Process Optimization Through Lean Management and Six Sigma Techniques

In a continuously changing competitive business environment, it is vital to keep optimizing manufacturing processes and improving efficiencies at every stage. Metal rolling mills across the world are challenged with the increasing cost of supply chain logistics, operations and global competition. In the process of rolling and supplying metal in required dimensions, slitting process has key importance of being closer to the customer. In this work, we have analyzed the availability of the slitting equipment and production time losses for different reasons. Within the various causes of time losses, changeover time from one product to another (referred as set change) contributes to maximum time loss and if reduced, it can translate into more production out of the slitting equipment. The Lean and Six Sigma approach used is easy to understand and implement across the industry with little modifications without large capital investments.