Lean Manufacturing

Lean Manufacturing is about creating value. The Lean process starts with creating value for the ultimate customer which requires providing the right product at the right time for the specified price. While all manufacturing attempts to do this, what makes Lean Manufacturing distinct is the relentless pursuit and elimination of waste. Students will learn the concepts and tools of Lean which include types of waste, visual management, value stream analysis, flow, Just in Time, pull, and Kaizen.

MSE53500

Credit Hours:

3

Learning Objective:

  • Articulate a case for Lean. Students will be able to present an argument on why Lean is a superior environment to Mass
  • Compare and contrast the culture, organizational structure, and leadership in Mass and Lean environments.
  • List and describe the Type of Waste and why waste elimination is a core component of Lean Manufacturing. 
  • List and describe lean functionality (i.e., quality, continuous flow, pull systems, 5S, Visual Control, Kanban, etc.).
  • Articulate why the "Rules in Use" were a breakthrough in understanding the Toyota Production System.
  • Understand A3 thinking and draw an A3.
  • Demonstrate ability to draw a Value Stream Map of an actual manufacturing process.
  • Understand the similarities and differences between Lean Manufacturing and Product Development.

Description:

Lean Manufacturing is about creating value. The Lean process starts with creating value for the ultimate customer which requires providing the right product at the right time for the specified price. While all manufacturing attempts to do this, what makes Lean Manufacturing distinct is the relentless pursuit and elimination of waste. Students will learn the concepts and tools of Lean which include types of waste, visual management, 5S, value stream mapping, A3, & flow and how it applies to materials systems.

The course was originally designed by Chris Owen who led Lean Project Initiatives at Alcoa Aluminum (now Arconic) in Lafayette and has since been modified by Prof. Mort who has an industrial background with Procter & Gamble, including product development, manufacturing, process control and optimization. The course introduces Lean from a historical perspective, dives deeper into value stream mapping and optimization, and extends to Lean Product Development and Lean Startup.

Enrollment has grown to include a wider range of students, both on and off campus, having a broad range of interests including assembled-product manufacturing, materials processing, industrial engineering, engineering management, product development, systems optimization, and start-up innovation. The course addresses these mastery objectives through an individual term paper according to student's specific area of interest and a group presentation based on interest survey clustering.

Topics Covered:

  • Introduction/Interest Survey
  • Lean Practitioner Case Study
  • Lean Context
  • Mass Production
  • Lean Production
  • Running the Factory
  • Designing the Car
  • Suppliers and Customers
  • Decoding DNA of Toyota Production System
  • Manufacturing as a Strategy
  • Quality Foundation
  • Types of Waste
  • Eliminating Waste (toast video)
  • Lean Tool Survey: Visual Mgmt 5S, VSM, A3
  • Lean Culture
  • Continuous Flow
  • Pull Systems
  • Leveling
  • Lean Tools: 5S (video)
  • Lean Tools: Visual Management
  • Lean Tools: Standard Work
  • Lean Product Development/Design
  • Lean Startup
  • VSM - Current State
  • VSM - Lean Value Stream
  • VSM - Future State
  • VSM - Optimization
  • A3 Systems Thinking
  • Various guest lectures (on demand)
  • Projects and feedback

Prerequisites:

Junior or higher standing in Engineering or Science

Applied / Theory:

100/0

Web Address:

https://mycourses.purdue.edu/

Web Content:

Syllabus, lecture notes, homework assignments, quizzes, teams groups on request

Homework:

Yes.

Projects:

It may or may-not be related to the student's job. There is an individual term paper and a group webinar.

Exams:

Exams use virtual proctoring via Respondus Lockdown, supported by Purdue.

Textbooks:

Recommended for purchase:

  1. J.P. Womack, D.T. Jones, D. Roos, The Machine that Changed the World, Free Press, 1990 (2007 in paperback). ISBN-13:978-0-7432-9979-4. The content is basically the same for both printings. Convenient e-reader versions also available.
  2. J.K. Liker, The Toyota Way, McGraw Hill, 2004. ISBN 0-007-139231-9

Optional (much will be covered in class):

  1. M. Rother, J. Shook, Learning to See, Lean Enterprise Institute, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-9667843-0-5
  2. D. Reinersten, The Principles of Product Development Flow, Second Generation Lean Product Development, Celeritas Publishing, 2009. ISBN 13: 978-1-935401-00-1

Computer Requirements:

Remote students need a computer that can access Brightspace and run Respondus Lockdown for exams.

Instructor(s)

Paul Mort

Email
pmort@purdue.edu