Considerations for Lean

Tooling Solutions
Paul D. Parent
ProSol LLC, Sterling Sintered Technologies,
Human Side of Lean Tech Group
for SME Cutting Tools & Tooling
Systems Tech Group
Contact paul@prosol.us
Introduction
My Background
Goal of this presentation
Target audience
Our Definitions
Tooling: Components and support accessories
that form or otherwise add value to the actual
part we are creating.

Solution: Waste reducing response to a customer

or stake holder need, not an unsolicited offer to
address a situation not defined by stakeholders.
Lean (Manufacturing)
A systematic approach to identifying and
eliminating waste (non-value-added activities)
through continuous improvement by flowing
the product at the pull of the customer in
pursuit of perfection

-- The MEP Lean Network

Lean Principles: 7 & 1 Wastes
„ Waiting „ Overproduction
„ Excess travel „ NVA processing
„ Excess motion
„ Excess Inventory
„ Defects
„ Underutilized people
Tooling Improvement Focus
Traditional Lean
„ Less time-in-the-cut „ Speeds that support
equals longer life and takt time
faster cycle time „ +Predictable, tool life
„ Reduction of value „ Total/Life cycle cost of
adding time system
„ Lower purchase cost „ Cycles within takt time
„ Reduction in non-value-
added (NVA) time also
Lean Tooling Solutions
Supports customer
demand
„ Quantity CUSTOMER
DEMAND
„ Quality
„ Delivery
„ Cost Lean
Tooling
Solution
Lean Tooling Solutions
Tooling must meet process demand as defined
by lean filters: minimal waste
„ Quantity required CUSTOMER
„ Defect free DEMAND

„ Free of NVA processing

„ Reliably (=whenever required)

Pr
Wait-free

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To

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Waste free
Audience: Please suggest some waste that
affects lean tooling solutions

„ Underutilized tools- we bought too many

and they sit unused (excess inventory)
„ Poor quality: they don’t perform as they should
„ Misapplied tools, overkill for the job, waste of $
„ Excess Travel: machines too far apart
„ Poor planning too much stock left on casting,
material and NVA processing waste.
Waste that impacts tool
performance
Waiting:
„ Signoff of requisitions
„ For delivery
„ Access (lines at crib, looking for supervisor)
„ Replenishment
„ Availability: For tool to come out of another
machine
Unnecessary Travel:
„ Searching
„ To tool crib, other storage areas
Waste that impacts tool
performance
Non Value-Add Processing:
„ Inefficient cycles-extra cuts
„ Sub-optimized speeds and feeds
„ Finishes that don’t add value- just time
„ “Safe” programming-long after the process is
proven (still in training wheels)
„ Poor application/tool match
Lean Tooling Solutions
Enabled by a lean support system
„ Reliable, adequate equipment
and processes CUSTOMER
DEMAND
„ Replenishment system
„ Information, technical
cooperation

Pr
g
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Lean
ol

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Tooling
To

s
Solution

Support System
Support system
NEEDS
„ Reliable, adequate
equipment and methods
¾ Replenishment system
supports
Lean Practices
„ PM, TPM
„ SPC, SQC
„ Standardized methods
„ Mistake proofing
¾ Supply kanban/ visual controls
¾ Access POUS and 5-S

™ Teamwork (not group-

™ Responsive, support
squabble or pass-the-problem)
Continuous Improvement Culture
KAIZEN
Screw cell
Problem
„ Screw-making cells
„ 250 feet from crib
„ Must turn in old to get
replacement
„ Avg. 1 trip/hr ( 7 min)
for replacement tools
„ 16 shifts /week
Solution
„ Implement POUS of
consumable tooling and
parts
„ Load cart with replaced tools
and turn in at end of shift
„ From 4000 ft. To 500 ft
travel per shift (std. travel)
„ 54 minutes to 7 minutes
„ 87% reduction
Couldn’t produce to takt time
Problem
„ Bottleneck CNC drilling
centers
„ Drilling 1215 steel, brake
field cups
„ Feed 14 IPM
„ Trouble holding depth
„ Jobber drill w/helical point
„ $1.80 drill cost >1 per shift
Solution
„ Replaced with $28.00 coated
carbide 3 flute drill
„ Ran at 40 IPM
„ Tool life 3-weeks CPK
doubled
„ Met takt time with quality
improvements do to triple
feed rate and time saved not
adjusting offsets and
replacing drills.
Die life
Problem
„ Unreliable die life
„ Does could last 2 hrs or 3
days
„ Intermittently affected about
45 machines
„ Engineering could find no
correlation between die
material and hardness and
poor tool life
„ No standardized system
monitoring coolant condition
Solution
„ Discovered during Kaizen
event
„ Implemented system for
balancing coolant every 24
hours (PM)
„ Never add water, always
make-up mix
„ Problem vanished
„ Reduced down-time for tool
replacement and stock-outs
When people don’t seem interested
in lean
„ Start with their problem (not your fix)
„ Be coaches, mentors, and teammates not authorities or
experts
„ Avoid criticizing or perfecting other peoples ideas
„ Advocate for the guy or gal on the floor; support their
needs
„ Support every improvement
„ Constantly build upon innovation (breakthrough
methods) with daily continuous improvement (kaizen)
„ As long as you’re moving forward
Implementing Lean Tooling
Solutions
„ Kaizen events-
„ Team projects, and goals (work well
in cellular mfg.)
„ Ongoing pursuit of continuous
improvement (Kaizen) on pull from
process owners.
Tool solutions as systems
Lean solutions begin with a clear understanding of
need from a process owner’s perspective.
Solutions include:
„ Choice: what tool
„ Total cost: not merely purchase cost
„ Procurement: methods
„ Replenishment: methods
„ Access: find it when you need it
„ Support: technical,equipment/ special , C.I.
„ Application parameters

ALL THE SUPPORT IT TAKES FOR THE TOOL TO BE A

CONTRIBUTER AND NOT A CONSTRAINT
Question & Answer
Thank you
for participating!

For more information, visit/contact:

The SME Human Side of Lean Tech Group:

www.sme.org/lean

The SME Cutting Tools & Tooling Tech Group:

www.sme.org/tools