Scope of Six Sigma in Indian foundry operations: a case study

Bikram Jit Singh and Dinesh Khanduja

International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 2012, vol. 13, issue 1, 65-97

Abstract: This study emphasises on the immediate need of high operation performances in foundries by uncovering some feeble production metrics of Indian foundries. Where it discusses versatile challenges before foundries in India there it also highlights some advantages of Indian scenario as far as scope of productivity enhancement through Six Sigma is concerned. It also summarises some tools under various phases of Six Sigma that may be more effective and efficient for foundry environments of this sub continent. Six Sigma's DMAIC methodology has been used to reduce the defect rate among existing operations. Doing things right in first time and keeping them consistently is the only idea behind Six Sigma. An empirical investigation has been carried out in a make-to-order (medium-sized) foundry to demystified Six Sigma among Indians by showing its compatibility with Indian foundry SMEs also. Six Sigma has been implemented to decrease the scrap (or defects) from a two wheeler's piston castings by 15.02% appreciably. It is one of a rare but successful Six Sigma pilot study that uses response surface methodology as an optimisation technique, among Indian die casting foundries.

Keywords: critical to quality variables; automotive mission plan; AMP; process mapping; cost of poor quality; response surface methodology; RSM; contour plot; process audit sheet; p-chart; sigma calculator; measurement system analysis; MSA; India; six sigma; foundry operations; make-to-order foundries; die casting foundries; optimisation. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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