5S Case Study: Lathe Workstation Transformation
Discover how lean manufacturing and 5S methodology can transform workstation productivity, reduce safety hazards, and eliminate wasted tool search time.
LATHE WORKSTATION
ORGANISATION
5S Improvement Project | Lean Manufacturing Initiative
Sort
Set
Shine
Standardise
Sustain
Production Engineering Department
THE PROBLEM IDENTIFIED
Tool Clutter
Mixed tools with no designated storage
Safety Hazards
Metal chips and oil spills on walkways
Wasted Time
Operators searching for tools 15+ min/day
No Labelling
Parts and consumables unmarked and mixed
5S AUDIT RESULTS
Initial Baseline Score
SORT
1.5 / 5
30%
SET IN ORDER
1.0 / 5
20%
SHINE
2.0 / 5
40%
STANDARDISE
1.5 / 5
30%
SUSTAIN
1.0 / 5
20%
OVERALL: 1.4 / 5
ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
DISORGANISED
LATHE
PEOPLE
No training
No ownership
METHODS
No procedures
No schedule
MACHINES
No shadow boards
No tool holders
MATERIALS
Excess stock
No FIFO
ENVIRONMENT
No markings
Poor lighting
MANAGEMENT
No audits
No accountability
Tool Search Time
18 min
<2 min
5S Score
1.4/5
4.5/5
Safety Incidents
3/mo
0/mo
Cleaning Compliance
20%
100%
SOP Adherence
10%
95%
Visual Controls
Before & After
Benefits
- lean-manufacturing
- 5s-methodology
- production-engineering
- workplace-organization
- industrial-safety
- continuous-improvement
- kpi-metrics