ADVANCED production techniques were once the preserve of the multi-national manufacturers. Now, the benefits of lean manufacturing are filtering down to small and medium-sized firms.

Northern Technologies is playing a major role in changing the way East Lancashire companies are taking advantage of process improvement principles to become more efficient and productive.

WINNING a major contract to supply components for mobile phone mast antenna was a breakthrough for NR Automatic in Colne.

But when production began at the engineering company's base at Duckworth Mill in Oak Street, it proved not quite as straightforward as they had hoped.

A series of problems arose related to speed and quality which threatened to undermine the profitability of the contract.

A call to Northern Technologies in Nelson helped put NR Automatic back on track by altering the production line. Productivity has been increased by 40 per cent and the company has been awarded additional contracts.

Process improvement manager Paul Bateson identified that the cell's performance could be improved by applying lean manufacturing principles.

"Their production line consisted of an automatic wire-cutting machine feeding five workstations, each with a different manual operation," he said. " We gathered data about the process times, cell layout, labour positioning, part handling and the rate at which the wire-cutting machine was feeding the cell." Paul modelled a new cell layout and performed a series of statistical simulations using the process data.

The operators were then invited to view the various scenarios and minor changes were made before a final layout was agreed.

As a result, the U-shaped cell of operators facing outwards became a C-shaped one with staff facing inwards, allowing them to see and talk to one another. The wire-cutting machine was slowed so that it matched that of the longest individual operation within the cell.

It was also raised off the floor, allowing the wires to be gravity fed into the first operation. Then racks holding just 20 components were placed at various stages of the manufacture.

Finally, Northern Technologies held training sessions with the operators. "This was vital, as the new methodology involved a pull system rather than the previous push system," said Paul.

NR. Automatic plant manager, Mark Stinchon, said the improved system had made a big impact on its operations.

"Increased capacity and flexibility has led to our customer awarding us further contracts to supply their overseas operations," he said. "Cell throughput has increased dramatically and our inventory has been reduced from almost 1,000 parts to a mere 120."

The process improvements from Northern Technologies have certainly paid off for NR. Automatic and it is those kind of results, which Paul acknowledges as the most satisfying aspect of the service:

"Being able to streamline a company's operations so they can work more effectively for the same or lower levels of effort is of great long-term benefit and the results speak for themselves," he added.