精益生产英文资料介绍General questions about lean operationsWhat is lean?Lean operations involve the elimination of waste, whether it be time, mate rials, efficiency or processes. It also means figuratively tightening the belt in pursuit of increased productivi ty gains that will increase a company’s a bility to compete more successfully.Why lean?Increased global competition will likely force all but the strong to the sidel ines. Belt tightening and a lean mindset will enable the game to continue as companies steady themselves for the challenges and opportunities that await them.The truly lean company of today will be a survivor in the global battle for customers and bottom line profits. The need for lean is obvious and the potential rewards are dazzling. There will be those who will probably resis t the necessary changes. Training will start you on the road to overcomin g this resistance and ultimately achieving a successful transition.Who participates in lean Operations?Eventually, everyone in the company is a participant in the quest for a lea n organization.Is lean applicable only to manufacturing?The concept includes many non-manufacturing areas such as purchasing, c lerical, office and technical. Also, these areas often contribute in making l ean achievements in manufacturing more successful.What organizations can benefit from lean projects?Every organization offers goods or services. This includes such diverse sec tors as merchandising, hospitals, banking, insurance, public utilities, gover nment, military, prisons, churches, schools and, of course, manufacturing.Can lean activities be started in more than one division at a time?Yes, it can be done, but starting in one division is preferable. The experie nce gained permits corrections and modifications to be introduced with les s fuss. In this way, any “bugs” can be eliminated before the concept is in itiated plant-wide.How should employees approach problems?They should approach problems with a positive attitude—one that says, “We can solve it!” Open discussion and use of various problem-solving too ls, in a positive and cooperative manner, will shed new light on any probl em.How important is it to establish objectives and milestones?Individuals or groups working on lean projects should be encouraged to es tablish an objective and develop a plan to achieve it. The plan is further broken into milestones so that progress can be constantly measured again st the plan. This information should be charted and posted for all to see and have it serve as a constant reminder.What if a lean project overlaps into other areas of an organization?That will happen, especially in the long run, but in the short run and parti cularly the early phases, it should be avoided. We are talking about chan ge and many people resist having to do and support new ways of doing t hings. When it is clear that a project is going to affect more than one are a, try to involve those who will be affected in coming up with solutions.Examples of measurements and results in a lean environmentMeasuring improvements in lean operation organizations requires the use of several traditional and many non-traditional measurements. The followi ng is an explanation of some frequently used measurements and examples of how they have been applied:Work in process (WIP)This is a measure of the amount of material which has left raw materials stock but has not yet become finished goods. Examples:•WIP cut from twenty-two days to one dayo Disc drives and tape storage•WIP on floor cut 67%o Electrical circuit breakersInventoryInventory consists of both raw materials and finished goods. Examples: •Finished goods inventory cut 92%o Large—size twist drills•Inventory turns up from 3.5 to 20o Motorcycle assemblyFloor space requirementsFloor space reductions result in lower costs for utilities, building maintenan ce and capital investment to meet expansion requirements. Examples: •Space reduced to one—third of original requirementso Computer printers•Floor space cut from 51,000 to 9,000 square feeto Computer logic unit•wcy506 (2006-8-13 13:08:15)Lead-TimeLead-time is the time which elapses between receipt of an order and the time the product or service is shipped to the customer. Examples:•Reduced lead time from 17 weeks to 1 weeko CAD/CAM equipment•Cut production lead time from 14 days to 2 dayso Defense weapons systemsFlow distanceFlow distance is the distance a part or document travels during themanufacturing process. Examples:•Flow distance cut from 1,100 to 180 feeto Diagnostic drug analyzer•Flow distance cut from 31,000 to 275 feeto Computer productsScrap and reworkScrap and rework reductions can represent huge savings. Examples:•Defects reduced 52%, number of inspectors cut from 75 to 6o Motorcycle assembly•Scrap and salvage cost reduced 54%o Electronic air cleanersProduct or model changeoverThe speed and frequency of product or model changeovers (set-ups) is an indication of the degree to which the organization can respon d to changing demands in the market place and its ability to efficie ntly reduce inventories by building only what is needed. Examples: •Reduced from one model changeover per month to several per dayo Self-propelled lawn mowers•Reduced time per changeover from 8 hours to 18 minuteso Cough dropsOther measuresProductivity:•Reduced paperwork by 70% (Kanban)o Hydraulic valves•Productivity, including yield, up 35%o Disc packs and discsJobs:•Number of job categories cut 95%o SemiconductorsEquipment:•Storage racks cut 67%o Circuit breakersTrainingWho provides the training?Leader training is commonly provided by the coordinator. The leade r trains the members, with help from the coordinator, as necessar y. Member training can be done all at once or a little at a time an d as needed.What are some of the techniques, expressions and concepts used by members of a lean team?First, team members must be familiar with problem-solving and pro cess control techniques such as: brainstorming, data gathering (sa mpling), Pareto analysis, cause and effect problem analysis, histogr ams, control charts, stratification, scatter diagrams, etc.Secondly, there are a number of techniques and expressions that s hould be familiar to lean practioners. Some examples include: •The 5S•Kaizen activities•Inventory reduction•SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Die)•TPM (Total Preventative Maintenance)•Poka Yoke (Mistake Proofing)•Waste Elimination•The Pull Concept•Just-In-Time•Cycle time reduction•Takt Time•Other items include-Lean production layout-Communication strategies and the “visual factory”What are the 5SThe 5S are initials of Japanese words that stand for several aspects of housekeeping. The comparable words in English are:•Sort-“What is not in use, throw it out”•Set-In-Order-“Rearrange the work area”•Shine-”Cleanliness is next to godliness”•Standardize-“Establish policy guidelines”•Sustain-“Keep 5-S activities from unraveling”Why would we start with cleaning and organizing the workplace? W ell, why not? It is not a daunting task. Actually, it is to everyone’s advantage to start with a clean slate, so to speak. Some degree of success is assured. Because the results of cleaning and organizing are so visible, ideas should abound as employees from one department observe what is happening in other departments around the plant.What are Kaizen activities?Kaizen is a Japanese word that means “continuous improvemen t.” The improvements individually are usually small and incremental, but collectively dramatic. Masaaki Imai, a Japanese consultant, ha s popularized Kaizen as an important business strategy. He believe s the following six major systems should be in place in order to su ccessfully achieve a Kaizen strategy:•Total quality management•Just-in-time•Total productive maintenance•Policy deployment• A suggestion system•Team activitiesWhat is the importance of inventory reduction?Lead time can be dramatically reduced at a number of places in th e processing of orders.Work-in-progress (WIP) is a leading cause of long lead time. WIP c an include paperwork, raw materials, in-process inventory and even finished products.There must be a unified approach between management and operat ors on how to achieve inventory reduction.Office paperwork can be, and usually is, just as likely to hit “log ja ms” as the physical pro ducts are that are out in the shop.What is SMED?SMED stands for “Single Minute Exchange of Die.” If refers to the t ime it should take to set-up a machine to produce a part. In auto motive plants there are numerous instances where it would take th ree or four hours to do a set-up. However, after the application of lean techniques, the set-up time would be reduced to minutes!What is TPM?TPM stands for “Total Preventative Maintenance.” The goal of TPM is to maximize equipment effectiveness throughout the life of the eq uipment.The absence of a lean mentality is obvious when machine maintena nce is totally the responsibility of the maintenance specialists. The truth is that operators can contribute in keeping the equipment in good condition. TPM should involve everyone at all levels. The Lea n team can contribute to developing a maintenance system that th ey are a part of. The goal should be zero breakdowns.What is Poka-Yoke?Poka-yoke is a Japanese word meaning “mistake proofing.” Poka-yo ke devices can dramatically cut defects. A simple example is the th ree pronged electric plug-in. You can not plug it in wrong! There a re poka-yoke devices to detect errors that have been made. Other poka-yoke devices are designed to shut down the machine before it could create a defective part.•wcy506 (2006-8-13 13:09:59)•wcy506 (2006-8-13 13:11:01)The continuous improvement coordinatorWhat is the role of the continuous improvement coordinator?The coordinator is the individual responsible for successfully coordin ating and directing lean activities within an organization.What does the coordinator do?The duties of the coordinator include the following:•See to it that the policies of the steering committee are und erstood and are followed by everyone involved.•Establish an ongoing education and training program per the dictates of the steering committee. Personally conducts training an d/or arranges for competent instructors to do it.•Provides guidance and feedback to team leaders regarding t heir meetings and other activities.•Maintains awareness of world-class improvement strategies no matter where they are.•Monitors team progress and achievements.•Communicates team achievements to other groups througho ut the facility.What qualifications should the coordinator have?The coordinator has been described as a facilitator, catalyst, coach, innovator, promoter and teacher. The point is that it takes a speci al person to do the job right. The coordinator should be as comfort able talking to the president of the company as to the entry-level c lerical or factory employee.When should the coordinators be selected?When a definite decision is made to implement lean activities. The steering committee is also started at about this same time. Someti mes, the first task of the steering committee is to select the coordi nator.Who does the coordinator report to?Usually the coordinator is on the staff of a high-level company offic ial who strongly supports lean activities. In some instances, the co ordinator reports to the company president. In a factory, the coord inator usually reports to the director of manufacturing.The leader and membersWho is the team leader?Experience demonstrates that your lean activities will have a greate r chance of success when the supervisor is the initial leader. The l ean concept gains quicker acceptance when it fits into the existing organizational structure. The supervisor is already designated to pe rform a leadership role in that structure. If lean activities did not o perate within the existing organizational setup, it might be viewed by some as a competing organization.What are examples of duties preformed by the leader?•Prior to the formation of the team, the prospective leader m ust acquire skills and knowledge related to continuous improvement techniques.•Provides training in lean operation techniques to the team members.•Ensures that meetings are job oriented and do not drift into general “bull sessions.” Adheres to the meeting schedule. •Guides team projects to assure adherence to a logical problem solving process.•Encourage participation from all team members. •Coordinates closely with the continuous improvement coordi nator.Do continuous improvement teams develop leaders?Yes, These lean oriented teams provide the training and experience to make a good leader better. Team activity will also help identify members with leadership potential.What is the role of the team members?•Attend all meetings•Acquire knowledge of the various problem solving technique s by attending designated training sessions•Contribute suggestions for improvement•Select team projects•Communicate openly with co-workers who are not team me mbers about team projects•Help the team follow an agreed problem solving processIs there a relationship between the lean team and the job?Team members are people who normally work together. The projec ts they work on relate to the work they do.Improvement projectsHow are lean projects identified?Projects may originate from several possible sources, such as: •Suggestions from team members•Suggestions from their management •Recommendations by staff personnel•Suggestions from other teams•Suggestions from non-members.What if a project turns out to be too complex?Sometimes a team bites off more than it can chew. If so, the coor dinator can help by locating specialists who can assist the team.Does a lean team ever run out of problems?No. Members may occasionally think so, but a brainstorming sessio n usually identifies many problems that need immediate attention.RecognitionWhat kind of recognition is provided to the teams?Several forms of recognition are used. The practice varies from co mpany to company but includes:•Presentations to management•Write-ups in the organizati on’s activity report •Recognition in the company newspaper•Photos and other items posted on bulletin boards •Certificates•Trophies, pins, etc.。