Lean Manufacturing and NPIP for Flexible Circuits
March 24, 2016 | Dave Becker, All Flex Flexible Circuits LLCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Many companies are familiar with lean manufacturing concepts and have successfully used these techniques to improve manufacturing processes. Lean techniques, while most often used in printed circuit fabrication and assembly operations, can also be applied to nonmanufacturing processes. One such process is new part number introduction (NPIP). The main thrust of lean manufacturing is to eliminate or reduce waste. There are typically seven wastes (mudas), as defined by Toyota executive Taiicho Ohno, when he developed Toyota’s Production System (TPS)[1]. (“Muda” is a Japanese word meaning uselessness, idleness or other synonyms of waste.) The seven mudas are:
- Transport
- Inventory
- Motion
- Waiting
- Over-processing
- Over-production
- Defects
The typical part number startup for flexible circuits often can suffer from a number of those wastes. Certain waste items are specific to a part number (customer out of office, conflicts in documentation, iterative design conversations, etc.) or be ingrained as accepted gaps in a supplier’s product launch system. As part of a continuous improvement mentality, wastes should be identified for reduction through a documented and monitored part number introduction process. Some of the more common waste elements are:
Transport: In a new part number introduction process (NPIP), transport is the movement of documentation (electronic or paper) from one department to another requiring successive reviews and sign-offs. Excess transport is a symptom of a departmentalized approach to part number start-up rather than a process flow approach.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2016 issue of The PCB Magazine.
Suggested Items
Elevating PCB Design Engineering With IPC Programs
04/24/2024 | Cory Blaylock, IPCIn a monumental stride for the electronics manufacturing industry, IPC has successfully championed the recognition of the PCB Design Engineer as an official occupation by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). This pivotal achievement not only underscores the critical role of PCB design engineers within the technology landscape, but also marks the beginning of a transformative journey toward nurturing a robust, skilled workforce ready to propel our industry into the future.
Fujitsu, METRON Collaborate to Drive ESG Success
04/24/2024 | JCN NewswireFujitsu Limited and METRON SAS, a French cleantech company specializing in energy management solutions for industrial decarbonization, today announced a strategic initiative to contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality in the manufacturing industry.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Final Finishes and IC Substrate Manufacturing
04/24/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOEditor Marcy LaRont and Richard DePoto, Uyemura's Business Development Manager, engage in a comprehensive discussion about the positive aspects of the show, the benefits of RAIG in final finishes, and the hurdles faced when upgrading your surface finish. Also discussed are the role of Uyemura's MEC pretreatment agents in IC substrate manufacturing and the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Women MAKE Awards Recognizes GlobalFoundries’ Jennifer Robbins and Katelyn Harrison for Manufacturing Excellence
04/24/2024 | GlobalFoundriesThe Manufacturing Institute (MI)—the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers—honored two outstanding women from GlobalFoundries (GF) at their annual Women MAKE Awards. Jennifer (Jenny) Robbins, Senior Director, Central Facilities, was recognized as a 2024 Women MAKE Awards Honoree, while Katelyn Harrison, Senior Integration Engineer, was honored as an Emerging Leader.
GlobalFoundries Commits to Achieving Net Zero Emissions and Carbon-Neutral Power by 2050
04/23/2024 | GlobalFoundriesGlobalFoundries (GF) is furthering its commitment to sustainable operations and fighting climate change with the announcement of two new long-term goals to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 100% carbon-neutral power by 2050.