Perfect Sense
Michell Instruments Ltd is the international leader in the field of moisture and humidity measurement solutions across a wide range of industries and applications. It has seen a significant increase in turnover during the last three years, achieved by providing high quality and reliable customised products through a committed team of people. MAS-East was asked to help to meet increasing demand by improving productivity.
Michell Instruments Ltd
Key Achievements
- Increased on time delivery from 78% to over 90%
- Increased productivity in sensor build by 31%
- Reduced lead time by half
- Created a culture of continuous improvement
The team was targeted to increase productivity of a high volume sensor product by 30%. Secondary targets were to increase on time delivery to 90% and reduce lead time to 2 weeks.
Following training in Lean Manufacturing the team created a current state Value Stream Map for the sensor product and then looked for opportunities to reduce waste, increase flow, become more flexible and to produce to the pull of customer demand.
Variation in assembly methods was reduced by creating Standard Operating Procedures based on best practice. Standard times for the various elements of assembly were determined. Cellular manufacturing was introduced by balancing work elements between operators to achieve the required Takt time. Line side stock was introduced giving greater flexibility, visibility and smaller batch sizes.
The results have been impressive with productivity increasing by 31% on the product studied (23% on all products), lead times reduced to 48 hours for less than 5 sensors (average 2.44 weeks for whole product range), and on time delivery of this sensor product nearing 100% (average 92% for whole product range).
Mike Robinson
Production Manager
