Lean Manufacturing In Powder Processing — A Paradigm Shift

By Richard Franzke

The concept of Lean Manufacturing has been growing in popularity in the manufacturing world for the past several years.

Driven by several factors, including a slowing U.S. economy, rising costs of input materials, an increase in rationalization of production facilities, and the influx of inexpensive products from overseas, manufacturers are embracing the principles of Lean Thinking to solidify their competitiveness and improve market share.

Powder Processors have been especially susceptible to these external forces (due mainly to) rising material costs coupled with cutbacks in internal resources. To counter, manufacturers are turning to their equipment suppliers to help them develop and implement processes that take advantage of the benefits that can be derived from implementing the principles of Lean Manufacturing.