Context of the chemical and plastics industry

The chemical and plastic industry is crucial across various sectors, from automotive and packaging to healthcare. Products from this industry are used in applications ranging from high-tech components to everyday consumer goods, highlighting its vast relevance in the global market. With a strong dependence on raw materials, this industry must ensure environmental and economic sustainability, constantly innovating to reduce its environmental impact.

The need to reduce fossil fuel consumption, optimize production processes, and minimize waste has become a priority for companies in this sector. In addition, increasing regulations and consumer demands for more eco-friendly products pressure companies to rethink their operations.

Faced with these growing challenges, the chemical and plastic industry requires effective strategies that ensure long-term productivity, quality, and sustainability. Here, Lean and Kaizen methodologies prove essential in helping companies address these challenges and transform their operations, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

Current challenges based on case studies

The chemical and plastic industry faces operational challenges, compromising companies’ efficiency and competitiveness. These challenges are not limited to technological issues but include process management, maintenance, and internal organization. Problems such as equipment maintenance failures, contamination of raw materials, energy waste, and the lack of an organized workspace culture significantly impact productivity, operating costs, and product quality.

Below are some main challenges, highlighting critical problems that can be solved with a structured, continuous improvement approach.

Maintenance failures and inefficient equipment

The industry’s lack of an effective maintenance strategy is a common issue. Critical production equipment is often not given the necessary attention, with maintenance plans based on time cycles rather than usage, wear, or chemical exposure. This approach can result in frequent breakdowns, loss of productivity, and increased raw material consumption due to equipment inefficiency. Additionally, concentrating maintenance tasks on a single technician or restricted group increases production vulnerability, impacting equipment availability and compromising operational efficiency.

Raw material contamination and quality loss

Another recurring challenge is raw material contamination during the production process. Improper handling of chemicals and insufficient operator training contribute to contamination, directly affecting the final product’s quality. The absence of clear standards and effective visual management for handling and storing raw materials exacerbates this issue, resulting in quality losses and inefficiencies, which increase production costs and reduce the company’s competitiveness in the market.

Energy waste and operational inefficiencies

Energy waste is one of the main challenges in this industry, particularly in production processes involving high-energy-consuming equipment. The lack of awareness about energy efficiency, combined with outdated systems and equipment, leads to excessive resource consumption. Moreover, process inefficiencies—such as long changeover times and frequent stoppages due to equipment failures—further increase operational costs and result in significant productivity losses.

Lack of workspace organization and routine standardization

Disorganized workspaces and the absence of standardized routines contribute to production inefficiency. Without a culture of organization, such as implementing 5S practices (Sort, Straighten, Scrub, Standardize, Sustain), operations tend to be chaotic, leading to wasted time and resources. The lack of standardized routines makes it challenging to execute tasks efficiently, resulting in errors, delays, and a higher likelihood of production process failures, ultimately compromising product quality and timely delivery.

Overcoming challenges: the role of Kaizen Institute

The Kaizen Institute’s approach is essential for addressing the chemical and plastic industry’s various challenges, promoting a sustainable and effective transformation. Through methodologies like Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), visual management, process standardization, and continuous team engagement, disruptive improvements in operational efficiency and waste reduction can be achieved. Implementing these practices fosters a culture of continuous improvement that resolves immediate problems and prevents recurrence, ensuring more stable and efficient production. Below, we detail specific strategies used to tackle the key challenges.

Implementing TPM and improving maintenance

Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a highly effective strategy for increasing equipment reliability and availability. TPM focuses on improving maintenance by restoring equipment to its original condition, ensuring it operates at peak performance. In addition, TPM enables the creation of specific standards for maintenance tasks, organizes preventive and predictive maintenance routines more efficiently, empowers operators to perform basic maintenance tasks, and reduces dependence on specialized technicians. By involving the entire team in maintenance, breakdowns are reduced, machine availability increases, and productivity rises.

Visual management and process standardization

Visual management is a crucial tool for organizing the workplace and increasing transparency in operations. Through visual indicators like colors and symbols, processes can be standardized, allowing for quick identification of problems or areas that require attention. Combined with process standardization—which involves creating clear, documented operational routines—visual management ensures more efficient execution of daily tasks. Standardization reduces errors and waste, ensuring that all operations are carried out consistently, regardless of who performs them. These practices improve efficiency and minimize outcome variability, establishing a solid foundation for continuous improvement.

Daily Kaizen and team training

Daily Kaizen is a fundamental practice involving operators in identifying and solving problems in their daily work. Through minor, continuous improvements, teams can quickly identify the root causes of problems and implement immediate solutions. For this practice to be effective, ongoing team training is essential, enabling operators to recognize problems and suggest improvements. Daily Kaizen fosters a culture of continuous improvement where every employee is responsible for enhancing their work environment and the operations they oversee. This positively impacts work quality, reduces failures, and increases operational efficiency.

Energy consumption optimization and waste reduction

Optimizing energy consumption is a primary focus of continuous improvement practices in the industry. Energy waste points can be identified through detailed analyses of production processes, leading to implementing changes that increase efficiency. These changes can include adapting equipment to operate with lower energy consumption, redefining processes to reduce resource use, and employing more efficient technologies. Additionally, reducing material waste—such as off-specification products—is essential for optimizing resources and enhancing operational sustainability. Implementing root-cause problem-solving methods helps decrease inefficiencies and promotes more rational use of energy and materials.

Kaizen Events

Kaizen Events are structured sessions that solve specific problems by applying continuous improvement tools and methodologies. During these events, teams thoroughly analyze processes, identify improvement opportunities, and implement changes directly impacting operational efficiency. These events are focused on critical areas, such as reducing setup times, optimizing production flows, and eliminating waste. Below are three types of Kaizen Events that are crucial for addressing problems in the chemical and plastic industry.

SMED

SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die) is a methodology that drastically reduces tool change and setup times between different operations. Implementing SMED reduces machine downtimes, enabling greater production flexibility and increased capacity. SMED involves separating internal and external activities, standardizing tools, and simplifying processes to reduce setup times. This results in a more agile production system, with less machine downtime and improved overall efficiency.

Kobetsu Kaizen

Kobetsu Kaizen focuses on solving specific problems within production processes. This methodology involves a detailed analysis of recurring issues, such as excessive chemical consumption or inefficient warehouse layouts, and implementing specific solutions that eliminate or minimize these problems. Kobetsu Kaizen aims to achieve significant improvements in critical areas of the operation, promoting waste elimination, increasing efficiency, and enhancing product quality.

Autonomous maintenance

Autonomous maintenance empowers operators to perform basic maintenance tasks on the equipment they use daily. By implementing autonomous maintenance, operators become responsible for tasks like cleaning, inspecting, and lubricating machines, which reduces dependence on the maintenance team and increases equipment reliability. This practice improves daily equipment maintenance and promotes a greater sense of responsibility among operators, ensuring that machines operate optimally for longer periods.

Results achieved with the Kaizen approach

Implementing Kaizen methodologies brings breakthrough and measurable results to companies in the chemical and plastic industries. By applying continuous improvement practices, significant gains can be made in operational efficiency, product quality, and cost reductions. Below, we highlight some results obtained through these improvement projects, demonstrating the positive impact of the interventions in this industry.

Increased availability and reduced breakdowns

With the implementation of TPM and Autonomous Maintenance, the mean time between failures (MTBF) increased from 18 hours to 38 hours, significantly improving equipment reliability. Monthly breakdowns were drastically reduced from 18 to just four a month. Additionally, equipment availability, previously 67%, rose to 80%, resulting in greater stability in the production process and reduced machine idle time.

Waste and energy consumption reduction

Optimizing production processes and reducing waste and energy consumption resulted in significant savings. Energy consumption has been reduced by 30%, contributing to more sustainable operations with lower costs. Furthermore, changeover times were reduced by 8%, enabling greater flexibility and efficiency on the production line. Chemical and packaging consumption was also optimized, with a 3% reduction. These results demonstrate how Kaizen practices can positively impact energy performance and waste reduction, increasing operational competitiveness.

Improvement in Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE)

Kaizen practices like process standardization and visual management substantially improved OEE. Higher equipment availability and reduced idle time further boosted productivity, achieving significant gains without the need for new equipment investments. This improvement in resource utilization resulted in more efficient operations, with less wasted time and materials.

The results obtained from implementing Kaizen methodologies in the chemical and plastic industries demonstrate that continuous improvement is essential for overcoming operational challenges and increasing efficiency. Key indicators, such as increased equipment availability, reduced energy consumption, and improved OEE, demonstrate that significant results can be achieved with simple but effective practices. Furthermore, the culture of continuous improvement promoted by the Kaizen Institute ensures that these improvements are sustained over time, providing a more sustainable and competitive operation.

Still have questions about how to optimize efficiency in the chemical and plastics industry?

How can the Kaizen Institute help my company reduce waste?

Kaizen focuses on eliminating waste in every stage of the production process. Through a detailed analysis of workflows, inefficiencies such as wasted materials, downtime, and excess movements can be identified. By implementing Kaizen tools such as 5S and Kaizen Events, companies can reorganize their processes, improve quality, and reduce waste, fostering a more Lean and sustainable operation.

What are the first steps to implementing a TPM strategy?

Implementing Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) begins with raising awareness about the importance of preventive maintenance and empowering operators. The first steps include creating a detailed maintenance plan, standardizing inspection routines, and training operators to perform basic maintenance tasks. Companies can gradually expand TPM to include autonomous maintenance and regular equipment performance monitoring, leading to fewer breakdowns and greater equipment availability.

How can continuous improvement increase energy efficiency?

Continuous improvement allows companies to thoroughly analyze their processes and identify opportunities to optimize energy consumption. Energy use can be significantly reduced by reviewing operational procedures and introducing more efficient practices, such as using low-energy equipment and optimizing operational times. By implementing Lean practices, companies can continuously monitor their energy consumption and adjust processes to avoid waste, contributing to a more sustainable and profitable operation.