Using Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma concepts to improve quality in an investment casting shell room.

摘要

An investment casting shop, as with any job shop, has numerous challenges in implementing both Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma. Many of the tools of both Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma do not work as easily in a job shop environment as they do in traditional mass production. The challenge is to identify which tools will work and adapt them to the job shop environment.;An important question that arises when determining how to improve a process is which, if either or both, of these improvement methodologies should be pursued. The answer is clearly both. Both methodologies have tools that, when properly applied, will lead to process improvements.;This thesis presents Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma theories. It examines how to combine and adapt both Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma concepts to drive quality improvements in an investment casting shell room. Lessons learned can be applied in other job shops.