Dissertation (MTech( Mechanical Engineering)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011 / Lean thinking and its principles, as described by Womack and Jones (1996) has been
successfully applied to the manufacturing and operational environment, as evidenced by
associated case studies. Fostered by a rapid spread into many other sectors beyond the automotive industry, there has
been a significant development and localisation of the lean concept in general.
This research study sets out to investigate the effects of lean thinking on production processes
in a Small and Medium Engineering Enterprise (SMEE). It is hoped that the methodology
adopted and the results of the study in the form of a concise lean principle model will assist
SMEEs in the strategic planning of their manufacturing processes and improve their
sustainability.
The case described here, where lean principles were adopted at a transformer manufacturing
company (referred to as ABZ), was considered a success by most of those involved at the
company. The production cycle time improved from 33 days to 4.5 days within a few weeks of
the implementation. In addition; product quality, worker morale, and housekeeping also
improved drastically.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:cput/oai:localhost:20.500.11838/1275 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Mokhalimetso, Lucky |
| Publisher | Cape Peninsula University of Technology |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/za/ |
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