Lean Manufacturing Automation

The Hot Dog Robot Disaster: What It Teaches Us About Lean Automation You may have seen the video. A robot attempts to make and deliver a simple hot dog, only for everything to go hilariously wrong. Funny? Absolutely. But it also highlights a crucial point: Automation without purpose or Lean principles is a recipe for failure. Here’s what this hot dog disaster can teach us about automation done the right way: 1️⃣ Simplify Before Automating Why automate a process that isn’t streamlined? Lean principles teach us to remove waste, simplify workflows, and error-proof tasks before introducing automation. In the robot’s case, a simpler process would have saved unhappy customers. 2️⃣ Built-In Quality Control (Jidoka) Lean automation isn’t just about speed, it’s about quality. Jidoka, or “automation with a human touch,” ensures machines can detect and respond to errors. If the robot had a mechanism to catch mistakes (like an improperly placed bun), it could have avoided a full-scale meltdown. 3️⃣ Match the Technology to the Task Not every task needs a high-tech robot. Sometimes, simple, manual tools or low-cost automation get the job done better. Trying to make a robot handle every detail of the hot dog process? Overkill. 4️⃣ Focus on the User Automation should support people, not create more problems. If the robot had been designed with a focus on usability and error-proofing, it wouldn’t have left us laughing (and questioning the hot dog’s future). The Takeaway: Automation is only as good as the process behind it. Lean principles remind us to focus on simplicity, quality, and efficiency. Whether you’re assembling hot dogs or manufacturing car parts, the same rule applies: Fix the process first, then automate with purpose.

𝗔 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗠𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗩𝗮𝗻𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 In 2013, while Nike was busy with the Lean 2.0 project, another massive challenge was beginning. The 'Manufacturing Modernization' project aimed to automate shoe production processes. This project involved four strategic partners known as the 'Big 4,' each responsible for 4-5 automation process projects. It was during this time that Mitch Vanhille joined Nike's Lean team. He soon became a game-changer for this automation project. 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀 When Mitch examined each automation project, he discovered a critical problem: each company was only optimizing individual processes. The optimization of overall flow was being neglected. He determined that for this project to succeed, the Lean team, Industrial Engineering team, and automation team needed to work together. His solution? 3P (Production Preparation Process) - a methodology that would connect individual automation projects to optimize entire processes by creating full-scale mockups of production equipment before actual manufacturing begins. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟵,𝟬𝟬𝟬-𝗕𝗼𝘅 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 In July 2014, Mitch led a transformative 3P workshop at a supplier's Modernization Center in China. With 120 participants including Big 4 development engineers, Lean team, IE team, and production teams, they used 9,000 cardboard boxes to create full-scale mockups of 20+ automation equipment pieces. Seven teams worked together to present different improvement ideas. The results were extraordinary: 50% reduction in space usage, 60% increase in productivity per person, and significant projected cost savings. This was a new approach that went beyond simple kaizen events, and Mitch's 3P was later added as a new module to the Lean 2.0 playbook. 𝗠𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗩𝗮𝗻𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲'𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 By introducing the 3P approach that connected individual automation projects to optimize entire processes, Mitch made a decisive contribution to Nike's manufacturing innovation. His approach achieved true Lean innovation integrating people, processes, and technology in the age of automation. While the Manufacturing Modernization project faced scalability challenges that prevented full-scale implementation, Mitch's 3P methodology proved its value and became part of Nike's continuous improvement toolkit. True to Nike's spirit of innovation, the company continues to explore new approaches to manufacturing excellence, building on lessons learned from both successes and setbacks. "𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵 (3𝘗), 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵. 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯." #Mitch_Vanhille #3P #Nike_Manufacturing_Modernization

𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗸𝘂𝗿𝗶: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲—𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 In many factories, the word “automation” still sounds expensive. But Karakuri proves the opposite. Karakuri is a low-cost, mechanical automation system that uses gravity, springs, levers and human ingenuity—not electricity—to improve productivity. It’s simple, reliable, and incredibly effective. 🔧 Why Karakuri? 𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 & 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘓𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘻𝘦𝘳𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘌𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 💡 It’s not about replacing people. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬, ���𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬. In Lean manufacturing, the most powerful solutions are often the simplest ones— and Karakuri is the perfect example.

Michael Gamache has watched manufacturing evolve from pencil sketches and flame-cut templates to fully integrated robotic systems, and he brings a rare long-view perspective that a lot of automation conversations are missing. Instead of pushing shiny solutions, Mike keeps coming back to one simple truth: automation only works when the problem is clear. Mike doesn’t romanticize lights-out manufacturing or pretend robots are a silver bullet. He talks openly about why automation fails: unstable processes, unclear ROI, leadership misalignment, and more. It’s refreshing to hear someone say out loud what many people learn the hard way. The practical guidance stands out. From starting automation at shipping and working upstream, to knowing when certain systems make more sense than custom solutions, this episode gives listeners real guidelines, not just inspiration. The emphasis on #lean foundations before #automation is especially important. If the process is broken, automating it just makes the chaos faster. What makes the episode memorable, though, is the human side. Mike’s stories, humor, and his “Create Holy Moments” philosophy add depth beyond machines and metrics. Continuous improvement isn’t framed as a cost-saving tactic. It’s about respect for people, better work, and building shops that last. This conversation also tackles the fear factor head-on: failed automation attempts, sticker shock, engineering hours, and cultural resistance all get addressed honestly. The message is clear: automation isn’t optional anymore, but it does require conviction, patience, and aligned leadership. If you’re thinking about automation, or you’ve been burned by it before, this episode is worth your time: https://lnkd.in/enNngqsy Lights Out MakingChips Nick Goellner Eric Nekich David Vuyk Mike Payne Paul Van Metre Jennifer Dubose Jon Franko Joe Sullivan #LightsOut #manufacturing #podcast

You don’t need to scroll through viral videos to see automation fail spectacularly. Real-world disasters tell the same story: ➡️ Toyota “Sudden Acceleration” issues ➡️ Boeing 737 Max MCAS system ➡️ Therac-25 radiation machines These failures ,and countless others, stem from what I call the "Arrogance of the Algorithm”: The belief that automation alone can solve complex problems. Here are four hard-learned lessons to avoid repeating these fiascos: 1️⃣ Streamline Before You Automate Automation is not a shortcut. Before automating, Lean thinking teaches us: + to strip away waste + to simplify workflows + to error-proof processes Automating a messy process doesn’t fix it. It locks in the problems and multiplies their impact. Think of it like turning a leaky faucet into a high-pressure hose the mess just gets bigger. 2️⃣ Build in Quality (Jidoka) Fast automation isn’t enough; it must also be smart. Jidoka means machines detect defects and stop when something goes wrong. Without this safeguard, errors cascade unchecked, creating failures that are bigger, faster, and far harder to fix. 3️⃣ Right-Size Technology High-tech isn’t always better. Overengineered solutions: + raise costs + decrease reliability + complicate workflows Sometimes the simplest solution—a modest automation or even a well-designed manual step—delivers the most consistent results. 4️⃣ Human-Centered Design Automation should support people, not confuse them. Systems must be intuitive, ergonomic, and fail-safe. Many disasters happen not because the mechanics fail, but because the humans operating the systems were ignored. Designing for the human experience is non-negotiable. 📌 Bottom Line: Automation doesn’t fix broken systems—it amplifies them. Lean principles remind us to simplify processes, embed quality at every step, and design around human needs first. Only then does automation deliver real value, whether on a shop floor or in a service environment.

Automation doesn’t always start with robots or six-figure systems. Sometimes it starts with something as simple as automating the bandsaw and the impact is bigger than most people realize. Buying material by the bar saves money, gives me flexibility, and ensures I always have stock on hand for the unexpected. But cutting those bars manually ties up time and time is the one resource a growing shop can’t afford to waste. By automating the bandsaw, I’m removing a low-value, repetitive task from the workflow. - No more having someone stand there cutting stock all afternoon. - No more interrupting machining time to walk over and cut up a bar. - No more bottleneck before parts even hit the machine. Instead, the saw handles the busywork while I stay focused on revenue-generating tasks such as programming, setups, machining, and serving customers. This is what business-minded automation looks like: Small steps that protect labor, increase output, and make the shop more resilient without adding unnecessary overhead. This bandsaw upgrade might seem simple, but it’s another move toward a shop that runs lean, runs smart, and keeps scaling. #Manufacturing #CNC #MachineShop #CNCmachining #Madeinatormach #Tormach #Milspecmanufacturing #WorkSmarterNotHarder #SmallBusiness #EntrepreneurLife #BusinessGrowth #OperationalEfficiency #LeanManufacturing #ShopOptimization