Abstract
This article highlights the Lean manufacturing; which is a
variation on the theme of efficiency
based on optimizing flow; it is a present-day instance of the recurring theme in
human history towards increasing efficiency, decreasing waste, and using
empirical methods to decide what matters, rather than uncritically accepting
pre-existing ideas. It is an article deals with the Lean manufacturing tools
and techniques. The implementing lean manufacturing in India and its benefits are discussed.
Keywords: Lean, Plan- Do- Check- Act (PDCA), Just in Time
(JIT)
Concept of Lean Manufacturing:
Lean Manufacturing is "A systematic approach to
identifying and eliminating waste through continuous improvement by flowing the
product at the demand of the customer." Lean manufacturing or lean
production, which is often known as "Lean", is a production practice
that considers the expenditure of resources for any goal other than the
creation of value for the end customer to be wasteful, and thus a target for
elimination. Working from the perspective of the customer who consumes a
product or service, "value" is defined as any action or process that
a customer would be willing to pay for. Basically, lean is centered on creating
more value with less work.
Traditional Production vs Lean Manufacturing
Lean manufacturing concepts were developed over the last
five to six decades, primarily in Japan, particularly for the Toyota production
system. These concepts met various tests for many years and passed the test of
time very easily.
Lean manufacturing revolutionaries the manufacturing
process. It was not a fine tuning of the existing manufacturing processes.
These manufacturing techniques are conceptually different from the traditional
process. For an example, traditional manufacturing works based on inventory.
But lean manufacturing questions the role of inventory and defines as a waste
it self and also as the reflector of the imperfections a system has. This
example, itself shows the conceptual difference between the traditional
manufacturing system and lean manufacturing system.
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About the Authors
The authors
are associated with Bharathiar University, Coimbatore.
