Tag Archive: lean manufacturers

The Progression to Lean Manufacturing

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If you were to travel back in time to rubber manufacturing facilities from twenty years ago, you would notice the vast differences between those facilities and today’s facilities. Back then, each rubber extrusion manufacturer focused on their own skills, and businesses had a larger amount of employees. Now, as we have seen even in our own business, small to medium sized manufacturers have a smaller group of employees who wear multiple hats within the business.

Since the recession hit in 2009, businesses, especially manufacturers, were forced to delegate business in a leaner manner. Lean manufacturing, as defined by the ASQ, is “a system of techniques and activities for running a manufacturing or service operation.” The techniques and activities of lean manufacturing, as stated in the article, differ according to the application, but they have the same end goal: improve efficiency and effectiveness of by eliminating unnecessary activities and waste from the business.

Today, as more and more younger people are heading on different career paths and there is an increased use of automation and technology in the rubber manufacturing process, businesses are learning to do more with less; we certainly have. However, we are hoping that as manufacturing continues to grow and come back, more college-educated people will see how other disciplines fit into the field and choose careers in the manufacturing world.

We know we aren’t the only ones faced with these challenges. Instead, lean manufacturing and the idea of working with you have has become widespread throughout the rubber industry. Not only have businesses been forced into this survival mode because of the recent economy, but the introduction of new technologies has also lent itself to lean manufacturing. Together, we are all becoming more lean and adaptable to the quickly-changing industry.

Helping the Resurgence in Manufacturing, One Step at a Time

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In recent history, polymer manufacturing companies in the U.S.A. have begun to rebound from the recent recession. Domestic manufacturers, in a variety of industries, are experiencing growth for the first time in years and they are building up for a peak in orders. As there has been a resurgence in manufacturing, we have also seen more support for local customers and for American-made products.

As a company that persevered through the recession, we believe that manufacturers who endured the recession are currently doing it again, by integrating lean manufacturing into their processes, investing in automation and new technologies, and making the right adjustments. We have seen this on a personal note as well.

Our parent company, Cypress, hosts an annual corporate managers’ meeting for all of their companies and staff. Every year, the senior managers meet, make presentations, and discuss various initiatives they have worked on in their business. It is a good opportunity for us to present what we have been working on, see what the other companies are doing, and network within our parent company in order to achieve best practices.

Not only is it exciting for us to be a part of a company that continues to grow, but it is also important for us to share experiences and tips on how to be a successful manufacturer in today’s marketplace as well. We plan on making whatever adjustments necessary to progress in this manufacturing resurgence.