Improving OEE in a Peruvian SME: A Case Study on the Application of Lean Manufacturing Tools in the Metalworking Sector

Abstract

In Peru, SMEs have been affected by the crisis that caused the COVID 19 pandemic. Likewise, the hard competition with Asian countries like China has been a reason for Peruvian SMEs deciding to work with high-quality products. However, poor machine and maintenance management, high percentage of rework, and excessive downtime are frequent problems faced by SMEs in the metalworking sector. For this reason, the bending area was identified as the most critical. In this study, the case of a Peruvian SME that produces air conditioning products was studied. In this case, the bending area was the most critical. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to prove how the use of lean manufacturing tools can impact the productivity of the bending area, thereby improving indicators such as OEE, cycle time, unnecessary routes, and space reduction.