Operational Field Guides & Kaizen Case Studies

Eliminate shift-end spreadsheet disputes. A rigorous mathematical guide to categorizing Availability, Performance, and Quality losses according to standard industrial practices (ISO 22400-2 time definitions & TPM Six Big Losses Nakajima taxonomy).

Shopfloor checklist for identifying excess inventory queues, non-value-added operator walking patterns, and inter-process cooling delays directly at the Gemba.

Strict separation of internal and external changeover tasks using standardized tool racks, pneumatic die locks, and offline pre-heating protocols in injection molding.

Plant leaders often fall into a false sense of security because machines stay powered on 87% of the shift. Once you multiply that by Operating Speed Rate and First-Pass Quality per standard JIPM formulas, actual OEE drops to 42%.

Plant management teams frequently slash preventative maintenance budgets to hit quarterly margin targets. The outcome is predictable: emergency breakdown repairs, unplanned overtime, and scrap multiply fourfold over the phantom savings.

When Aishin Seiki introduced precision automation, their lines experienced catastrophic breakdown rates until they instituted the Parlor Factory standard. Machines cannot operate reliably at robotic speeds if the floor environment is treated like an old grease-pit.

Most plants obsess over catastrophic breakdowns while completely ignoring minor stoppages and speed degradation. A deep deconstruction of Nakajima's Six Big Losses framework.

Murata Kikai demonstrated that flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) cannot run unmanned overnight if minor stoppages occur more than once per 10 hours of cycle time.

Traditional PM assumes machines wear out linearly like car tires. Historical United Airlines and Nowlan & Heap data prove only 11% of equipment follows the bathtub curve.