DuraLabel & Lean Manufacturing Techniques

The DuraLabel printer and lean manufacturing form an outstanding partnership. The versatility and flexibility of the DuraLabel means it can handle just about any visual communication task related to lean manufacturing.

What is lean manufacturing? Why are labels and signs an important part of lean manufacturing? Visit the Visual Workplace (Visual Communication) web site to learn about both. This web site is dedicated to providing information about lean manufacturing techniques such as 5S, kaizen and kanban. These are techniques that can help your business reduce waste, improve productivity, get organized, improve quality and increase customer satisfaction. It provides introductory information about each of these lean manufacturing techniques, allowing you to determine whether they may be effective in your facility. They also offer a printed guide for each of these lean techniques. Free copies of each guide are available.

Visual communication means to have needed information available at the time and location where it is needed. This is usually accomplished using labels and signs. That's were the term "visual workplace" comes from. A Visual workplace is one in which even a new hire knows where they are in the facility, what the safety hazards are, and what they need to do in case of an emergency. All they information they need to know is immediately available, without being presented in a confusing manner.

An example of visual communication would be a system that combines color coding, text and graphics to aid workers in returning tools to their proper location. Signs with text identify tool storage locations. Color coding makes it quick and easy to identify the correct general location a tool belongs in. A color coded shadow (graphic) of the tool identifies the specific location. This system of visual communication helps ensure tools are returned to their proper location. It makes returning a tool fast and easy, and it eliminates errors. That is what you get as the result of effective visual communication.