into the manufacturing process, since this type of automation provides high-quality solder connections and consistent cy- cle rates. Prior to ordering an Apollo Seiko L-CAT- 4430 EVO dual shuttle robotic solder system, the Lean Team experimented with an interim solder- ing robot solution. They used this interim robot soldering system on the smaller, pilot system to
Continued on page 23
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The Apollo Seiko Robotic Solder in-action performing multiple,
high-quality solder connections on a PCB array for the medical customer.
where their inputs might be needed. The daily meetings also keep the lean team on target, so that if one element fell behind, the lean team could de- velop a counter-measure strategy to help bring everything back on sched- ule. These collaborative daily meet- ings were vital for keeping the project on track. Due to the daily communi- cations and early resolution of any is- sues or problems, the process equip- ment for the high-volume line arrived on-time, and one critical component in the lean manufacturing production line even arrived a week early!
The Lean Scoreboard As part of the lean system, an
“And on Board” signal board was in- stalled as a visual device to communi- cate to the entire production floor how the lean team was progressing. Locat- ed within view of each team member, the board displays a work shift’s actu- al performance compared to the goal set at the beginning of the day. This not only helps to keep pace on the line, it also holds the team accountable for meeting its daily objectives. The “And on Board” signal board also keeps track of other critical data such as downtime, machine idle time, and
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