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Toray Plastics (America), Inc. PEF Division

Front Royal, VA – July 10, 2006 – TPA, PEF Division General Manager, Jeff Lippy, discusses with The Manufacturer on how a version of lean and visual management drove production to keep up with increasing sales.

In this article, Lippy explains the importance of Process Control Management, and how it consist of five steps: (1) training, to ensure the company’s workers were all on the same page and following the same procedures and to eliminate “skill fluctuations” between newer employees and those with more tenure under their belts; (2) equipment monitor and control, to identify key process parameters and establish monitoring and feedback systems with frequency prevention; (3) process set-up and audits, which seek to stop downstream problems before they happen, utilizing checklists that lay out the steps that need to be taken and help reduce startup time; (4) analysis, in which extensive data about process was collected and scrutinized, including collection of data during good run conditions; and (5) knowledge management, which Lippy describes as “an ongoing commitment to ensure success”.

Lippy states: “The methodology behind a lot of our programs is the idea of hands-on interaction with management on the floor. You have to go to the floor and observe the facts. You don’t get it by looking at a computer printout or talking to people indirectly. You have to get familiar with the process.”

The complete article, “Lean and visual”, can be found in July’s issue of The Manufacturer, or on-line, http://www.themanufacturer.com/us/detail.html?contents_id=4404.

The Manufacturer is a magazine targeted for manufacturers about manufacturers, aiming to both stimulate and inform. Every month they talk with senior executives at 30 or 40 North American companies to hear about their experiences and gather the latest views and opinions on issues and manufacturing practices.

For more information, contact Jodie Knight at (540) 631-2595, or jodie.knight@toraytpa.com.