Your business needs a custom part? Then Centrx Inc., a Pittsburgh, PA. contract manufacturer is the way to go. Off the shelf parts are becoming a thing of the past. With products and technology changing so quickly, product design has to ramp up so as not […]
One of the most important movements to influence American manufacturing in the past century is the introduction of the lean manufacturing philosophy. Lean manufacturing, a systemic approach to reducing waste and increasing profits, was taken from the Toyota Production System, an approach developed by the Toyota company in the 1970s, which lead to decreases in production costs and increased competitiveness with American automobile manufacturers.
Of primary importance in lean manufacturing is a focus on increasing value, while eliminating waste. Companies that embrace the lean manufacturing ethos can expect to realize incredible savings in raw materials and labor costs, as well as costs associated with energy consumption, equipment depreciation, and transportation needs. Centrx has long embraced the lean manufacturing movement and integrates these principles into the production of our SCR Heat Sinks every day.
Lean manufacturing focuses on eliminating the seven wastes, or “Muda.” Since Centrx first begun implementing these principles in our manufacturing of SCR Heat Sinks, we have been able to pass on the savings to you, our loyal customers.
The Seven Wastes
Transportation
Every time an item is moved, it risks damage and delay. For example, every time a pallet of our SCR Heat Sinks is moved around our warehouse, we risk damaging the items through a collision, fall, or by placing another item on top of the pallet.
In addition, once an item is moved away from the manufacturing or loading area, it takes a significant amount of time to locate the item and move it to the location where it is needed.
In addition, there is a significant cost each and every time you move an item. In order for a pallet of SCR Heat Sinks to be moved, you must have a licensed forklift operator take control of the machine and take the time to move the items across the warehouse floor.
This costs man hours, restricts movement within the warehouse, and leads to wear and tear on the machine.
Inventory
If an item is not actively being manufactured or transported to its destination, it is considered waste. It is taking up space that could be used for production or another profit-generating activity.
Lean manufacturing seeks to reduce this waste by shortening the time between an item being manufactured and delivered to its destination.
Over-Processing
Over processing includes traditional forms of waste, such as excess scrap materials. In addition, over processing can include features that are not used by the end consumer and are therefore not necessary.
Waiting
The vast majority of manufactured items spend most of their lives in waiting. Streamlined production processes and transportation helps to eliminate this form of waste.
Motion
Motion includes any damage from the production process, including depreciation of the machinery, wear & tear on items such as the assembly line components, and injuries to your production line staff.
Over-Production
Overproduction is considered to be the most important Muda in the manufacturing process, as it leads to all other wastes. Overproduction typically occurs when more of an item than necessary is manufactured. When this happens, the excess product must be transported or stored, leading to a decrease in profits.
Defects
Defects can double the cost of a product in many cases, and include the need for reworking or remanufacturing a product, rescheduling a production time, causing a longer production time, or requiring additional man hours.
Our people make the difference
At Centrx, our company’s leadership is committed to staying abreast of, and implementing, developments in modern contract manufacturing technology that allows us to improve the performance and reliability of our CMO Parts.
Contract Manufacturing technologies and practices have changed dramatically over the past century, with new developments such as the use of computers, data analytics, lean manufacturing processes, and increased education and training of supervisors and line workers. This article will describe some of the recent changes in modern manufacturing, and will explain how Centrx has implemented these changes in our production process.
What’s New
Modern manufacturing is undergoing the most extreme set of changes and developments that the industry has witnessed since the Industrial Revolution in the early 1800s. The addition of advanced computers, rigorous data analyses, and automated processes are dramatic changes from the sort of assembly line found in most factories just decades ago.
These developments have both positive and negative consequences: industrial products, such as our products, can produced at a fraction of the cost, with greater speed, accuracy, and reliability. However, as computers have become more advanced and processes have increasingly become automated, many workers are being left behind as the need for labor decreases exponentially.
Lean Contract Manufacturing
Lean Manufacturing, sometimes known as Lean Production, is an approach to manufacturing that seeks to reduce and eliminate waste. In the manufacturing world, waste can mean anything from unused materials, excess energy consumption or waste, unnecessary man hours, and inefficient processes.
The idea of lean contract manufacturing was taken from the Toyota Production System in the 1990s.
According to the Toyota philosophy, there are seven wastes that are to be eliminated: transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, over-processing, over-production, and defects. Centrx follows the lean contract manufacturing ethos in the production, which means increased savings for you: the consumer.
Reliability
With the introduction of advanced computers into our contract manufacturing processes, we can ensure even greater accuracy in the manufacturer of these parts.
In addition, this new technology allows us to produce identical products with miniscule variances in performance, reliability, and service life. This means that you can have even greater confidence in Centrx’s long track record of producing quality products that exceed their service life every single time.
Safety
At Centrx, one of our primary concerns is the safety of our employees. Prior to recent advances in manufacturing technology, industrial manufacturing was a dangerous job with the potential for accidents and injuries.
However, since the implementation of modern manufacturing processes the safety of our employees has been ensured.
Over the past century, there have been a variety of developments in Contract Manufacturing, including changes in computers, worker training, efficiency, regulations, and the size of the machining equipment.
However, one of the most important and often overlooked developments in 21st century Machine Shops has been the use of data […]
