Lean Manufacturing Reduces Cycle Time

A lean manufacturing initiative conducted by LAI International, Inc. has reduced the cycle time on a critical aerospace product by 25%, according to program leaders.

"This is one of the most successful lean programs that we've recently completed, achieving cycle time reductions of 25% and producing projected savings of more than $196,000 annually," says Frank Bailey, plant manager of LAI International's manufacturing facility in Minneapolis, MN. "Another project is in progress to reduce nonconformity occurrences on a turbine component with targeted savings of more than $200,000 a year." The LAI facility has trained 57% of its employees in Six Sigma practices, including technicians, engineers and quality managers certified as Six Sigma Black Belts.

LAI has created seven project teams as a result of lean production initiatives, which focus on eliminating waste from processes. A recently completed lean project reduced data-entry steps and setup times for a production sub-assembly, producing projected savings of more than $100,000.

Six Sigma removes variation within a process, decreasing opportunities for defects. A Six Sigma process is commonly defined as one with 3.4 defects per million opportunities. LAI has initiated additional lean efforts at all of its production facilities, including adding visual management tools and implementing audited 5-S programs, a methodology to organize and improve the workplace, Laurie Schneider, process improvement engineer, says.

All five of LAI's fabrication facilities are ISO 9001:2000 and AS9100 certified. The company also offers NADCAP certified non-conventional machining and welding processes. In addition, LAI has best-in-class manufacturing design teams located at each of its production facilities, enabling optimized production throughput and quality. laico.com