Improving information flow for molding maintenance operations in a medical device manufacturing facility

Abstract

Manufacturing companies seek ways to eliminate waste from their operations to stay competitive. In this project, the waste is in the mold repair process which involves two main groups, Molding and Tooling. By using process flow mapping and analysis, the waste was identified in the information management aspects of the repair operations. The repair process was re-designed to incorporate existing but unused information systems, eliminating outdated methods that were inefficient. The process re-designs also incorporate several changes to have better accountability at various decision making stages in the mold repair work. Some of the changes have been implemented in a pilot project and have proven to be capable of improving the current methods. Other recommendations require a longer term approach to the problem through training and development of personnel.