Increasing Productivity Using Selected Lean Manufacturing Methods

This diploma thesis investigated whether it is possible to increase productivity in a production facility using selected lean manufacturing methods. The research of the established hypotheses and assertions showed that all were meaningfully defined and confirmed.

Solution and Method

This diploma thesis investigated whether it is possible to increase productivity in a production facility using selected lean manufacturing methods. Production is described in detail, divided into individual, mass and process production, and a comparison between individual, mass and lean production is presented. The history and development of lean manufacturing is presented in detail, its seven types of waste (inventory, waiting/delays, defects, overproduction, unnecessary movements, transport, excessive processing) and five basic principles of lean manufacturing (value from the customer's perspective, value stream, flow, pull, striving for excellence).

Selected lean manufacturing methods are presented, which are JIT, KANBAN, SMED and KAIZEN. The continuation of the diploma thesis describes the existing state in production, information about the company itself, its organisational structure and machinery. An analysis of all existing problems and production losses is made, which in lean manufacturing are divided into Muda, Muri and Mura.

Since successful planning and implementation of improvements requires attention to certain basic indicators of production status, production measurements were carried out (productivity, capacity, utilisation, process cycle efficiency, production takt, throughput), which were based on the acquired production data of the most frequently manufactured product in the company. Subsequently, the implementation of all four selected lean manufacturing methods in the production facility and production measurements after the implementation of the methods are presented.

Finally, a comparison of production measurements before and after the implementation of selected lean manufacturing methods is shown, where it can be seen that all basic indicators of production status improved, including productivity.

Results

The research of the established hypotheses and assertions showed that all were meaningfully defined and confirmed.