High-volume manufacturing is a simple idea – producing as many parts as possible to increase cost-efficiency and meet customer demand – that quickly becomes more complicated in practice. UNITED GRINDING’s internal and external production grinding technology may provide a platform for high-volume manufacturing, but to achieve the necessary throughput, shops must approach mass production differently. Here are four key considerations as you consider scaling up production or perfecting existing high-volume processes:

 1. To Go Big, Go Lean

The modern world is built on mass production – and as a result, modern manufacturing professionals have spent decades studying the best practices for high-volume production. And manufacturers from Henry Ford to Taiichi Ohno have earned their fame and renown based on their ability to identify the most efficient, cost-effective way to produce parts at scale. The resulting philosophy is known today as “lean manufacturing,” and it can be best summarized as the aggressive minimization of waste in all things and continuous improvement in search of fully optimized processes. Because of the widespread adoption of ideas like just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing or cell-based production, your facility likely already uses lean principles; consider implementing a formal system like 5S or Lean Six Sigma to take these ideas further.

 2. To Maximize Effectiveness, Maximize Safety

In popular culture, safety is sometimes seen as a way to throw away profits in favor of coddling workers. In reality, however, the opposite is true. A 2011 study by the Aberdeen Group found that the most successful manufacturers – those it deems “best-in-class” according to objective key performance indicators (KPIs) – were also the safest manufacturers, with a mere 1 in 2,000 employees reporting injuries as compared to about 1 in 100 for average manufacturers. A safer workplace is a more productive workplace, so shops interested in maximizing the gains of mass production will do well to minimize risk and make safety a central pillar of the business’ culture. 

 3. Mass Production Requires Massive Teamwork

While powerful automated solutions for grinding technology may go a long way toward ensuring speedy mass production, manufacturing still depends on a capable human workforce. Make your team part of the solution by encouraging feedback and asking for suggestions on how to improve processes. Many shop owners and managers are shocked to learn that their employees have known about problems for weeks or months before it comes up – avoid this problem by involving the entire team in the continuous improvement process and empowering individual operators to report on issues so they can be dealt with in a constructive, proactive manner.

 4. Choose the Right Grinding Equipment

Of course, none of these tips will matter if the equipment falls short. UNITED GRINDING North America is fully prepared to be your partner throughout the entire high-volume manufacturing process, from supplying production cylindrical grinding machines from STUDER, SCHAUDT and MIKROSA to assisting with the implementation of custom or standard automation systems. Contact UNITED GRINDING to learn more today.