Improvement Kata application example in a shipyard

Improvement Kata
Application Example
in Shipyard
Micro Panel Assembly Line

What we did that considered impossible at the
beginning: Development of New Pattern of Welding?
Updated with IK model and PDCA examples on 18 of July 2012

Tadas Puksta
Lean Academy Lithuania
June of 2012

© Tadas Puksta, tadas.puksta@gmail.com, www.leanmokykla.lt 1

Source: Mike Rother „Improvemement Kata Handbook“


All data provided below isn’t very accurate.

The intention is to provide an idea and example how
people think and act in Toyota Kata way.


Western Shipyard AB

More than 40 years experience in ship building
Welding processes is a core processes in a factory


How micro panels is used?

Micro
panel


Challenge

Challenge:
Let’s have micro panel in a
volume construction without
additional adjustment


Micro panel line
Current Condition Process steps, sequence are
predefined
5 operators (welders)
Process time of preparation
of one micro panel varies
from 20 to 50 min. (because
of different size and
complexity)
As a result - 50 – 200 mm
twist of a panel (quality
issues)
Twist of 50 75% of micro panels require
– 200 mm rework later in a process of
volume assembly in order to
remove twist
Rework time varies from 15
up to 120 min.


Challenge:
Micro Panel Line Let’s have micro panel in a volume
Target Condition construction without additional
adjustment

Current Condition 2012.05.01 Target Condition 2012.06.05
Process steps, sequence are predefined It should be defined via PDCA
5 operators (welders) 5 operators (welders)
Process time of preparation of one micro panel Process time of preparation of one micro panel
varies from 20 to 50 min. (because of different varies from 20 to 50 min. (because of different
size and complexity) size and complexity)
50 – 200 mm twist of a panel (quality issues) 7 mm of twist
75% of micro panels require rework later in a 2 % rework
process of volume assembly in order to remove
twist
Rework time varies from 15 min up to 120 min. 10 - 20 min. rework time
System output: 10 panels assembled in volume System output: 18 panels assembled in volume
construction per shift construction per shift


Initial opinions of experts
What experts in welding respond to the initiative?

„You are wasting your time. It is impossible. We already
done what’s possible in past. The metal after getting
temperature from welder goes twist.”


Improvement team
Improvement team: Shop
manager and Technical
Manager.
Both of them didn’t know so
much about welding ad no
preconceptions.
They try to learn
Improvement Kata.
30 days of PDCA
Every day 1-2 hours spend
for experiments
More than 20 short PDCA
cycles.
18 negative results (refuted
hypotheses)

© Tadas Puksta, tadas.puksta@gmail.com, www.leanmokykla.lt
10

PDCA example
#1
Obstacle: high temperature affect
twist of metal sheet

AHA moment - we learned,
that sticking panel to the
ground didn’t help so much
to reduce twist (refuted
hypotheses), but we 1 Hypothesis:
observed high temperature
If we will stick panel with X
absorption in a time and
weld dots to the ground
that welding sequence can
before welding and we will
be different in order to
weld as in standard, we
reduce temperature (ready
expect to reduce the panel
for next experiment)
twist up to 15 mm

As a result, the twist of the Conducting
panel - 25 mm experiment


PDCA example
#2
Obstacle: high temperature affect
twist of metal sheet

AHA moment - we learned,
that changing of welding
sequence can reduce twist
and observed that
temperature is still 2 Hypothesis:
concentrating at some
If we will weld in Y sequence
points, so welding
(known), we expect to
sequence can be better in
reduce the panel twist up to
order to reduce
15 mm
temperature (ready for next
experiment)

As a result, the twist of the Conducting
panel - 9 mm experiment


Micro Panel Line
New Current Condition

New welding pattern
identified
5 operators (welders)
Process time of
preparation of one micro
panel varies from 30 to 60
min.
9 mm twist of a panel
0 % of micro panels
require rework later in a
process

Twist of 9 mm

Conditions for experimenting
No investment in expensive equipment and modern
technology

No expensive experts from outside

Everything is done by few local people and material they
got for experiments


Reflection
What did we learn?

1. Challenge and achievements is a best motivator
2. Target condition allow team to focus
3. Daily PDCA and quick results accelerate learning
process (necessary in order to make real improvements)
4. Do not trust what “experts“ tells you: lets go and test of
yourself

Next target condition – twist of 5-7 mm and process time
20 - 50 min, 0% rework in a volume construction


Improvement Kata application example in a shipyard

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