Lean at hical

Lean at Hical

We are firm practitioners of Lean Principles and Lean Tools. Our product lines are balanced as per takt time, which is the pace required for meeting customer demands, consistently.


A Value Stream Mapping exercise in progress at Hical …

Based on product demand, we initiate Value Stream Mapping for new product families by involving well-versed, cross-functional teams. The goal of the Current State Value Stream Mapping (CSVSM) is to depict material and information flow which includes delays, duration between processes, inventory, area consumed and resources throughout all the processes that are required to produce and ship the product to our customers using standard symbols. Once the CSVSM has been created, it’s considered the baseline for improvement and sets the tone for the creation of Future State Value Stream Mapping (FSVSM). Continuous improvement projects originate from the FSVSM to reduce non-value added activities, lead-time, inventory, resources used and manufacturing area. Each continuous improvement project will be assigned to team members and continuously monitored until completion.

A procedure called Production Preparation Process (3P) is followed when we introduce a new product/when demand/capacity changes. 3P simulates, by using cardboard mock-ups and a cross-functional team, the actual production line of new products early in the design phase. The process applies takt time, lean principles, and non-negotiable constraints, and enables us to achieve a world-class operation in the subject line or cell.

The standard work principle is adapted as operator work instructions that are available & used in all workstations. The work instruction clearly defines the sequence of work through pictorial representation for ease of understanding by operators. The work instruction is an output of customer specification, PFMEA, the control plan, and corrective-action plans. This also ensures that the job is done right the first time, every time.

Apart from regular planned Preventive Maintenance (PM) of equipment, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is being practiced for critical bottleneck machines to improve equipment availability and efficiency, and quality of output using Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) metrics. TPM has been empowered by involving a machine operator and personnel from maintenance & related manufacturing functions, to carry out Autonomous Maintenance (AM). AM is the TPM pillar which emphasizes the importance of the Machine Operator concept. Operators are trained about their equipment to bridge the gap between them and the maintenance staff, making it easier for both teams to work complimentarily. The operator is responsible for 5S, daily inspections, simple maintenance tasks including cleaning, making minor adjustments, detection of minor problems and correction before they magnify in effect. This ensures quick alerts, low breakdowns, safe working, and instills a sense of pride and ownership in the operator.