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The 5S Method Defined

In a metal manufacturing setting, the Kai zen 5S scheme, which is an array of five Japanese words beginning with the letter “S” can be implemented for the shop floor.  This scheme allows for a clean, working setting.  

The first “S” is Seiri and refers to neatness or in English can mean “sort.”  The shop floor in a metal environment should always be tidy.    Any articles not required for production need to be gotten rid of.  A way of labeling unneeded articles is by “red tagging” them, which is precisely what it means:  putting a red tag on the item.  The articles are subsequently relocated to a place where they can be catalogued and either used elsewhere, thrown away, or recycled.

The second “S” is Seiton and refers to organization or objects being “set in order.”  The shop setting should have everything in its place.    Articles have to be warehoused efficiently and tagged so that staff can locate them quickly and easily.  If things are disorganized, this will advance production time while workers look for components. It is imperative that all of the “S” steps go in sequence and that this step is done subsequent to sorting because time does not need to be wasted sorting objects that need to be red tagged and thrown away.  

The third “S” is Seiso which is defined as cleanliness or “shine.”  Now that everything is put away, an exhaustive cleaning of the shop needs to be conducted and on a continual schedule in the future.  Machines and sites should always be cleansed so they are functioning optimally so cleaning of sites should be done daily.  Cleaning also helps workers notice if something is not functioning optimally.  Dirt can hinder the effectiveness of a machine in a metal manufacturing setting.  

The fourth “S” is Seiketsu, which means standardization.  Standardization ensures that everyone is on the same page in what they should be doing and a standard form of steps are always followed so that the 5S methodology is maintained.  Charts and signs can be used as reminders to staff so that they keep using the system. Roving from the steps or standards can waste priceless time.  Prevention is important in this step so that a buildup of unneeded materials is avoided, a dirty work environment is avoided, and the first 3 S’s are perpetuated.

The final “S” is Shitsuke and is defined as continuing with the principles of Kai zen through continuous improvement and sustaining the discipline.  The aim is to make all of the S’s a practice and to not fall back on old practices and forget about the 5S methodology.  Management follow-up and constant reminders are necessary to ensure that the 5S system is a success.
Oftentimes a sixth “S” is appended for safety. This “S” would be beneficial to include in a metal manufacturing setting due to the manufacturing machinery that is located on the shop floor such as laser cutters.  Workers must be trained in safety measures and safety adherence.

5S System in Practice

At Maloya, we utilized the 5S methodology in many ways to improve our working environment.  We used metrics to measure efficiency and achievement in our production work environment as well as measured production quality levels.  We also looked at benchmarks of needed skill sets for staff working in certain areas so that they could see which of their employees needed more training.  The system let us to grow our business significantly by putting into practice the 5S system in a metal manufacturing setting.  

Marc Anderes is a co-founder of Maloya Laser which specializes in Metal Manufacturing and <A href=”http://www.MaloyaLaser.com”>Laser Cutting</a> with advanced <A href=”http://www.maloyalaser.com/capabilities_equipment.php”>laser technologies</a>, for aerospace, medical, machinery, scientific and transportation requirements.