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For more than 25 years, Northern Indiana manufacturer Oji Intertech has supported the automotive, transportation and industrial packaging industries with its compression molding, diecutting, assembly and extrusion-coating product line. Eighty-five Oji employees produce everything from headliners, structure seat supports and diecut assemblies to steel and paper industry wraps and fiber drum and consumer packaging lamination.

Situation:

Ninety-seven Oji Intertech employees produce everything from headliners, structure seat supports and diecut assemblies to steel and paper industry wraps and fiber drum and consumer packaging lamination.  Oji competes on a global front, where manufacturers that sit still are quickly passed by their competitors. 

Solution:

To maintain that competitive edge, Oji partnered with Purdue TAP/MEP to train its entire workforce in Lean Six Sigma manufacturing principles. With a focus on process improvement, employees were certified in the areas of Green Belt, Black Belt and Champion.

Results:

Results of the Purdue partnership have been significant and immediate, particularly for Oji's molding, extrusion-coating and warehouse units:

• $400,000 reduction in inventory costs during the first two months of implementing a process known as value stream mapping.
• $120,000 in savings after addressing variances in its polycoated chip board, the material used by its extrusion division to manufacture molding products.
• $40,000 in savings from improved productivity after implementing tracking and visual display monitors throughout the plant, in what's called an Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) system.

“Oji Intertech has benefited from the Purdue partnership by improving our processes through the Lean disciplines and targeting the more difficult waste and variation through the Six Sigma program. We implemented the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) tracking and visual display boards throughout the plant to give realtime information back to the operators. It has also provided management with real-time reports to address issues during the daily review meetings.”

- Rick Sereno, President, Oji Intertech

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