Irrespective of the industry you operate in, efficiency is welcomed by all forms and types of businesses, especially more so in manufacturing. Manufacturing is a heavily cost-oriented industry, and a few cents shaved off a piece due to technological efficiencies can lead to companies saving hundreds of thousands in production costs. An improvement in manufacturing efficiency can also shorten the production lead time and contribute to the environment. Given below are five ways how companies can improve their manufacturing efficiency:
By regularly servicing all machinery and equipment
While this is a no-brainer, it is important to note that regular servicing and maintenance help improve the manufacturing efficiency of your machinery. In addition to that, regular servicing of all other equipment is necessary to provide a comfortable working environment for your factory workers, which would further improve their performance efficiency. Such maintenance would include machinery lubrication and cleaning, air conditioning service, duct cleaning, routine checkups, and repair.
Decrease instances of material waste
Material wastage is a very big expense that factories face daily. Decreasing material waste can tremendously increase manufacturing efficiency due to reduced costs and energy. Material waste can be decreased by applying Design for Manufacturability or DFM. Design engineers may also consider value engineering and subsequently reduce the amount of raw material used as input. You may also consider recycling leftover scraps and factory returns to improve efficiency.
Ensure zero blockages
Manufacturing industries and businesses face a majority of their downtime issues due to blockages in their pipelines. Especially when you pour solid materials into storage units, a blockage is a huge nuisance as it involves cleaning the pipeline after every pour. The best option in such cases is to install an air cannon which will help ease the movement of all materials without them leaving behind any residue at all. Air cannons also assist in ensuring zero buildups in stockpiles and chutes.
Standardized work processes
While each employee may have their style of doing their work, manufacturing doesn’t have room for any such customizations which is why manufacturing efficiency can be achieved by standardizing work processes. Standardization in work processes can reduce downtime and lags in the manufacturing process, as every employee would know exactly what they are supposed to do and how they are supposed to do it. You may also consider cellular manufacturing which drives efficiency by dividing the workload into “cells’ ‘with each cell having its own set of tasks to complete. This further decreases downtime by removing time consumed in the recalibration of tools.
Ensure that machines work for an optimal timeframe
The biggest component of manufacturing efficiency is ensuring that your machines work within an optimal time frame of twenty hours. This means that your machines shouldn’t be over or underworked – while the former may result in a frequent breakdown, the latter may result in loss due to lost time that could be used in production. While the former can be catered to by having a plan in place to deal with machine downtime, the latter can be solved by ensuring supply efficiency and forecasting supply needs in advance.
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