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Rework, Error, and Warranty Sample Projects

Problem: A manufacturer of custom machined components was experiencing rework costs exceeding 5% of sales revenue.

Solution: Major contributors of errors resulting in rework were found to be in the engineering and manufacturing departments. Rework data for both engineering and manufacturing was gathered and analyzed to find the associated root causes. The engineering portion was attacked by a team using a Kaizen event. The manufacturing component was addressed by creating a rework and error tracking and management system.

Results: Rework due to engineering errors were reduced by 50% in the first year. Manufacturing errors were reduced by 76%.

Problem: An aerospace component manufacturer was experiencing a manufacturing defect rate of 10%.

Solution: Several "tools of quality" were utilized to determine and correct several root causes of these defects.

Results: The defect rate decreased by 60% in less than 12 months.

Problem: A manufacturer of turbomachinery was experiencing a high component rework rate at final assembly.

Solution: The final assembly operators were observed to determine which components required frequent rework. Root causes for each component were found and corrected.

Results: Rework at assembly was essentially eliminated.