Kaizen Activities | Avci Mold Bursa

Most major transformations often lack grandiose starting points. Shortening a welding time by two seconds, eliminating a mold change step, optimizing a sheet metal conveying movement — each of these things looks small. But when accumulated systematically, it becomes the difference that determines competitive advantage. The name of this approach: Kaizen.

What is Kaizen?

Kaizen (改善) is formed from the Japanese words "kai" (change) and "zen" (good). The Turkish equivalent is "continuous improvement". Kaizen, one of the fundamental pillars of the Toyota Production System (TPS), is not a one-off project but an indispensable part of the production culture.
The essence of Kaizen is this: every process can be improved; the person who knows that process best does the healing.For this reason, Kaizen stands out as a methodology that can be fed from field employees, not from senior management, and that creates concrete gains with a short-term focus of small groups.

Anatomy of the Kaizen Event

A typical Kaizen activity in sheet metal and molding facilities follows these steps:

Problem identification: Based on observations, data, and complaints, an improvement opportunity is identified.< / li>
Current state analysis: Waste points are visualized through value stream, spaghetti diagram, or video analysis.< / li>
Goal setting: A measurable and achievable goal is set (e.g., Reduce installation time by 30%, cut waste rate in half).< / li>
Root cause analysis: The real cause is found with 5 Reasons (5 Why) or a fishbone diagram.< / li>
Improvement design and implementation: Low-cost, rapidly implementable solutions are tested.< / li>
Standardization: The effective improvement is transformed into a procedure, instruction, or visual guidance.< / li>
Sharing of results: The achievement is shared with the entire facility; horizontal diffusion to similar processes is ensured.< / li>

Areas of Kaizen Application in Sheet Metal Facilities

Field	Kaizen Opportunity
Mold change (setup)	Internal and external setup decomposition with the SMED methodology; shortening changeover time
Sheet metal feeding line	Elimination of unnecessary transport movements and waiting times
Fire and reprocessing	Error root cause detection, pattern correction or parameter optimization
CNC machine tool efficiency	Reducing idle operating times, extending tool life
Maintenance processes	Reducing downtime, improving preventive maintenance routines
Ergonomics and safety	Workload distribution, lifting points, cutting surface exposure

SMED: Applying Kaizen to Setup Times

SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Die) is the name of the methodology developed by Shigeo Shingo that dramatically shortens mold exchange times.
The basic approach divides installation activities into two groups:

Internal setup: Operations that must be performed when the machine stops
External setup: Operations that can be performed while the machine is running

The aim of SMED is to transform internal setup steps into external setup steps as much as possible and to shorten the remaining internal steps by standardizing them. With this method, mold changes that used to take hours on sheet metal presses can be reduced to fifteen to twenty minutes.

Kaizen Culture: Beyond Technical Means

For Kaizen to yield lasting results, a cultural foundation beyond technical tools is required:

Psychological safety: An environment where employees feel comfortable reporting mistakes
Management support: Senior management going to the field (Gemba walk) and taking suggestions seriously
Visible tracking: Monitoring improvement suggestions, their status, and results on the dashboard
Training: Systematic training for employees to use problem-solving tools

Kaizen and Digital Transformation

Digital tools offer new possibilities that strengthen the Kaizen process:

Field observation becomes easier with video analysis
OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) software automatically reports waste.
Digital Kaizen dashboards provide remote monitoring and coordination capabilities
Data analytics prioritizes processes with the highest improvement potential

Result

Kaizen is not a project; it is a way of thinking. Staying competitive in the sheet metal and molding industry requires large capital investments as well as the discipline of improvement, which progresses with small steps every day.
As Avci Kalip, we place the culture of continuous improvement at the center of our production understanding; we aim to get a little better every day in order to offer faster delivery, less waste and higher quality to our customers.
This article is intended for professionals working in the fields of production engineering, lean manufacturing, and process improvement.