Research Papers - Department of Mechanical Engineering

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Subject: search.filters.subject.lean manufacturing

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    PublicationOpen Access
    Challenges and potential impact of applying lean manufacturing techniques to textile knitting industry: A case study of a knitting factory in Sri Lanka
    (2012) Gamage, K. G. D. A.S; Piyanka, W. P. G. T; Jayathilake, L. P. C. B; Gamage, J. R; Perera, H. S. C
    Application of lean manufacturing in mass production, especially in apparel industry, has become a popular practice in meeting the objectives of waste minimization and productivity improvement these days. But when it comes to batch production, for example textile knitting which is an upstream process of the supply chain, application of lean techniques is a challenge. This study investigates challenges of application of lean techniques to a textile knitting factory in Sri Lanka. . The purpose of the study was to investigate the challenges in improving the productivity through lean techniques in a less labour intensive batch production environment. The objectives of the study were to quantify the impact of lean practices and to identify the key challenges specific to the knitting industry. The case study based research approach was followed thought the project which is similar to that used by Kasul and Motwani’s study. Interviews, observations and archival sources were the sources from which data was collected. The results were calculated of main product categories based on the volume and price. For example it was found that the process Value added (VA) to Non-value added (NVA) ratio for JCOL 56(the main product) is 4.64% and with the suggested improvements for waste minimization it was found the ration could be improved to 9.37%. Therefore improving the process would bring in a lot of financial & non-financial gain as well as the lead time reduction which is a key factor in reducing the operational costs.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Performance measurement system for a lean manufacturing setting
    (Emerald Publishing Limited, 2019-10-22) Perera, S; Perera, H. S. C
    Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a performance measurement system for a lean manufacturing environment, which assesses the multi-dimensional performance of lean manufacturing. Design/methodology/approach Following a case study approach, structured interviews were conducted to identify the parameters to measure the performance of a lean manufacturing apparel company. A model was developed with the analytical hierarchical process to assess the performance. Findings The proposed model consists of three levels: first level (overall manufacturing performance), second level (criteria that represent the stakeholders’ view of manufacturing performance) and third level (sub-criteria for the criteria which represent the areas affected by lean manufacturing). The model connects indicators that measure manufacturing performance with the areas required improvements, according to their relative importance to stakeholders. Research limitations/implications The interviewers’ perspectives were used to determine the importance of each manufacturing area for stakeholders. Key performance measures can vary from company to company. Practical implications Managers can use this model to identify important areas for manufacturing performance and the performance improvements driven by different types of lean practices. The results revealed that identifying stakeholders’ requirements was an important aspect of evaluating manufacturing performance. Social implications The model embeds a stakeholder approach in performance measurement, thereby providing a comprehensive model to assess performance. Originality/value This study applies the stakeholder view to identify the multi-dimensional nature of performance in a lean manufacturing setting. It also defines the key performance measures using lean practices.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Impact of lean manufacturing on performance and organisational culture: A case study of an apparel manufacturer in Sri Lanka
    (2012) Gamage, J. R; Vilasini, P. P. G. N; Wijenatha, L; Perera, H. S. C
    The rapid change in fashion designs, varying order quantities and increasing quality levels at lowest possible cost, demand the apparel manufacturer to be focused on more effective and efficient manufacturing processes for survival in an immensely competitive market. The necessity of reducing cost of production has left manufacturers with the challenge of adopting lean manufacturing where the focus is on waste minimisation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of lean manufacturing practices for the apparel industry in Sri Lanka. The main objectives were to implement lean practices in an apparel manufacturing factory, to assess its influence on manufacturing performance based on lean performance indicators and to qualitatively compare the impact on the organisational culture with that of the Toyota Production System (TPS). A leading apparel manufacturing facility was identified which had already initiated the process of lean implementation. The initial state of performance and improvements after lean implementation were measured through key performance indicators (KPI), such as dock-to-dock, on-time delivery, first-time-through, fabric utilisation, etc., generated from published records and the company’s resource planning system. The impact of lean manufacturing on the organisational culture over the period of lean implementation was analysed through interviews and direct observation of the personnel who were directly involved with the implementation process. The KPIs reflect a favourable influence of lean adoption in bulk apparel production and a favourable cultural change towards one associated with TPS. The results showed that the lean implementation caused a reduction in the cost of production (10%), reduction of lead time (30%), and increase in plant efficiency (20%). Based on the positive trends of qualitative and quantitative performance indicators it was concluded that organisations in the bulk apparel production industry could achieve positive cultural shift and gain financial benefits as well through implementation of lean manufacturing practices.