Concordia Institute for Information System Engineering

Applying Six Sigma Methodology on Coil Winding Assembly Line.

(Type A)

INSE 6210: Total Quality Methodologies in Engineering

Winter 2023
Project report

Submitted to: Prof. Zachary Patterson

Submitted by:

Student Names Student ID

Dilpreet Singh Jaura 40220871

Parth Modi 40234927
Shubham Sharma 40256704
Sumit Kumar 40254093
Panambarage Hashan Nelmal Fernando 40239489
Contents
1. Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... 1
2. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 2
3. Define Phase ..................................................................................................................................... 2
3.1 Process Flow Diagram .................................................................................................................. 3
3.2 Problem Statement ........................................................................................................................ 3
3.3 S.I.P.O.C Diagram ........................................................................................................................ 4
3.4 Voice Of Customers ...................................................................................................................... 4
3.5 Business Case................................................................................................................................ 5
3.6 Project charter ............................................................................................................................... 6
3.7 Critical to Quality Factors (CTQs)................................................................................................ 7
4. Measure Phase .................................................................................................................................. 7
4.1 Target Process ............................................................................................................................... 8
5. Analysis............................................................................................................................................. 8
6. Improve ........................................................................................................................................... 11
6.1 Brainstorming ............................................................................................................................. 11
6.2 Implementation ........................................................................................................................... 12
6.3 Cost Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 13
7. Control ............................................................................................................................................ 14
7.1 Implementing Training Programs ............................................................................................... 14
8. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 15
9. Reference ........................................................................................................................................ 16
10. Work Log ........................................................................................................................................ 17

Table of Figures and tables

Figure 1.Process Flow Diagram .................................................................................................................... 3

Figure 2. Control Chart prior to improvement .............................................................................................. 8
Figure 3. Cause and Effect Diagram - Copper Damages .............................................................................. 9
Figure 4. Cause and Effect Diagram - Encasing Defects ............................................................................ 10
Figure 5. Cause and Effect Diagram - Winding Defects ............................................................................ 10
Figure 6. New design of equipment tightening ........................................................................................... 13
Figure 7. Control Chart - after implementing solutions .............................................................................. 15

Table 1. S.I.P.O.C Diagram .......................................................................................................................... 4

Table 2. Voice of Customers ........................................................................................................................ 4
Table 3. Business Case ................................................................................................................................. 5
Table 4. Project Charter ................................................................................................................................ 6
Table 5. Defect Dataset ................................................................................................................................. 7
Table 6. 5-Why Analysis - Metal Expose ..................................................................................................... 9
Table 7. 5-Why Analysis – Inadequate Training ........................................................................................ 10
Table 8. 5-Why Analysis of Incorrect spacing between turns .................................................................... 11
Table 9. Solution Selection Matrix ............................................................................................................. 12
1. Executive Summary

The recent pandemic few years ago along with current economic instability and inflation has negatively
affected manufacturing processes across various technological sectors. The main reasons can be attributed
to : increased procurement costs due to limited availability of raw materials, increasing workers’s wage to
meet inflation rises, labor shortages, limited suppliers and stricter federal policies. Hence companies and
manufacturing organizations just cannot afford to have errors, defects and wastes in their production
facility, else they get pushed behind the competition.
This also applies to TOS Lanka, a manual toroidal wire assembling japanese company producing high tech
products for the Japanese technology market. The company has been recording steady rise in their
reworkable and non reworkable defects and thus it has been negatively impacting its gross profit margins.
This project’s main purpose is to optimize the manual coil winding assembly line of TOS Lanka Co.(Pvt)
Ltd, a Japanese-owned hi-tech electronics manufacturing firm in Sri Lanka. The company has been
experiencing substantial losses due to defects in the production line, which has led to significant ROI losses.
The project aims to reduce these defects and decrease the DPMO to 3.4 or less by utilising the Six Sigma
methodology which we have been studying in our class.
The Define part of the DMAIC methodology will be utilised to better understand the process of toroidal
coil manufacturing, from procuring the raw materials to shipping the final parchments, identify the key
potential and current problem areas and produce an objectively solvable problem statement. The team will
first gather requirements and expectations from stakeholders through Voice of Customer process and define
the outline, scope, goals, objectives, roles and responsibilities, timeline, budget, benefits, assumptions, and
risks involved in our project through a well-detailed Business Case study and Project Charter table.
Additionally, a CTQ Tree diagram will be implemented to ensure that the solutions to reduce non-working
defects actually meet the requirements of stakeholders and project supervisors.
Our project progress will be supervised by Project Manager Ornela Bregu, under the guidelines set by Prof.
Zachary Patterson, and the project team will further analyze the problem at hand, identify solvable root
causes and introduce solutions with the help of six sigma brainstorming methodologies to eliminate them.
The successful implementation of our proposed solutions will lead to increased production quantities,
shorter lead time and a higher quality standard of the products, strictly conforming to specification standards
with narrower tolerances, resulting in improved overall profitability for the company, even after considering
the significant investments made in the project.
The project team will conduct a number of online meetings and will communicate through emailing, as
ways to capture the needs, requirements, and expectations of the stakeholders and management, and their
feedback and criticism will be successfully weighted. The team will primarily focus on reducing non-
reworkable defects in the manual coil assembly line and provide actionable and feasible solutions to
improve the quality and delivery efficiency of products manufactured by Tos Lanka Co.(Pvt) Ltd. The
project will be carried out with thorough sincerity by all the members as the team realises how crucial the
project’s success is to the company's brand name, image, reputation, and its business.
By witnessing significant reduction in defect rate in its assembly line, TOS Lanka Co.(Pvt) Ltd will be able
to save a significant amount of money and resources that would have, otherwise, been lost due to reworks
or scrap processing, thus improving financial returns of the company. The success of our project will also
demonstrate the potential of Six Sigma methodology for achieving significant improvements in the quality
and performance of the manufacturing sector.

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2. Introduction

Tos Lanka Co.(Pvt) Ltd is fully Japanese owned Hi-Tech electronics manufacturing firm. This company
has been operating their manual coil winding assembly line since 2018. The company has identified
substantial losses in this production line which leads to massive loss. This project will address these
problems and provide possible solutions to decrease the defect rate.
In this study, we explore the application of Six Sigma methodology to optimize a coil winding assembly
line. By leveraging data-driven techniques and process improvement, we aim to reduce defects and and
reduce the DPMO to 3.4 to enhance production efficiency. Our findings demonstrate the potential of Six
Sigma for achieving significant improvements in manufacturing quality and performance.

3. Define Phase

The Define phase is our first step of the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control)
methodology of an effective Six Sigma quality management and improvement process based on a problem-
solving approach. The goal of the Define phase is –

1. To understand the complete process of toroidal coil manufacturing by the manual coil assembly
line of TOS Lanka Co.(Pvt) Ltd, a high-tech Japanese electronics manufacturing firm located in Sri
Lanka by interlinking different process stages and further simplifying it by dividing each process
into activities with the help of Process Flow Diagram and proceed with the further visual
representation of the complete process in SIPOC diagram which will give us a high-level
overview of the process.
2. To help identify and understand potential problems that need to be addressed from this high-level
process diagram and create an objective and resolvable Problem Statement.
3. To discuss the identified problems with the stakeholders and gather their requirements and
expectations by understanding their needs and incorporating them into our DMAIC improvement
methodology in the form of Voice of Customer process.
4. To define the outline, scope, goals, and objectives of our project and describe the roles and
responsibilities of the project team, the timeline, the main tasks, the budget, the pertaining benefits
of carrying out this project, assumptions and the risks involved with the help of well described and
comprehensively detailed Business Case and Project Charter.
5. To ensure that the solutions to reduce non-working defects in the our process actually meet the
requirements of the stakeholders and the management with the help of goal oriented and well
defined parameters called CTQs (Critical to Quality) factors by utilizing a CTQ Tree diagram.

*The team will be led by Project Manager Ornela Bregu, and the project is authorized by Prof. Zachary
Patterson, starting from 1 February 2023.

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 3.1 Process Flow Diagram

The figure 1 shows the main process flow diagram of manual coil winding assembly line of Tos Lanka Co.
(Pvt) Ltd.

Figure 1.Process Flow Diagram

3.2 Problem Statement

1. The current manual coil assembly line in Tos Lanka Co.(Pvt) Ltd. has a non-reworkable defect rate
of approximately 2% of its total production. This has led to significant losses for the company,
given the high cost of raw materials and labor.
2. In the month of February alone, 4536 toroidal coils out of total monthly production of 180240 were
found to have non-reworkable defects. Estimating each coils Market Price at 132 USD, the total
losses would amount to be at 598,752 USD per month or higher than 7 million USD annually.
3. The goal of the project is to reduce the non-reworkable defects in accordance with DMAIC
methodology to achieve a DPMO of 3.4 or less. The project team will analyze the problem, identify
the root causes, and introduce solutions to eliminate them.
4. The successful implementation of these solutions will lead to increased production quantities and
higher quality standards of the products, resulting in improved profitability for the company.

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 3.3 S.I.P.O.C Diagram
Table 1. S.I.P.O.C Diagram

SUPPLIER INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT CUSTOMER

RAW MATERIALS JAPANESE

RAW MATERIAL PREPARATION TOROIDAL COIL ELECTRONICS
SUPPLIERS MARKET

CORE, WIRE, LABOR WINDING DEFECTED

INSULATING PRODUCT
MATERIAL, TAPE

SPECIALIZED INSTRUCTIONS INSULATION SCRAP PRODUCT

TOOLS

MACHINES TESTING
If any 1 out of
18 reworkable and
non-reworkable
defects found

SENT TO
REJECTED AREA
FOR REWORK OR
SCRAPPING

3.4 Voice Of Customers

The following questions were asked to the stakeholders of the business and management via online
meeting to correctly capture their needs, requirements and expectations out of the project and their
feedback was successfully recorded:

Table 2. Voice of Customers

Q1 What are your expectations from the product manufactured by Tos Lanka Co.(Pvt) Ltd. in
terms of Quality and Standards?
Q2 Have you ever faced any quality issues with the products of Tos Lanka Co.(Pvt) Ltd.?
Q3 If yes, could you please specify the nature of the issue and how it affected your output both
financial and operational, of the product?
Q4 Do you think reducing non-reworkable defects in the manual coil assembly line will have any
positive impact on your experience with the products manufactured by Tos Lanka Co.(Pvt)
Ltd.?

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 Q5 Do you have any suggestions or recommendations for us on exactly what processes we should
focus more on in order to effectively find wastage of time, resources, labor and unnecessary
processes and provide solutions to improve the quality of products manufactured by Tos
Lanka Co.(Pvt) Ltd.?
Q6 How important is it for your brand image, reputation in the market and business to receive
high-quality products from Tos Lanka Co.(Pvt) Ltd.?

3.5 Business Case

Table 3. Business Case

Business Case for Six Sigma Project to remove Non-Reworkable Defect in Manual Coil Assembly
Project Name Applying Six Sigma Methodology on Coil Winding Assembly Line. (Type A)
Project Sponsor TOC Lanka Co.(Pvt) Ltd. Project Manager Ornela Bregu
date of approval 15 February 2023 Last date of revision 12 March 2023
Project Reduce the amount of non-reworkable defects in manual coil assembly line to achieve a DPMO of
Description 3.4 or less, using DMAIC methodology
Business To Increase business profitability of Tos Lanka Co.(Pvt) Ltd by decreasing non-reworkable defects
Objectives in manual coil assembly line, thereby reducing wastage of raw materials and expensive labor.
TOS Lanka Co.(Pvt) Ltd is a fully Japanese owned Hi-Tech electronics manufacturing firm, which
is currently generating massive losses due to non-reworkable defects in their manual toroidal coil
Business Case
assembly line. This project aims to reduce the defect rate and improve product quality standards,
resulting in a considerable profit gain and operational efficiency for the company.
Key 1). Reduction in non-reworkable defect rate,
Performance 2). Increase in production output, and decrease in rework and scrap work
Indicators 3). Considerable decrease in DPMO, resulting in increase in ROI.
(KPIs)
Project Team Sumit Kumar, Dilpreet Singh, Parth Modi, Shubham Sharma, Nelmal Fernando.
Members
Define problem, identify improvement activities, describe project goals, form CTQs; data
collection; accurately measure performance using Six Sigma Metrics; data analysis; determine root
Project Tasks causes of the problem; apply solutions to eliminate the root causes, introduce Kaizen activities for
continuous improvements; control current improved process and future process performance using
Six Sigma tools.
1). Currently allowed to work only with non-reworkable defects category;
Project Scope
2). Only able to analyse last one year's data to calculate sigma level till last month.
1). Not able to be physically present in the company to analyze improvement processes;
Constraints 2). Time zone difference resulting in difficulty in setting meeting with stakeholders.
3). Budget constraints may limit implementation of certain solutions of the identified root causes.

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 3.6 Project charter
Table 4. Project Charter

1. Problem
The amount of non-reworkable defects in manual coil assembly line in Tos lanka Co.(Pvt) Ltd. lies approximately
2% of its total production. Due to the high cost of raw materials and expensive labor, generation of non-reworkable
defects causes a huge loss for the company.

2. Goal
Team will analyze the problem and concentrate on providing solutions to reduce the non-reworkable defects in
accordance with the principles of DMAIC methodology to achieve a DPMO of 3.4 or less. These solutions will
increase the total productions quantities and the quality standards of the products. This will increase the profitability
of the company.

3. Business Case
Tos Lanka Co.(Pvt) Ltd is fully Japanese owned Hi-Tech electronics manufacturing firm. This company has been
operating their manual coil winding assembly line since 2018. The company has identified substantial losses in this
production line which leads to massive loss. This project will address these problems and provide possible solutions
to decrease the defect rate. As a result, the company will witness considerable profit gain after the implementation
of these solutions.

4. Main Tasks

# Function Start Date End Date Team member Related Tasks

1. Define 01-02-2023 11-02-2023 Shubham Sharma Define problem,

Improvement activities,
project goals, CTQ

2. Measure 12-02-2023 23-02-2023 Dilpreet Singh Data Collection, Measure

the performance using Six
Sigma Metrics

3. Analysis 24-02-2023 15-03-2023 Nelmal Fernando Data analysis, Determine

root causes of the problem.

4. Improve 16-02-2023 30-03-2023 Sumit Kumar Apply Solutions to

eliminate the root causes,
Introduce Kaizen activities
for continuous
improvements.

5. Control 31-03-2023 07-04-2023 Parth Modi Control the improved

process and future process
performance using six
sigma tools.

6. Project Authorization
Approved By: Project Manager: Date:
Prof. Zachary Patterson Ornela Bregu February 7, 2023
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 3.7 Critical to Quality Factors (CTQs)

Following are the CTQs of the project.

• Reduce Non-Reworkable Defects
• Improve Quality of the Toroidal coils
• Increase the productivity of the Manual Toroidal Coil Assembly Line
• Meet customer requirements (High Quality Standards of Japanese Electronics Market
• Reduce Waste ( Material, labor, process, transportation)
• Reduce Assemby Production Costs
• Increase Process Efficiency and Production Output
• Eliminate Root Causes

4. Measure Phase

As the second step in the DMAIC problem-solving methodology, the Measure phase aims to set a
benchmark of the current process performance and accumulate data that would aid in evaluating the extent
of the issue. The significance of this stage lies in its capability to furnish a factual groundwork for the rest
of the DMAIC procedure.
The original dataset consists of two categories of defects. Our team is focusing only on non-Reworkable
defect Category which has total 10 defect types. Below table shows the sample size and non-Reworkable
defects quantities of the dataset.

Table 5. Defect Dataset

Non
No of Sample Good
Reworkable Mean
Samples size Qty
Defects DPMO before Improvement Phase:
1 32160 31199 649 707.96
2 32160 30939 844 707.96 DPMO stands for Defects Per Million Opportunities, which is a
3 32160 31113 668 707.96 statistical measure used to analyse the performance of a process.
4 32160 31189 703 707.96
5 32160 31166 698 707.96 𝐷𝑃𝑀𝑂
6 32160 31151 753 707.96 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑠 X 1000000
7 32160 31236 619 707.96 =
8 32160 31148 761 707.96 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠 × 𝑁𝑜. 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑃𝑒𝑟 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑡
9 32160 31164 649 707.96
10 32160 31328 529 707.96 17699
𝐷𝑃𝑀𝑂 = ( ) × 1000000 = 𝟐𝟐𝟎𝟏. 𝟑𝟔𝟖
11 32160 31259 657 707.96 804000 × 10
12 32160 31147 748 707.96
13 32160 31225 619 707.96
14 32160 31290 609 707.96
15 32160 31153 713 707.96 Sigma Level = 4.3
16 32160 31068 813 707.96
17 32160 31220 646 707.96
18 32160 31118 775 707.96
19 32160 31114 680 707.96
20 32160 31071 818 707.96
21 32160 31052 780 707.96
22 32160 30959 862 707.96
23 32160 31122 730 707.96
24 32160 31340 597 707.96
25 32160 31066 779 707.96

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Control chart prior to improvement:

Figure 2. Control Chart prior to improvement

4.1 Target Process

This indicates that Tos Lanka was operating at a Four-Sigma Level (6200 or less); to get from this level to
our desired Six Sigma process, we will employ the DMAIC next approaches.

5. Analysis

The Analyze phase is the third stage of the DMAIC process, occurring after the Define and Measure phases
and prior to the Improve and Control phases. During this phase, data collected in the Measure phase was
analyzed using cause-and-effect analysis and 5-Why analysis. The goal of the Analyze phase is to identify
the root causes of the problem and gain a deep understanding of how the problem is occurring. This
understanding will help the team to prioritize potential solutions to be implemented in the Improve phase.
Finally, the Control phase follows to ensure the sustainability of the implemented solutions. [1]
To facilitate analysis, we have categorized the 10 non-reworkable defects into three main groups as shown
in the table below.

Non – Reworkable Defects Subgroup

Inside Copper Damages
Material Defects Copper Damages
Layer Shorts
Outer cap broken
Outer cap crack
Encasing Defects
Inner cap broken
Inner cap crack
Reverse winding
Turn Defects Winding Defects
Terminal length defects

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Cause and Effect Diagrams
Cause and effect diagrams, also known as fishbone diagrams or Ishikawa diagrams, are a visual tool used
to identify and analyze the root causes of a problem. The diagram is structured like a fishbone, with the
problem (or effect) at the head of the fish and the potential causes branching off like the bones of the fish.[2]
In our Six Sigma project aimed at reducing defects in the coil winding assembly line, we used cause and
effect diagrams to analyze the non-reworkable defects in the process. By breaking down the defects into
different categories and examining the potential causes for each, we were able to identify the root causes
of the defects and develop solutions to mitigate them. Furthermore, the most significant causes were further
using the 5-Why technique to gain a deeper understanding of the root causes. Details of analysis are shown
in below diagrams and tables.

Method Man

Inadequate
Over speed Training
winding Inexperienced
Incorrect windings Workers
Insufficient
methods Copper
supervision
Damages
Sharp edges in copper
Metal exposed in vise wires
tool Poor coating in
copper wires

Machine Materials

Figure 3. Cause and Effect Diagram - Copper Damages

Table 6. 5-Why Analysis - Metal Expose

Problem: Metal exposed in vise tool.

1 Why is there metal exposed in the vise tool?
Because the protective tapes are worn or damaged.
2 Why are the protective tapes worn or damaged?
Because they are not properly replaced and vise maintenance is not done correctly.
3 Why are the tapes not properly replaced and vise maintenance not done correctly?
Although individual operators are responsible for replacing the protective tapes, they do not
replace them daily.
4 Why do they not replace the protective tapes daily?
Because they do not know the importance of replacing the protective tapes.
5 Why do they not know the importance of replacing the protective tapes?
Because they have not been trained regarding the consequences of metal expose in vise.

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 Method Man

Inadequate
Over speed
Training
winding Incorrect inserting
of encases
Incorrect winding
Insufficient
angles Encasing
supervision
Defects
Shaking winding
tables Poor quality of
incoming encasings
Vise misalignment

Machine Materials

Figure 4. Cause and Effect Diagram - Encasing Defects

Table 7. 5-Why Analysis – Inadequate Training

Problem: Inadequate training

1 Why are workers not adequately trained?
There is no formal training program in place.
2 Why is there no formal training program in place?
There is no formal trainer assigned to do this task.
3 Why is there no formal trainer assigned for it?
Management does not see the value in recruiting specific trainer for this task.
4 Why does management not see the value in investing for a trainer?
They prefer to train new employee using other winding operators and does not see the value of
having specific trainer.
5 Why do they not see the value of having specific trainer?
lack of understanding about the long-term benefits of investing in formal person to train the new
operators as well as existing operators.

Method Man
Incorrect terminal Inadequate
measurement at the Training
starting of the winding Negligence of
winders
Incorrect Spacing of Lack of Focus
winding turns Winding
Defects

Length differences
of copper wires

Materials

Figure 5. Cause and Effect Diagram - Winding Defects

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Table 8. 5-Why Analysis of Incorrect spacing between turns

Problem: Incorrect Spacing between winding turns

1 Why is there incorrect spacing between winding turns?
The winding operators do not place the winding turns with the required spacing.
2 Why do the winding operators fail to place the winding turns with the required spacing?
They are unable to concentrate on the spacing during the winding process.
3 Why are the winding operators unable to concentrate on the spacing during the winding process?
The higher speed of winding causes them to rush and overlook the spacing requirements.
4 Why are the operators performing at a higher speed of winding?
They are given a target to wind 30 pieces per hour, which requires them to speed up the
winding process.
5 Why are the operators given a target to wind 30 pieces per hour?
The company has set production targets to achieve higher output, but this has resulted in an
increase in the defect percentage due to the operators rushing through the process.

After analyzing the data using the Ishikawa diagram and the 5-Why technique, the team discussed all the
causes contributing to non-reworkable defects. The most significant causes were then identified using a
solution selection matrix, which is given in Improvement phase.

6. Improve

In the project's improvement phase, we concentrated on lowering non-reworkable flaws in the assembly of
toroidal coils at Tos Lanka Co. (Pvt) Ltd. To enhance product quality and save costs, our objective was to
pinpoint and solve the underlying causes of the most prevalent problems, which were divided into 10
primary categories. We created and put into action a number of strategies working with a cross-functional
team to address the underlying causes of these flaws. This section will outline our strategy for enhancing
the toroidal coil assembly procedure as well as the outcomes of our work. This activity required two things:
(1) brainstorming by the six sigma team and project owners whose goal is to create a solution that will
address the main problem, (2) Creating a solution selection matrix to identify the impact, efforts, costs, and
risks of the proposed solutions.

6.1 Brainstorming

During the improvement phase, our team utilized brainstorming as a powerful tool to generate multiple
potential solutions and organize our thoughts for analysis and decision-making. We conducted a
brainstorming session with the Tos Lanka Co. (Pvt) Ltd. team, which included six employees and one
company representative, along with our team members to identify all possible solutions to address the root
causes of the non-reworkable defects in the toroidal coil assembly process. We followed a structured
approach and discussed the identified root causes and possible solutions with the team.

After the brainstorming session, we developed a solution selection matrix, where we rated each solution
based on factors such as effectiveness, feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and overall impact. This helped us to
identify the best feasible solution to address the root causes of the defects in the toroidal coil assembly
process.

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Table 9. Solution Selection Matrix

Effectiveness

Effectiveness
Relevant

Feasibility
Root Causes Set of Possible Solutions

Selection
Defect

Overall
Cost
Carry out Technical Training. 4 4 5 13 Yes
Copper Damages Train the winders regarding the 3 4 5 12 No
Inadequate
Encasing Defects defects.
Training
Winding Defects
Provide equipment maintenance 3 3 2 8 No
training to winders
Smooth the edges using a sander 4 4 4 12 Yes
machine.
Sharp Edges in
Copper Damages
Terminal ends. Solder the edges. 3 3 2 8 No
Apply silicon to the edges 4 2 2 8 No
Change Supplier 4 3 5 12 Yes
Copper Damages Poor Coating Change materials 4 2 3 9 No
Evaluate suppliers 1 4 5 10 No
Implementation of daily 4 4 5 13 Yes
maintenance checklist.
Equipment
Copper Damages
Maintenance Maintenance Training. 3 2 4 9 No
Change the equipment. 4 1 2 7 No
Add more weights to the table 2 3 4 9 No
Vibration in Permanently fix the tables to the 5 2 2 9 No
Encasing Defects winding floor
equipment
Re-design the table tightening 4 3 3 10 Yes
methods.
Employee evaluation 3 3 5 11 No
Separate the winding area from 5 2 2 9 No
Negligence &
Winding Defects other processes
Lack of Focus
More concentration by 4 5 5 14 Yes
supervisors

6.2 Implementation
After implementing the strategies to enhance the toroidal coil assembly process, several positive results
were observed.
Firstly, the number of non-reworkable defects in the toroidal coil assembly process reduced significantly.
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Secondly, the product quality was improved, and the overall customer satisfaction increased.
Thirdly, the cost associated with rework and repair of the defective coils reduced significantly, resulting in
overall cost savings for the company.
Fourthly, the technical skills of the employees were enhanced through the technical training provided,
which also led to increased employee satisfaction.
Finally, the implementation of daily maintenance checklists resulted in improved equipment maintenance,
leading to increased equipment longevity and reduced downtime.
These results indicate that the improvement phase was successful in achieving the objective of lowering
non-reworkable flaws and enhancing the overall toroidal coil assembly process.

Below pictures given in figure 6 shows the implementation of new equipment tightening method, which
we proposed to eliminate the vibration effects.

Figure 6. New design of equipment tightening

6.3 Cost Analysis

After conducting a thorough analysis of the root causes of the defects in our toroidal coil assembly process,
we identified a set of possible solutions and evaluated them based on effectiveness, feasibility, and cost-
effectiveness. The company implemented some of the proposed solutions, including carrying out technical
training for winders to address the inadequate training root cause, and redesigning the table tightening
methods to eliminate encasing defects.

To ensure the success of the technical training, the company hired a professional trainer who charged around
40,000 for a week's training. Additionally, the company paid overtime to the 6 employees who attended the
training in the evening classes, with the cost varying based on their pay rate. However, these costs were
necessary investments to improve employee skills and prevent future defects.

The modification of the table tightening method, which involved hiring a machinist and purchasing some
parts such as screws, was a low-cost solution that had a high impact on eliminating encasing defects. The
company was able to implement these solutions effectively, and as a result, saw a significant reduction in
defects, leading to higher productivity and cost savings in the long run.

Poka Yoke
One of the solutions we proposed was implementing Poka Yoke to eliminate the reverse winding defect
category. This defect occurs when the operator places the winding core in the wrong direction. To prevent
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this, we proposed modifying the winding tool so that the operator is unable to place the core in the wrong
direction. However, testing this modification will take some time as it requires designing, manufacturing,
and testing the new tool. Once this is completed, we can perform a cost-benefit analysis to determine the
effectiveness of this solution.

7. Control

The main goal of the control phase for Tos Lanka Co. (Pvt) Ltd's toroidal coil assembly line is to sustain
the improvements that have been achieved and to prevent any regression back to the original state. Here
are the steps that can be followed in the control phase to reduce non-reworkable defects:
Develop Monitoring Systems: Develop a system to monitor the critical process parameters, such as the
dimensions of the toroidal coil, the winding tension, and the quality of the materials used. Use statistical
process control tools, such as control charts, to monitor the process performance over time and detect any
deviations from the established control limits.

7.1 Implementing Training Programs

Training plays a crucial role in equipping employees with the skills and knowledge needed to prevent
defects, maintain quality standards, and continuously improve the toroidal coil assembly process. Ensure
that they understand their roles in maintaining the quality of the product and preventing defects.
Implementing training involves several steps
1. Training Needs Assessment: This involves identifying the specific skills and knowledge gaps that
employees involved in the toroidal coil assembly line have. This will be done through surveys,
observations, interviews, and performance evaluations. The results of the needs assessment will
help determine the types of training programs that are needed and prioritize them based on the
severity of the knowledge gaps.
2. Training Program Development: Once the training needs are identified, training programs will be
developed to address those needs. This may include creating training materials, developing
instructional guides, and designing training sessions or workshops. The content of the training
programs should be tailored to the specific requirements of the toroidal coil assembly process and
the types of defects identified during the Analyze phase.
3. Training Delivery: The training should be conducted by qualified trainers who have expertise in
the subject matter and can effectively communicate the training content to the employees. The
training should be conducted in a structured manner and should allow for ample opportunities for
employees to ask questions, practice new skills, and receive feedback.
4. Training Evaluation: After the training is delivered, it's important to evaluate its effectiveness. This
can be done through assessments, tests, quizzes, or practical demonstrations to ensure that
employees have acquired the necessary knowledge and skills. Feedback from employees who
participated in the training can also be collected to gauge their perception of the training and
identify any areas that may require further improvement.
5. Ongoing Training: Training should not be a one-time event, but rather an ongoing process. To
ensure that employees retain the knowledge and skills acquired through training, refresher courses
or ongoing training programs can be provided periodically
6. Documentation and Record Keeping: Proper documentation and record keeping of the training
programs are important for tracking and reporting purposes. This includes keeping records of the
training content, materials, attendance, assessments, and evaluations. These records can be used to
demonstrate compliance with training requirements, track progress, and identify areas for
improvement.

By providing effective and ongoing training, Tos Lanka Co. can ensure that their employees are equipped
to produce high-quality products with minimal defects, contributing to the overall success of the
company's improvement efforts.
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Continuously Monitor and Review the Process: Continuously monitor the process performance using
control charts and other statistical tools. Review the data regularly to identify any trends or patterns and
take corrective actions as necessary.

Take Corrective Action: If the process performance falls outside the established control limits, take
corrective actions immediately. Investigate the root cause of the problem and implement corrective
actions to prevent it from recurring.

By implementing these steps, Tos Lanka Co. (Pvt) Ltd can reduce the non-reworkable defects in their
toroidal coil assembly process and achieve their goal of reducing defects. This will help the company
increase its production output, meet higher production targets, and improve customer satisfaction.

Figure 7. Control Chart - after implementing solutions

8. Conclusion

Our process improvement efforts have proven to be successful, as evidenced by the substantial reduction
in DPMO from 2,201.367 to 894.44 and the increase in Sigma level from 4.3 to 4.6. Although we didn't
reach the 3.4 DPMO goal, we achieved greater stability with all points in control. These positive results
highlight the value of our continuous improvement initiatives and commitment to maintaining quality and
process excellence.

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9. Reference

1. Q. Feng and K. Kapur, "New to Six Sigma? An Introduction to Six Sigma for Students and New
Quality Practitioners," in Journal Nam, January 2007.

2. V. Deshpande, "Cause-and-Effect Diagram for a Teaching Learning Process (CEDTLP) – A Case

Study," Industrial Engineering Journal, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. XX-YY, August 2008.

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10. Work Log

Meeting Minutes – 1st Meeting

Location: Online via Zoom

Date: 2nd February - 2023
Time: 10.30 A.M ( IST)
Attendees: Team Members – Six Sigma project Officials in Tos lanka Co. Pvt Ltd.

1. Dilpreet Singh Jaura 1. Vageesha Suraweera – Quality Assurance

2. Parth Modi Manager
3. Shubham Sharma 2. Nuwan Niluka – production Engineer
4. Sumit Kumar 3. Andrew Fernando – Quality Executive
5. Nelmal Fernando
Summary of Discussed Points:
1. Team members expressed their gratitude to the officials of TOS Lanka for providing the
necessary data to carry out the Six Sigma project.
2. Vageesha Suraweera, Quality Manager, provided a concise overview of the problem and
requirements, and informed the team to contact Andrew Fernando if any further assistance is
needed.
3. Nelmal Fernando shared the project timeline and offered a brief explanation of the team's plan of
action.

Meeting Minutes – 2nd Meeting

Location: Online via Zoom

Date: 27th March 2023
Time: 9.00 A.M ( IST)
Attendees: Team Members – Six Sigma project Officials in Tos lanka Co. Pvt Ltd.

1. Dilpreet Singh Jaura 1. Nuwan Niluka – Production Engineer

2. Parth Modi 2. Andrew Fernando – Quality Executive
3. Shubham Sharma
4. Sumit Kumar
5. Nelmal Fernando

Summary of Discussed points

1. The Six Sigma team members shared their analysis of the root causes of the problems and explored
possible solutions for implementation.
2. Nuwan Niluka, Production Engineer, mentioned that the training program, designing of the
equipment tightening method, and assigning a specific supervisor could be implemented
immediately. He also noted that while it is not feasible to train all employees, they could proceed
with a trial involving five winding employees.
3. Andrew Fernando, Quality Executive, stated that the company can carry out separate visual
inspections and testing for the trial production from the five trained employees.Dilpreet from the
six sigma team requested that due the time limit of the project, conduct the trial production for 15
days.
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Meeting Minutes – 3rd Meeting

Location: Online via Zoom

Date: 14th April 2023
Time: 10.00 A.M ( IST)
Attendees: Team Members – Six Sigma project Officials in Tos lanka Co. Pvt Ltd.

1. Dilpreet Singh Jaura 1. Vageesha Suraweera – Quality Assurance

2. Parth Modi Manager
3. Shubham Sharma 2. Dexter Fernando – Procurements Manager
4. Sumit Kumar 3. Nuwan Niluka – Production Engineer
5. Nelmal Fernando 4. Andrew Fernando – Quality Executive

Summary of Discussed points

1. Vageesha Suraweera, Quality Manager, reported that they observed a significant decrease in non-
reworkable defects during the trial production. She added that these results would be discussed at
the management meeting, and they will take appropriate steps to implement all solutions gradually.
2. Nelmal Fernando from the Six Sigma team shared the updated DPMO and presented the difference
in control charts before and after production. Furthermore, he discussed proposals of Poka-Yoke to
eliminate reverse winding issues.
3. The Six Sigma Project team expressed their gratitude to the company for supporting the project.
4. On behalf of the company, Andrew Fernando thanked the Six Sigma team for their efforts in
conducting the project.

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