Method engineering to increase labor productivity and eliminate downtime

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to present a method based on the application of method engineering, in order to eliminate downtime and improve the manufacturing cell.Design/methodology/approach: The research strategy employed was a case study applied to a manufacturing company to explore the causes of excessive dead time and low productivity. The methodology used was divided in five steps. The first corresponds to the analysis of the lathe and grinding process; the second is the elaboration of the man-machine diagram to identify dead times; the third is the application of the improvement proposal; the fourth is the redistribution of the cell to optimize the process; the fifth is to conclude from the results obtained.Findings: With the proposed method, the downtime was reduced by 41% and only 50% of the available labor is required, therefore, it is concluded that the method can be used to redesign manufacturing cells.Research limitations/implications: This research was limited to analyzing and improving human-machine interaction, since work is not just the machine, or the individual alone, or the individual manipulating the machine, therefore, no other tools were used to improve the time of machines operation.Practical implications: Designing a manufacturing cell that allows the operator to do his job with less fatigue and not adapt the operator to the job, as commonly happens.Social implications: Companies must show a greater interest in occupational health by including human capital in their optimization plans to avoid future harm to workers.Originality/value: The key contribution of this paper focused on developing a novel and practical methodology to design or re-design manufacturing cells to improve productivity considering the human factor, inspired by the main concepts of method engineering.

The Role of Value Stream Mapping in Healthcare Services: A Scoping Review

“…Also, the development of VSM improves patient flow and efficiency, similar to other tools related to lean healthcare [153,[157][158][159]. The improvements have mainly come by way of reducing wasted time [160][161][162][163], and improving service quality, patient satisfaction [162,164,165] and safety [162,166,167]. The relation of these indicators to the areas of sustainability can be considered, with the environmental area remaining practically not covered by the published literature [168,169].…”

Application of Lean Manufacturing to Increase Productivity in the Finishing Area in an Industrial Rubber Company

“…The type of scientific research was established as applied, in view of the fact that it generates practical knowledge of immediate use. It was also explanatory, since it was intended to find the reasons for the low productivity in the finishing area of the business and, consequently, to create a sense of understanding (Montoya et al 2022).…”

Redesign of Workspace Through an Ergo-Lean Model to Reduce Musculoskeletal Disorders in SMEs In the Clothing Accessories Sector

“…This result shows the importance of having a focus on overall risk instead of singular areas to avoid exposure [24]. However, in different investigations, the downtime of the manufacturing cell composed of lathe and grinding was reduced with the aim of increasing labor productivity and optimizing the cell by applying job redesign [25]. Many jobs that require highrisk jobs do not consider ergonomic regulations, which end up affecting productivity and work-life [26].…”