In today’s manufacturing world, being lean and following ISO can make the difference between a successful business or one that will soon be out of business. At Mid-West Screw Products, we recognize this, and have taken the necessary steps to follow lean manufacturing and ISO principles. We understand how important it is for a company to follow these guidelines in today’s marketplace.
One key concept that we believe in and follow is that quality and productivity increase when everything is centralized in one area. It is much easier when machining centers are situated correctly. This means that horizontal and vertical tools and fixtures that go into those machines are situated right near each other. Everything should be identified and everything should be labeled as that keeps employees from wasting time looking for things that they need to complete their work.
We understood when looking at our floor setup that organization and positioning of our equipment is key in being successful. We reconfigured our machines to make our operation as efficient as possible. Our floorplan is laid out extremely lean and has cells where all parts are done in the same area as the machines. We have set up tool bins for particular part numbers, and include the operation and all its tooling in a particular bin so everything is ready. We also make sure to have enough back up of these tools in case they are chipped, so that we have replacements ready to go so downtime is kept to a minimum. Once again organization is key, because if everything is properly labeled and placed in the right spot, time will not have to be wasted in trying to find these items.
At Mid-West Screw Products we understand that you have to “spend a little money, to make money.” That is why we took the steps to make sure all our machines and tools were positioned properly to be the most effective. By taking these steps we have set our company up to be successful and we are firm believers in the principles of lean manufacturing. Contact us here to learn more about the capabilities we can offer you.