5 Tips for Reducing Waste in a Manufacturing Facility

Reducing waste in manufacturing is an essential component of a leaner, more efficient process. The reduction of waste in manufacturing can result in an increased level of production, time saved, and greater profit. This can mean physical waste, waste of time, as well as resources. An effective, comprehensive waste-reduction strategy should incorporate dealing with both the uneconomical use of physical material and of inefficiencies in the process itself. That’s why optimizing both your inventory management and opting for more efficient vibration monitoring, for example, are worthwhile features of a waste-reduction strategy.

Vibration Analysis Equipment

Find Bottlenecks and Clear Them

A considerable contributor to inefficiency and waste in a production process is bottlenecks. Their resolution is a two-part undertaking—identifying the bottlenecks and clearing them. Identifying those bottlenecks can be a challenge, particularly if there aren’t similar operations to compare them against for perspective. Do some research to get an idea about what the industry norms look like. Developing connections within your industry can help, as other business leaders are often happy to share their expertise.

Employ Effective Predictive Maintenance Solutions

Downtime is an efficiency-killer and responsible for the waste of both time and money. Avoiding downtime by keeping your critical manufacturing assets up and running is, therefore, crucial. However, when employing predictive maintenance solutions, don’t allow machine condition monitoring to become a cause of waste in the process. Instead, employ completely non-contact vibration analysis equipment to monitor your machinery. The lack of contact sensors means no downtime for setup or equipment testing.

Communicate with Staff

One of the most productive sources of information regarding the effectiveness and efficiency of a manufacturing process, or problems with it, is your employees. Make communication with staff on the floor of a manufacturing facility a priority. Insights from employees working directly with the machinery can be as enlightening and practical as those from the manager, shift-leader, and foreperson.

Fine-Tune Your Inventory Management

Fine-tuned inventory management can be a significant contributor to a leaner and less wasteful process. Analyze every feature of your inventory process, even those that may seem like a given. Ordering in bulk is generally a less expensive way to source what you need. However, does that bulk ordering result in more waste? Would paying slightly more for smaller quantities reduce waste from material overage sufficiently to be worth it financially? Taking nothing for granted and asking whether features of a process are in place because they’re the best way to do things, or because that’s just how they’ve always been done, can prove helpful.

Consider Other Potential Waste Risks

It is also worthwhile to consider and investigate potential waste risks that are before, after, or otherwise related to the manufacturing process but not necessarily a part of it. For instance, inefficient on-site transportation or storage of components or stock can negatively affect productivity. An inefficient packaging system can likewise slow the process down. An objective, comprehensive look at trimming waste from every part of a process can’t hurt and may just pay off.

About RDI Technologies
Simply put, the team at RDI Technologies has changed the machine condition monitoring and predictive maintenance space forever. Their Iris M™ technological platform represents an unprecedented innovation that effectively turns every one of a camera’s pixels into a sensor that visualizes motion and vibration. The millions of resultant sensors provide an essential part of RDI Technologies’ Motion Amplification® technology platform. They make motion visible that otherwise would be invisible to the human eye. RDI Technologies’ Iris M™ platform is powered by Motion Amplification® technology and provides real-time data that can be utilized to identify problematic vibrations and movement quickly, leading to swift resolution of root-cause problems. That information is converted into meaningful and informative visualizations which clearly communicate critical data to both the technical and the non-technical team members. Additionally, RDI Technologies’ Motion Amplification technology requires no downtime for setup.

Experience what the incredibly innovative RDI Technologies Motion Amplification® technology platform can do for your business at Rditechnologies.com


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