Publication
Improving the efficiency of the engineering processes, applying the principles of Lean - Green Thinking in a company of technical foams for the automotive industry
| Summary: | This dissertation presents the implementation of Lean - Green principles and their impact on Stokvis Celix to enhance the economic and environmental efficiency of the engineering processes. Action-Research was employed as the research methodology to identify and address the key issues: high material consumption, limited improvements in production tools, disorganised waste management and accumulation of residues on the production floor. Observations and employee communication were used to identify these problems. Some proposals to solve it were to improve the yield of the production process and implement a recycling system and a container system to collect the equipment residues. To tackle the issue of high material consumption, the improvement of 42 product tools was suggested to increase their efficiency. The projects yielded total savings of, approximately, 614 352 €, with 592 124 € saved on material consumed, 14 422 € on residues containers and 7 808 € on equipment and labour. These improvements also led to a carbon footprint reduction of 242 166 kg CO2 eq. Implementing recycling practices is one of the first steps to ensure sustainability at Stokvis Celix. While finding buyers for direct production scraps proved challenging, opportunities were identified for recycling and valorising indirect residues such as cardboard, plastic film, and plastic bags. There were several purchase proposals for these residues, and the final determination of the most profitable proposal will depend on the effectiveness of Stokvis' storage practices. Introducing a residues container system on the equipment has positively impacted the production process, ensuring the safety of equipment workers and avoiding the residues accumulation on the floor. This system has significantly reduced cleaning time from 33 to 20 seconds, minimised equipment stoppages, and enhanced working conditions. Moreover, it has proven cost-effective by optimising resource utilisation and reducing costs per stop from 0.12 to 0.17€, depending on the number of workers. Overall, Stokvis Celix can successfully reduce material waste, increased yield, and achieve significant cost savings with the suggestions proposed. These improvements can contribute to the company's economic sustainability but were also aligned with environmental responsibility. By implementing Lean - Green principles and continuously seeking opportunities for improvement, Stokvis Celix can position itself as a more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally conscious organisation in the industry. |
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| Main Authors: | Marques, Margarida Canavilhas Fernandes Gonçalves |
| Subject: | Lean - Green Material efficiency Sustainability Residues Eficiência do material Sustentabilidade Resíduos |
| Year: | 2023 |
| Country: | Portugal |
| Document type: | master thesis |
| Access type: | open access |
| Associated institution: | Universidade do Minho |
| Language: | English |
| Origin: | RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho |
| Summary: | This dissertation presents the implementation of Lean - Green principles and their impact on Stokvis Celix to enhance the economic and environmental efficiency of the engineering processes. Action-Research was employed as the research methodology to identify and address the key issues: high material consumption, limited improvements in production tools, disorganised waste management and accumulation of residues on the production floor. Observations and employee communication were used to identify these problems. Some proposals to solve it were to improve the yield of the production process and implement a recycling system and a container system to collect the equipment residues. To tackle the issue of high material consumption, the improvement of 42 product tools was suggested to increase their efficiency. The projects yielded total savings of, approximately, 614 352 €, with 592 124 € saved on material consumed, 14 422 € on residues containers and 7 808 € on equipment and labour. These improvements also led to a carbon footprint reduction of 242 166 kg CO2 eq. Implementing recycling practices is one of the first steps to ensure sustainability at Stokvis Celix. While finding buyers for direct production scraps proved challenging, opportunities were identified for recycling and valorising indirect residues such as cardboard, plastic film, and plastic bags. There were several purchase proposals for these residues, and the final determination of the most profitable proposal will depend on the effectiveness of Stokvis' storage practices. Introducing a residues container system on the equipment has positively impacted the production process, ensuring the safety of equipment workers and avoiding the residues accumulation on the floor. This system has significantly reduced cleaning time from 33 to 20 seconds, minimised equipment stoppages, and enhanced working conditions. Moreover, it has proven cost-effective by optimising resource utilisation and reducing costs per stop from 0.12 to 0.17€, depending on the number of workers. Overall, Stokvis Celix can successfully reduce material waste, increased yield, and achieve significant cost savings with the suggestions proposed. These improvements can contribute to the company's economic sustainability but were also aligned with environmental responsibility. By implementing Lean - Green principles and continuously seeking opportunities for improvement, Stokvis Celix can position itself as a more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally conscious organisation in the industry. |
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