Application of Lean Manufacturing Tools to Reduce Downtime in a Small Metalworking Facility This article analyzes the extensive downtimes found throughout the process of manufacturing metal structures, and how to minimize them in order to increase productivity. The overall process includes welding, beveling, and transfer to the assembly area, the three of which were identified as the most critical, because they have the highest downtimes. This downtime is generated by several factors, among which are a lack of order and cleanliness in the various work stations, and the absence of mechanisms to control production. A proposal was developed to improve the process of manufacturing brick dryer screens using Lean Manufacturing tools such as Kanban and 5u0027S to reduce downtimes and increase the profitability of the company. The results obtained through a simulation in Arena Software show an overall reduction of downtime by 62%.

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.