Manufacturer Reduced Yoke Fabrication Setup Time By 68% With GLSS
California
Manufacturing
Operations
68%
- The problem: A manufacturer was experiencing lengthy yoke fabrication setup times that increased overtime, created production delays, and made it more difficult to consistently meet customer delivery commitments.
- After applying GLSS methods, the manufacturer reduced average yoke fabrication setup time from 17.6 hours to 5.6 hours, a 68% improvement that helped reduce overtime, simplify production, and improve scheduling flexibility.
In manufacturing, lengthy setup times can create challenges that extend well beyond the production floor. Delays can increase labor costs, disrupt schedules, place additional pressure on employees, and ultimately affect the customer experience. One manufacturer recognized that its yoke fabrication setup process presented an opportunity to work more efficiently while creating meaningful benefits for employees and customers.
The team applied the practical problem-solving methods taught through GLSS’s Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Training & Certification to understand what was driving the delays and identify targeted improvements. The project also incorporated GLSS’s approach to Ethical EfficiencyâĒ focusing not only on reducing setup time but also on eliminating unnecessary work, reducing overtime, making better use of resources, and creating a more reliable process for employees and customers.
The manufacturer’s yoke fabrication setup process averaged 17.6 hours, creating a significant challenge for production. Extended setup times could push work beyond normal hours, increase overtime expenses, and place additional pressure on employees.
These delays also reduced scheduling flexibility and made it more difficult for the company to consistently meet production deadlines and customer delivery commitments. Improving the process was important not only for reducing costs but also for increasing capacity, creating more predictable workloads, and delivering products to customers on time.
The organization saw an opportunity to simplify the process and create a faster, more reliable way to complete the work.
The team carefully examined the fabrication process to understand what was contributing to the lengthy setup time.
They discovered that when frames went through initial machining, the assembly bolt hole locations on the feet were not completed. As a result, additional drilling had to occur later in the process, adding extra steps and time.
The team also found that welders relied on an assembled gate to establish the stem center hole needed to properly align the yoke stem center. This created a dependency between departments and required unnecessary gate preassembly before welding could begin.
Together, these issues created additional work, handoffs, and delays that made the overall setup process more complicated and time-consuming than necessary.
The team addressed these root causes with two practical improvements.
First, an Engineering Change Order (ECO) was requested to update machining drawings with the required drill hole locations. This allowed drilling to occur during initial machining using a mill head, eliminating the need to complete the work later in the process.
Next, the team designed and implemented a dynamic weld fixture that could accommodate specific yoke sizes. The fixture provided the positioning and alignment needed during welding without requiring gate preassembly.
Together, these changes simplified the process and reduced dependencies between departments. They also supported Ethical Efficiency by eliminating unnecessary handling, movement, and rework while making better use of employee time, equipment, and manufacturing resources.
The improvements produced a significant reduction in average setup time:
- Before: 17.6 hours
- After: 5.6 hours
- Improvement: 68% reduction
The new fixture also made it possible to complete setup and welding activities in less than five hours for gate sizes up to 84″ x 84″.
By reducing dependencies between yoke fabrication and other machining and assembly activities, the manufacturer eliminated time previously spent preassembling gates and drilling gate components for yoke pedestal plates. Updated engineering drawings also allowed frame drilling to be completed during initial machining instead of later in production.
The benefits went beyond faster setup. Reduced overtime supported more predictable working hours and decreased unnecessary pressure on employees. The streamlined process also improved the use of labor and equipment while providing greater scheduling flexibility and supporting more reliable on-time delivery for customers.
with GLSS
With GLSS Training & Certification, the manufacturer transformed a time-consuming setup process into a faster, simpler, and more dependable way of working.
GLSS’s innovative instructional design combines easy-to-understand concepts with practical application, helping learners turn training into measurable results more quickly. By reducing average yoke fabrication setup time from 17.6 hours to 5.6 hours, the organization demonstrated how focused process improvement can deliver meaningful benefits across an operation.
The project also demonstrated Ethical Efficiency by reducing unnecessary work and overtime while supporting employees, using resources more effectively, and improving the company’s ability to meet customer commitments. With a 68% reduction in average setup time, the manufacturer has created a stronger operational foundation for continued improvement and future success.
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