Productivity Improvement by Value Stream Mapping in Die Casting Industry

Value Stream Mapping has the reputation of uncovering waste in manufacturing, production and business processes by identifying and removing or streamlining non-value-adding steps. A flow diagram showing the process is drawn to reflect the current state of the operation. The non-value actions are identified in each step and between each step by their waste of time and resources. The process is analyzed with the help of simulation software for opportunity to drastically reduce and simplify it to the fewest actions necessary. By reducing wastefulness the proportion of value adding time in the whole process rises and the process throughput speed is increased. This makes the redesigned process more effective (the right things are being done) and more efficient (needing fewer resources). This paper explains about the corrective methods for eliminating the non-value added activities in the die casting industry with the help of Arena simulation software. The reengineered process is flow charted in its future state with process steps and information flows redesigned, simplified and made less expensive and increase in productivity.