Applying Lean Techniques to Reduce Defective Products: A Case Study of an Electrode Manufacturing Company The main problem facing an electrode manufacturer is the high rate of defective products. Among the factors that have given rise to the defects are downtimes due to line changes and disorganized workstations during production processes. To solve this problem, a proposal was developed using the 5S and Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) tools to reduce the number of production defects. To support this analysis, a simulation will be carried out, seeking a considerable reduction of defective products within the production area. Implementing the Lean manufacturing philosophy, the number of defective products was reduced by 11.23%, thereby improving the quality of the production process and yielding economic benefits.

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%.