A secret to manufacturing company success is customer happiness. And what's one major factor that contributed to customer happiness? Lead times. Reducing lead times means eliminating waste on the production floor. Developed by Toyota, the Lean system helps manufacturers do just that.

In his blog post "Implementing lean manufacturing principles on the the plant floor: a case study," Apex International CEO David Goldberg reveals how he made his manufacturing company more efficient. 

Goldberg and his team identified key areas for improvement:

1. Growing past due orders
2. Decreased customer confidence/satisfaction
3. High employee frustration  
4. High waste costs
5. Inadequate process execution
6. Poor asset utilization
7. High overhead costs
8. Long cycle times

​​They also setup goals including:

1. Increase sales by 10 percent
2. Reduce overhead per unit costs by 50 percent
3. Cut cycle times in half
4. Achieve 100 percent on-time delivery
5. Achieve record-high customer and employee satisfaction

How they eliminated waste

1. Reduced changeover times
2. Held monthly events for rapid improvement
3. Arranged equipment, supplies, and employees in cells for continuous flow
4. Value stream mapped current states of production to identify waste

Results

1. Delivery and productivity improvements
2. Fewer documentation errors
3. 60 percent less inventory, which opened up room for growth
4. Higher employee morale and customer happiness

The Manufacturing Initiative connects hardware startups with manufacturers - the Commonwealth's newest companies with some of its oldest ones - to keep jobs and manufacturing in Massachusetts. "Launched just over a year ago with a $267,500 grant from MassDevelopment, the state’s industrial development agency, the initiative is working with a group of 32 local startups and 83 Massachusetts manufacturers. So far, that work has resulted in 14 partnerships between manufacturers and startups, including seven that have already shipped made-in-Massachusetts products," says reporter Jon Christian in his January 12, 2016 Boston Globe article "Program connects old, new to boost manufacturing jobs."

If startups want tighter control over quality and process, they no longer have to try to get that tighter control in China from here. And manufacturers benefit too. They see working with startups as an investment. "The first run can be difficult, time consuming, and costly as designs are tweaked to make it easier to manufacture in volume, production lines are set up, and kinks are worked out. But if the startup takes off and places larger and larger orders, those initial costs can pay off," says Christian.

The Manufacturing Initiative is made possible by:

• The Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MassMEP), the Worcester organization that supports local manufacturers (contact: Peter Russo)
• Greentown Labs, a Somerville business incubator (contact: Micaelah Morrill)
• A MassDevelopment grant

Morrill and Russo help startups:

• Simplify design
• Standardize parts to make manufacturing easier
• Connect with manufacturers

The Discovery Channel showed how grinding wheels are made in this 5-minute video. Check out the thin wheel inserts around 2:41. We make millions of those parts each year that end up in grinders used in such industries as construction and automobile. 

Ready to kickoff 2016 with new industry contacts? Check out these exciting events:

Las Vegas, NV, February 2-5, 2016
World of Concrete Conference
For the concrete and masonry construction industries featuring new products in construction machinery and equipment. Register.

Puerto Rico, February 5-7, 2016
Caribbean Hardware-Construction Trade Show
Learn how Puerto Rico is the third largest market of products supplied by the U.S.. Register.

Messe Augsburg, Germany, March 16-19, 2016
GrindTec 2016
An international trade fair for grinding technology. Register.

Salt Lake City, UT, March 16-19, 2016
USITT Show
Learn about the best in entertainment design and technology. Register.

Las Vegas, NV, April 6-9, 2016
Coated Abrasives Fabricators Association (CAFA) Convention
Exchange ideas related to marketing, manufacturing, and education on coated abrasives. Learn more.

Minneapolis, MN, April 16-19, 2016
CAST Expo
The metalcasting expo for foundries. Register.

Rosemont, IL, April 16-16, 2016
Industrial Supply Association (ISA) Annual Convention
Event for distributors, manufacturers/suppliers, industrial manufacturer representatives and service providers in the Maintenance, Repair, Operations and Production (MROP) Industry. Register.

Charlotte, NC, April 27-30, 2016
National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) Expo
Professionals showcase the industry's latest products and services for wood flooring. Register.

Mexico City, Mexico, May 4-6, 2016
FABTECH Mexico
The leading metal manufacturing event in Mexico showcasing the latest innovation for the metal forming, fabricating, welding, and finishing industries. Register.

Donahue Industries isn't just the 2.5% tolerance company anymore. We plan to introduce more sets - at other tolerances, sizes, and ranges - to give you what you need at the best prices available in the global market.

What do you need?
We're finding out:

• How much you want to pay for a metal set instead of plastic
• What tolerance you prefer (2.5% or 5%)
• What leaf sizes you need
• Whether or not you'd like a cutout to measure the wire rope