Toyota programme brings lean factory review to South East electronics firms
Made Smarter South East has partnered with the Toyota Lean Management Centre to run a two-day factory-improvement programme for manufacturing SMEs.
The programme concentrates on process mapping, waste reduction and continuous improvement before a business commits money to automation or other digital manufacturing systems.
Its first event brought together 14 manufacturers at furniture maker Ercol’s factory in Princes Risborough. Toyota specialists then worked directly with four participating companies: CTE Advanced Technologies, Gibbs Gears Precision Engineers, 3 Way Displays and condition-monitoring equipment manufacturer Hansford Sensors.
A second programme in Sittingbourne included Contracts Engineering, Torr Scientific, D.K. Holdings, G & J CNC Group, Cammegh, Bulgaro and Catchpole and Rye.
Several of these businesses operate in electronics-adjacent production, including sensing equipment, display systems, scientific instrumentation and precision parts. Their production problems can involve far more than the purchase of a new machine. Material flow, test stages, changeovers, component presentation and the handover between assembly and inspection can all determine whether new equipment improves throughput.
Made Smarter technology adoption specialist Jez Heys said the work was intended to help companies understand their existing processes and identify where a technology investment would have the greatest effect.
The programme draws on the Toyota Production System and the company’s approach to continuous improvement. The Toyota Lean Management Centre was established in the UK in 2009 to provide training and support outside Toyota’s own automotive operations.
Made Smarter South East is considering further sessions elsewhere in the region. Registered manufacturers can also obtain digital roadmaps, skills support and information about grant funding through the programme.
