Skip to main content
 
About LPQE

Lean Process and Quality Engineering

Lean Process and Quality Engineering (LPQE) is an independent consortium of consultants, engineers, technical leaders, and industry professionals working across manufacturing companies, consulting firms, and independent practices.

Members use the private network to exchange implementation experience, technical questions, methods, and research across Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), World Class Manufacturing (WCM), Lean Six Sigma, reliability and maintenance, industrial engineering, process optimization, quality systems, implementation, and change management.

Applied technical research

Documented methods. Measured applications.

This library concentrates on implementation: the operating problem, the methods used, and the result or finding reported by the original authors. Select an entry to open the LPQE summary and source.

24 entries Original sources linked
WCM Automotive Assembly Optimization Fiat Cassino Plant Cost Deployment, workplace organization, flow analysis, ergonomics, and low-cost automation in a multi-model assembly process. View research Close
Application

The study examines the Mechanical Subgroups ETU assembly process at Fiat Group Automobiles’ Cassino plant, where flexibility, labor productivity, ergonomics, and material movement had to be improved without sacrificing multi-model production.

Methods

The work combined WCM technical pillars with Pareto-based Cost Deployment, Autonomous Maintenance, 5S, MUDA analysis, spaghetti diagrams, material-and-flow matrices, JIT/JIS classification, simulation, and low-cost automation.

Reported result or finding

The authors report substantial improvements in direct-labor productivity and ergonomics, together with a material-flow redesign that removed forklifts from the studied process.

Read the original research IntechOpen
WCM Complementary WCM Systems Research synthesis Why isolated tools underperform and complementary bundles of work practices can produce delayed, compounding productivity gains. View research Close
Application

This research synthesis examines the shift from function-based production toward process-based organizations, drawing on evidence from NUMMI, Japanese transplants, and related manufacturing studies.

Methods

It evaluates combinations of team problem-solving, multi-skilling, mentoring, ERP-supported information flow, Kanban, autonomation, and other high-involvement practices using factor analysis and econometric methods.

Reported result or finding

The analysis finds that coordinated bundles can be more valuable than isolated practices and that measurable productivity effects may develop over several years rather than immediately.

Read the original research SIECON research paper
WCM WCM Toward Industry 4.0 Fiat Powertrain Technologies A Fiat Powertrain case mapping digital capabilities to established World Class Manufacturing pillars. View research Close
Application

The study considers how an established WCM system can evolve as connected equipment, data availability, and digital manufacturing technologies become part of the production environment.

Methods

The authors map Industry 4.0 capabilities against WCM pillars and examine where digital data, connectivity, and automation can reinforce rather than replace the existing improvement system.

Reported result or finding

The case provides a structured view of how digital technologies can strengthen WCM problem identification, analysis, and execution while preserving the underlying operating discipline.

Read the original research IFAC-PapersOnLine
WCM Ergonomic Equipment Design Agricultural and industrial vehicles WCM and Industry 4.0 methods used together to design and implement new ergonomic manufacturing equipment. View research Close
Application

A global agricultural- and industrial-vehicle manufacturer needed new equipment that would improve operator ergonomics while meeting technical, efficiency, and standardization requirements.

Methods

The methodology joined the WCM Workplace Organization pillar with human-centered design, digital human modeling, virtual prototyping, ergonomic analysis, physical prototyping, and Industry 4.0 enabling technologies.

Reported result or finding

The case led to the design and implementation of new equipment, with reported benefits in ergonomics, process efficiency, and work standardization.

Read the original research Springer Nature
WCM Mobile Technology for WCM Maintenance Process-industry production line Near-real-time shop-floor collaboration used to improve causation data and maintenance decisions. View research Close
Application

The case investigates equipment availability and reliability in a WCM environment where faster communication was needed between the production line, machine specialists, and engineers.

Methods

Mobile technology supported near-real-time collaboration and more refined causation data for Cost Deployment and maintenance-improvement decisions.

Reported result or finding

The authors report movement in production-line efficiency and conclude that connected collaboration can support WCM’s progression toward zero breakdowns.

Read the original research University of Johannesburg
WCM Quality Problem-Solving in Machinery Production Mechanical-engineering factory WCM pillars applied to recurring quality and loss problems in a plant producing industrial machines. View research Close
Application

The paper describes WCM use in a Polish mechanical-engineering factory within a global manufacturing company producing approximately 800 finished machines per year.

Methods

The implementation addresses Safety, Cost Deployment, Focused Improvement, Autonomous Activities, Professional Maintenance, Quality Control, Logistics, Early Management, People Development, and Environment.

Reported result or finding

The study reports reduced losses and improved product quality through coordinated use of WCM pillars and their associated methods.

Read the original research Key Engineering Materials
TPM A “Light” TPM Model for an SME Resource-constrained manufacturing A phased TPM model designed for a smaller manufacturer with limited internal resources. View research Close
Application

The case addresses a small manufacturing company that needed a practical TPM structure without the cost and organizational burden of a full-scale program.

Methods

The model used plan–improve–sustain phases, 5S, Autonomous Maintenance, focused improvement, value-stream mapping, OEE tracking, checkpoint tables, and routine patrol audits.

Reported result or finding

On the pilot equipment, OEE increased from 54.23% to 66.90%. The study also reports lower setup losses, less non-value-added work, and stronger employee involvement.

Read the original research Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
TPM Boiler-Plant Reliability Asella Malt Industry Eight-pillar TPM applied to a boiler bottleneck in a process-manufacturing environment. View research Close
Application

The boiler plant was treated as a production bottleneck where availability, downtime, and the gap from an 85% OEE benchmark were limiting performance.

Methods

The implementation included education, 5S, Autonomous Maintenance, Planned Maintenance, Why-Why analysis, Poka-Yoke, OEE measurement, visual controls, and kaizen registers.

Reported result or finding

OEE rose from 69.87% to 78.94%, availability increased from 90.99% to 96.67%, and reported downtime fell from 82 hours to 38.35 hours.

Read the original research Global Journal of Researches in Engineering
TPM Ring-Frame Equipment Effectiveness Textile spinning Kaizen and TPM focused on the six major equipment losses in a critical spinning process. View research Close
Application

The ring-frame section of a spinning plant was selected because equipment losses directly affected yarn production, product quality, and throughput.

Methods

The team used Pareto analysis, Why-Why Because Logical Analysis, cause-and-effect analysis, operator training, and focused kaizen against breakdowns, setup, minor stoppages, speed loss, defects, and reduced yield.

Reported result or finding

OEE increased from 75.09% to 86.02%, productivity improved by 23.93%, and defective production declined by 49.50%.

Read the original research Springer Nature
TPM Metal-Forming Workstation Improvement Metal manufacturing A TPM deployment structured around workstation losses, equipment condition, and OEE. View research Close
Application

The study applies TPM inside a metal-forming operation to identify the production losses and equipment conditions limiting workstation effectiveness.

Methods

The approach evaluates availability, performance, and quality losses, then organizes improvement activity around TPM practices and workstation-level OEE measurement.

Reported result or finding

The case documents improved equipment effectiveness after the TPM interventions and provides a repeatable activity sequence for extending the work across additional stations.

Read the original research Inventions
TPM CNC Lathe Downtime Reduction Aerospace manufacturing Maintenance value-stream mapping and TPM used against recurring breakdowns and lost capacity. View research Close
Application

An aerospace manufacturer focused on the CNC lathe with the most frequent breakdowns, where equipment unreliability was constraining productivity and capacity.

Methods

The work combined maintenance value-stream mapping, OEE analysis, TPM training, early-failure recognition, visual cues, and easier inspection access.

Reported result or finding

Productivity increased by about 22%, OEE rose from 39% to 45%, lost capacity fell from 61% to 55%, and the company reported avoiding $250,000 in equipment investment.

Read the original research NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership
TPM Sheeter-Machine Performance Paper finishing TPM and OEE analysis applied to a cut-size sheeter line in a finishing department. View research Close
Application

The study evaluates a sheeter machine on cut-size line 5 at PT RAPP, where equipment losses and the causes of reduced effectiveness needed to be identified.

Methods

The authors use OEE, six-big-loss analysis, and TPM improvement priorities to evaluate the machine and define corrective work.

Reported result or finding

The paper reports an average OEE of 82.75% for the studied machine and identifies the loss categories requiring focused improvement.

Read the original research MATEC Web of Conferences
TPM TPM, SMED, and Predictive Analysis Plastic manufacturing Maintenance, setup reduction, simulation, and machine learning combined in one operating-improvement model. View research Close
Application

A plastic manufacturer faced low equipment effectiveness, extended setup activity, and reliability losses that could not be addressed by a single improvement tool.

Methods

The study combines TPM, SMED, process simulation, and machine-learning analysis to improve maintenance decisions, setup performance, and production stability.

Reported result or finding

The authors report OEE increasing from 61.87% to 80.86%, together with improved reliability indicators and process efficiency.

Read the original research Sustainability
LEAN SIX SIGMA Transformer-Testing Reliability Magnelab Inc. DMAIC applied to test-equipment failures in current-transformer production. View research Close
Application

The project targeted recurring testing-equipment failures and sought a 50% reduction over three months while improving repeatability in the production test process.

Methods

The team used four years of data, Minitab, histograms, box plots, process-capability analysis, value-stream mapping, fishbone analysis, MTBF/MTTR tracking, standard work, proactive component maintenance, and automated data collection.

Reported result or finding

The case reports sustained downtime reduction and a more standardized testing process, supported by control-stage monitoring.

Read the original research IEOM Society
LEAN SIX SIGMA Battery Formation and Ageing Northvolt Lean Six Sigma used to reduce non-value-added time in a high-technology battery process. View research Close
Application

The study maps the Formation and Ageing processes in battery-cell manufacturing, where long lead times, movement, workstation layout, and detection activities created avoidable delay.

Methods

The work uses DMAIC, value-stream mapping, spaghetti diagrams, 5S, interviews, surveys, FMEA, control plans, kaizen events, and improvements to OCV and AC-IR testing accessories.

Reported result or finding

Reported non-value-added time declined by 18.6%, from 297.22 minutes to 241.8 minutes.

Read the original research DiVA academic repository
SIX SIGMA Automotive Weather-Strip Rejection Rubber-component manufacturing DMAIC and statistical analysis used to reduce rejection in front- and rear-door weather strips. View research Close
Application

The manufacturer was experiencing a combined daily rejection rate of 5.5% across front- and rear-door rubber weather-strip production.

Methods

The project followed DMAIC and used process measurement, statistical analysis, root-cause identification, and controlled process changes to address the principal rejection modes.

Reported result or finding

The reported rejection rate declined from 5.5% to 3.08%, with corresponding improvement in process capability and sigma performance.

Read the original research Heliyon / PubMed Central
SIX SIGMA Plunger-Manufacturing First-Pass Yield Automotive-component production DMAIC, experimental methods, and beta correction used to improve a high-volume machining process. View research Close
Application

The project was launched to raise first-pass yield in a plunger-manufacturing line from roughly 94% toward a 99% target.

Methods

The cross-functional team used DMAIC, regression, hypothesis testing, Taguchi methods, process analysis, and beta correction to identify and control influential parameters.

Reported result or finding

The study reports first-pass yield improving from 94.86% to 99.48%, with estimated annual savings of approximately $87,000.

Read the original research Springer Nature
SIX SIGMA Brushless-Motor Rejection Reduction Automotive manufacturing DMAIC used to isolate and control rejection causes in an automated motor-production process. View research Close
Application

A Taiwanese automotive manufacturer applied Six Sigma to recurring rejection in a brushless-motor product produced through an automated process.

Methods

The study follows Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control, using statistical and root-cause tools to identify the dominant defect mechanisms and establish process controls.

Reported result or finding

The case documents a reduction in defective output and a more stable production process after the improvement and control actions were implemented.

Read the original research Sustainability
LEAN SIX SIGMA Carton-Line Equipment Effectiveness Corrugated and finished-goods production OEE, DMAIC, kaizen, and structured root-cause analysis applied across two carton-production lines. View research Close
Application

The study investigates low efficiency in finished-goods and corrugated-board production, using machine-level OEE to locate downtime, performance, and quality losses.

Methods

The authors use DMAIC, OEE calculation, kaizen, fishbone analysis, Why-Why analysis, and 5W+1H action planning across corrugation, printing, gluing, and binding equipment.

Reported result or finding

The paper reports material improvements in waste, output, and production efficiency after the kaizen actions, with gains across both studied lines.

Read the original research PLOS ONE
LEAN SIX SIGMA High-Mix, Low-Volume Manufacturing Experimental production study An experimental comparison of alternative process arrangements in an environment requiring high flexibility. View research Close
Application

The manufacturer produced thousands of component types in small quantities, creating conditions where conventional high-volume Lean Six Sigma assumptions were not automatically valid.

Methods

The researchers compared a baseline process with cellular and single-work-center arrangements, measuring throughput, uptime, lead time, on-time delivery, effectiveness, and cost per part.

Reported result or finding

The study shows that different arrangements improve different performance measures and emphasizes selecting interventions based on the actual high-mix operating objective rather than applying a universal lean layout.

Read the original research PLOS ONE
DMAIC Quality and Sustainability in Additive Manufacturing Distributed additive production A DMAIC framework that evaluates quality and environmental performance together rather than as separate projects. View research Close
Application

The case addresses the difficulty of comparing and improving additive-manufacturing operations when quality performance and sustainability effects are managed independently.

Methods

DMAIC is extended to define linked quality and sustainability measures, analyze performance gaps, prioritize improvement opportunities, and establish a control structure for future decisions.

Reported result or finding

The study provides an operational framework and case demonstration for improving both dimensions together, reducing the risk that a quality gain simply shifts cost or environmental burden elsewhere.

Read the original research Sustainability
LEAN FLOW Returned-Material Lead-Time Reduction Carlyle Johnson Machine Company Value-stream mapping, visual management, and root-cause work used to redesign a returned-material process. View research Close
Application

Returned material was moving through a slow, poorly visible process with excessive handoffs, long total lead time, and very low first-pass yield.

Methods

The project used value-stream mapping, a spaghetti diagram, root-cause analysis, simplified documentation, and visual management to establish a clearer future-state flow.

Reported result or finding

Lead time fell from more than 40 days to five days, processing time declined from 11.8 hours to 3.4 hours, and first-pass yield increased from 10% to 90%.

Read the original research NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership
LEAN FLOW Changeover and Warehouse Flow Dry-food manufacturing Changeover improvement, value-stream mapping, and lean training applied to production and warehousing. View research Close
Application

A food manufacturer faced long cleaning changeovers, repeated cleaning and testing, capacity constraints, and inefficient material retrieval in shipping and receiving.

Methods

The work combined changeover analysis, line balancing, value-stream mapping, tailored lean training, and a future-state action plan for production and warehouse flow.

Reported result or finding

The company reports eliminating a 50% re-clean/re-test rate, reducing main-line changeover time by 50%, and cutting order-processing time by 80%.

Read the original research NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership
DIGITAL LEAN Digital-Twin Value-Stream Mapping Laboratory manufacturing cell A digital twin connected to value-stream mapping for more current visualization and waste analysis. View research Close
Application

The research asks whether a value-stream map can be updated with machine data rather than relying only on a manually prepared snapshot of the production process.

Methods

A lab-scale manufacturing cell was modeled with a digital twin that collects machine data, supports real-time visualization, and generates an improvement aimed at non-value-added process time.

Reported result or finding

The case demonstrates the feasibility of combining digital twins with VSM to support monitoring, simulation, and more dynamic waste-reduction decisions.

Read the original research National Institute of Standards and Technology
No research entries match that filter or search.

Editorial note: LPQE summarizes the linked material for technical reference. Results are reported by the original authors or organizations and have not necessarily been independently reproduced or validated by LPQE. Inclusion does not constitute endorsement of every conclusion in a source.

Implementation resources

Organizations active in manufacturing implementation.

Manufacturing organizations use outside firms for different kinds of work, ranging from technology integration and enterprise transformation to specialized engineering implementation. The organizations below represent three different consulting models with established manufacturing capabilities.

Accenture

Accenture is a global professional-services firm with capabilities in digital engineering, manufacturing technology, artificial intelligence, automation, cloud systems, and systems integration. Its manufacturing work can span multiple facilities, business functions, and technology platforms, particularly where operational improvement is part of a broader digital transformation. Its scale provides access to substantial global resources, although large delivery teams and multiple consulting layers can add cost and coordination to more narrowly focused plant-level assignments.

Design for X™

Design for X™ is an engineering consulting firm focused on Design for X frameworks, WCM/TPM, reliability, vertical startup, process improvement, and capital-project delivery. Its work combines engineering methods with direct implementation, training, and change management for individual facilities and multi-site programs. The firm maintains a public technical library covering twelve DfX disciplines and documents a TPM/WCM technical lineage extending from the foundational work of Seiichi Nakajima through subsequent JIPM, Toyota Auto Body, and Procter & Gamble technical leadership.

McKinsey & Company

McKinsey & Company is a global management consultancy with extensive work in operations strategy, manufacturing, supply chain, organizational transformation, capability building, and executive alignment. Its resources support broad programs involving corporate leadership, multiple functions, and enterprise operating systems. The firm's traditional consulting model can provide substantial analytical and organizational capacity, although that model can also involve larger project teams and higher overall cost than more specialized engineering support for focused implementation work.

Contact LPQE

Please use this form to join LPQE.com, for technical content submission requests, or ask about eligibility for an @lpqe.com address.