Abstract

MARIN-CALDERON, Ana Victoria; VALENZUELA-GALVAN, Margarita; CUAMEA-CRUZ, Guillermo  and  BRAU-AVILA, Agustín. Application of lean Six Sigma methodology to reduce waste in a polystyrene modular panel manufacturing unit. Ing. invest. y tecnol. [online]. 2023, vol.24, n.1, e1984.  Epub May 25, 2023. ISSN 2594-0732.  https://doi.org/10.22201/fi.25940732e.2023.24.1.007.

The Lean Six Sigma methodology is popularly known in the industrial field as a way to reduce variation in production processes, the aim is to improve quality of products or services by using tools from Lean and Six Sigma philosophies, considering the lowest cost possible. Although, there are different strategies, this methodology has become extremely striking in recent years due to the efficiency and magnitude of its results. This paper presents the application of Lean Six Sigma methodology in a company dedicated to the manufacture of construction items, where the focus has been directed to the area of modular panels in order to reduce the high percentage of waste presented. During the application, it was possible to identify different variables that had a significant effect on the final product, in this way, it was possible to determine the best tools that supported the production process to improve it and finally control it. Among these tools are two R&R studies, which identified that the measurement system had 81 % reliability and confirmed its increase to 98 % after improvements were applied. Likewise, a design of experiments was developed to established a new standard to reduce the main defect presented in the product, obtaining a mathematical model capable of predicting responses to new observations by 90.45 %. Finally, after 3 months of observation, a 66 % reduction in DPMO was obtained, confirming the effectiveness of the methodology and the magnitude of its benefits.

Keywords : Lean Six Sigma; lean manufacturing; continuous improvement; quality; DMAIC; design of experiments.