How SF&E Cut Industry Lead Times in Half

How SF&E Cut Industry Lead Times in Half

Stainless Foundry & Engineering (SF&E) is halfway through a multi-year initiative to overhaul our sand and investment foundry processes, employee roles, and equipment. The goal: offer our customers lead times under 4 weeks, which is less than half of the 10-week industry average. The first phase of SF&E’s Throughput Improvement Project was completed six months ago, and has already reduced lead times to between 4 and 6 weeks.

Lead times are important because our customers need to forecast their own inventory, production, and delivery needs around them. A drastically reduced lead time could be critical; manufacturers can eliminate inventory guess work, react more quickly to customer demand, get to market faster, and, ultimately, increase the profitability of their products.

To accomplish this goal, SF&E had to rethink how parts move through the operating process on the foundry floor. The first phase of the Throughput Improvement Process focused on moving from a batch mentality to a single piece flow.

 

Reduce your lead time in foundry

 

Phase One: Reduce Bottlenecks 

The SF&E operations team conducted an audit of equipment, people, and processes to determine areas they could impact most. The operations team found two main bottlenecks. First, parts were moving through the operating process in a batch, so each step took an extended period of time. Second, the primary and secondary operations were sharing equipment, so batches were often stuck sitting in a queue. In addition, the production floor was setup to group similar pieces of equipment, so batches had to be moved all over the shop floor.

The operations team flipped this model on its head. Instead of batches, SF&E now focuses on smaller lot sizes determined by what would fit in a furnace and the product family it belongs to. Equipment is now grouped into cells where employees have been cross-trained to perform multiple operations. In the prior setup, each employee only focused on one skillset.

Instead of batches sitting in a queue for 1 to 2 days, waiting for each step in the operation, each small lot completes 2 to 3 operations per day. In six months, SF&E has seen a significant reduction in work in process (WIP) inventory and achieved a 15% reduction in shop order lead time. SF&E is preparing to begin Phase Two, which will involve the addition of more equipment.

 

Phase Two: Make Room for More

Now that the linear production process is running smoothly, SF&E is ready to remove the last hurdle to a 4 week lead time – equipment sharing. The team will introduce additional blast equipment to officially separate the primary cells from the finishing cells.

The additional blast equipment will be placed near heat treat and the shipping dock, where product will receive final blast, inspection, packaging, and then be shipped to our customers. By creating this finishing cell, each part takes only one trip through the value stream, and the travel distance between each step is minimal. Phase Two consists of a first in, first out mentality.

Additional equipment, a consecutive value stream, and a commitment to 4 week lead times has another benefit. Once the finishing cell is complete at the end of 2019, SF&E will double its foundry capacity for blasting and cleaning room operations. With the addition of a second shift to its melting and molding departments, SF&E is positioned to take on each customer’s next new challenge.

 

Future Optimization

In 2020, and beyond, SF&E will implement additional cells and concepts in the sand foundry. Additional phases will be focused on improving lead time for high specification work. SF&E is committed to responsiveness and driving shorter customer lead times.

 

At  SF&E, we understand our customers are competing in a market that is driven by lead time, availability, quality, and price. Please reach out to our team at sales@stainlessfoundry.com if you would like to know how we can support you.

Other News Articles

Customer-Centric Improvements Fuel Sustainable Growth

The number of industries relying on castings for pumps and valves continue to expand, and the volume of demand within each industry continues to grow. At the same time, the U.S. foundry landscape faces consolidation—making trusted partnerships more essential than ever. A customer-focused approach is ideal to solidify relationships, processes, quality, and longevity.


The Critical Work of Pressure Vessel Parts

Pressure vessels move media, including oil, compressed gas, hot water, chemicals, steam, and acid throughout a system. These systems are often essential to military, oil and gas, nuclear, food and beverage, or petrochemical operations, where it is critical that the pressure is retained. A boiler system on an aircraft carrier, a pump at an oil […]


Photo Story: Current Trends in Machining

Machining puts the finishing touches on a casting – smoothing out rough edges to improve the surface area, removing excess material to meet tight tolerances, and adding shine. In recent years, advancements in Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology, 5-axis machining and automated processes have been major drivers in foundry machining. Foundries like Stainless Foundry & […]


Stainless Steel World Magazine Feature

Stainless Steel World Magazine highlighted the pressure standard usage and compliances required for high-spec casting production in the USA, UK, and EU. Read the full article for a deep dive into manufacturing high-specification castings with SF&E’s Director of Quality and Technical Services, Michael Porfilio.


Copper-Nickel Alloys for Military and Defense

The pumps and valves on aircraft carriers and submarines are not like those in manufacturing equipment and machinery. The first difference is that aircraft carriers and submarines require a variety of specialized systems to operate effectively and safely. The second difference is that most of their pumps and valves – which are constantly exposed to […]


Return to the News Page