Continous Improvment in Manufacturing

I recently read an article inside "Foundry Management & Technology", that explained the severity of the troubling skills gap inside U.S. manufacturing.  As the baby boomers are retiring at an alarming rate, approximately 10,000 workers a day, it can be a challenge for almost all industries to find appropriate replacements.  The solution that was offered in this eye-opening article? Training, training, and more training. As a production supervisor for one of the fastest growing manufactures in my hometown, I can really relate to this article.  As I look around my shop, the average working age of our employees is 48 years of age and 25% of the employees are 60 or older.  Michigan’s percentage of workers between 55-64 is 53.6%, and the average age of the workforce is 45.  In some manufacturing industries, no prior experience is really needed, but supervisors often deal with individuals that lack basic math and problem solving skills, some cannot operate a computer confide

“Modern Machine Shop” published an article last spring that highlighted the use of Lean and Six Sigma concepts with companies to help improve their processes.  You will see a lot of these concepts in the manufacturing sector, but one could also find these methods in other industries such as agriculture, transportation, or food and beverage.  Basically, the overall goal for both methods is to eliminate waste and defects by using the most efficient methods to improving a company’s performance.  These two topics can really help you break down manufacturing processes through more cost-effective habits of production.  Many people probably don’t realize how wasteful you can be when producing or making things.  A disorganized tool box, overproduction of finished goods, unsold products, and waiting on delivery of your bill of materials are all considered wastes in a manufacturing environment.  Figure 1 represents the 8 wastes of Lean that need to be eliminated. Figure 1 Photo credit:  h