a Deptt. of Mech. Engg., Haryana College of Tech. & Mgt., Kaithal, India.
b Mechanical Engineering Department, Thapar University, Patiala, Punjab, India.
c Deptt. of Mech. Engg., National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, India.
In today's highly competitive market survival of a manufacturing organization depends upon its ability to introduce new and improved products while containing their prices within competitive range. Cost cutting through process improvement has assumed a great importance in all kinds of manufacturing organizations. Minimizing wastage of resources and moving towards implementation of lean manufacturing have become key strategies to achieve cost cutting. Flexible Machines plays an important role in ensuring lean manufacturing (LM) to be successful and provides good proposition for the success of the organization in the long run. Successful implementation of LM requires sophisticated flexible numerically controlled machines, use of latest technology systems and procedures of work, standardization, multi skilled flexible work force and so on. In this paper, research questions were designed and incorporated into seven point likert scale survey questionnaire for managers and engineers that enabled a quantitative assessment for the various components of LM and machine flexibility (MF). The survey was completed over 20 firms located in northern Indian. The response on different issues related to LM and MF is taken on a specially designed questionnaire and by conducting the personnel interviews with officials and management. Present study reveals the relation between MF and degree of LM in the Indian context.
Machine Flexibility, Lean Manufacturing, Degree of Leanness, Resource Wastage, Cost Reduction
