Waste Reduction Using Lean Manufacturing Tools: A Case in the Manufacturing of Bricks The objective of this study was to identify those aspects of brick production in small and mediumsized enterprises (SME) that need improvement, and, from this, to propose the implementation of such improvements to increase market competitiveness. The problem identified was the presence of a high rate of waste in the production process, having two main parts: high levels of reprocessing and waiting times. According to the root cause analysis, implementation of an improvement model is proposed using tools from the Lean Manufacturing philosophy. This model has two approaches, one in processes using tools such as Poka Yoke and Jidoka, another in maintenance using tools such as TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) and SMED (Matrix Change). Implementation of these tools improved the main indicators of the company. In the milling stage, productivity increased from 62.81 kgmin to 91.48 kgmin, while efficiency increased from 81% to 84.3%. In the extrusion stage, productivity increased from 13 undmin to 16 undmin, while efficiency increased from 40% to 53.39%. With the increases in productivity and efficiency of these processes, gross margin was improved from 14% to 36.7%. These results allowed these types of companies to improve their competitiveness in the market and, over time, they may have the economic and productive capacity to acquire new technologies that will improve the quality of the brick.

Application of Lean Manufacturing Techniques in a Peruvian Plastic Company This study analyzes the influence of nonfulfillment of orders in a company that produces plastic sheets. The main cause of problems is the long unproductive times during the extrusion process, which decrease the index of the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). An innovative proposal is presented to address this issue, involving the use of a systematic approach and combining the SMED and preventive maintenance techniques of the lean manufacturing methodology, with the aim of reducing unproductive times to improve the OEE index. To validate the effectiveness of the proposal, the systems were simulated using Arena simulation software and input analyzer, to determine the reduction of unproductive times. Results show that the proposal reduces the unproductive times bh 36.37% and improves the OEE index by 9.02%. This demonstrates the achievement of the objective of the project, which was to maximize the efficiency of the process and reduce the total time of the extrusion process, which will allow the company to fulfill the orders and avoid profit losses.