Six Sigma and Beyond: Design for Six Sigma, Volume VI

Due to a lack of confidence in the performance of our equipment, we have traditionally purchased excessive facilities and tooling in order to meet production objectives. It is estimated that approximately 73% of the total cost in a program development through launching, in the automotive industry for example, is in this area. Additionally, capital spent on "insurance-type" spare tooling hidden for unplanned breakdowns shows a lack of confidence in production equipment. Operational effects of production shortfall and the inability to predict downtime are countless. They include unplanned overtime, unplanned and increasing maintenance requirements and costs, and excessive work in process around constraint operations.

The R&M process builds confidence in predicting performance of machinery, and, through this process, we can improve the expected and demonstrated levels of machinery performance. Properly predicting and improving performance contributes to lower total cost and improved profits for the organization.

The R&M process consists of five phases that form a continuous loop. The five phases are: (1) concept; (2) design and development; (3) machinery build and installation; (4) machinery operation, continuous improvement, performance analysis; and (5) conversion concept of next cycle. As the loop continues, each generation of machinery improves .

In this chapter we will concentrate on the first three phases of the loop, not because they are more important, but because they are the major focus of this planning effort of the design for six sigma (DFSS) campaign. The last two phases should be well documented in each organization for they are facility dependent.