What is Kaizen? — Continuous Improvement TL;DR Kaizen is the Japanese principle of continuous incremental improvement. Combines ‘kai’ (change) and ‘zen’ (good) — change for the better. In manufacturing, refers to small daily improvements driven...
What is Poka-yoke? — Mistake-Proofing TL;DRPoka-yoke is mistake-proofing — devices or process designs that prevent operators from making errors. Developed by Shigeo Shingo in the 1960s as part of the Toyota Production System. Examples: jigs that only accept parts in...
What is Jidoka? — Autonomation in TPS TL;DRJidoka is one of two pillars of the Toyota Production System (alongside Just-In-Time). Means ‘automation with a human touch’ — equipment automatically detects abnormalities and stops, alerting operators before...
What is SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die)? TL;DRSMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die) is a methodology developed by Shigeo Shingo to reduce manufacturing changeover time below 10 minutes. Method: separate internal activities (require stopped equipment) from external...
What is TPM (Total Productive Maintenance)? TL;DRTotal Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a manufacturing methodology developed by Seiichi Nakajima at JIPM in the 1970s. TPM frames equipment maintenance as a shared responsibility between operations and maintenance teams....
