The Importance of 5S Methodology in Manufacturing
The 5S methodology is a workplace practice intended to provide a sense of structure within work environments. Originating in Japan’s manufacturing industry and duplicated by different workplaces throughout the globe, 5S has proven to be an effective practice that enables smooth transitions throughout workplace environments. In the world of manufacturing, 5S provides a level of organization that permits for machinists to be efficient. This article will discuss 5S methodology; each S and the benefits they provide to manufacturing companies.
Sort:
Sort describes the practice of sorting the different types of elements within a workspace. When it comes to manufacturing, sorting would include elements such as material sorting, machine sorting, etc. The idea is to not mix and match and to sort by categories so for example a manufacturing company would sort and separate a milling machine from a turning machine. Implementing the sort method allows for machinists to easily locate and use a specific machine or tool, it also reduces confusion, allows for extra space, and enhances safety measures.
Set in order:
The objective of set in order methodology is to place all workplace tools in an area relevant to their use. In the case of manufacturing set in order; the methodology would be ideal for organizing items such as screws. For example, having a box full of various screws would not be conducive to productivity because it would require a machinist to eyeball the measurement of a screw for instance a ½-inch screw. Rather than having a box of various screws, it would be beneficial to have 10 different boxes of screws that are separated by size such as ½-inch, 1-inch, etc. When implementing set in order methodology it would be logical for a manufacturing company to have a dedicated area meant to store tools; those tools should be easily accessible and sequenced based on the frequency of use. It would be appropriate to tag the specific area so the machine operator would know exactly where to look.
