Title: Reducing rejections using Six Sigma: a case from Indian automobile component manufacturing industry

Authors: Mohit Kaushik; Gaurav Chauhan; K. Mathiyazhagan; Ravindra Ojha; Mayank Kumar

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, The NorthCap University, Gurgaon – 122017, Haryana, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, The NorthCap University, Gurgaon – 122017, Haryana, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, The NorthCap University, Gurgaon – 122017, Haryana, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, The NorthCap University, Gurgaon – 122017, Haryana, India ' Maruti Centre for Excellence, MSIL, Gurgaon, Haryana, India

Abstract: Quality is critical in the selection of a product as the customer demands a defect-free product. Six Sigma is a systematic approach based on data for the improvement of the process with an aim to reduce the number of defects to 3.4 parts per million opportunities. The approach has facilitated several companies to enhance the capabilities of their process and thereby improve the quality of their products and services. This paper addresses a cases study which involves the application of define, measure, analyse, improve and control (DMAIC) methodology of Six Sigma to reduce the rejections in a connecting rod manufacturing facility. Its implementation has resulted in the reduction of rejection from 1.75% to 0.80% over a period of one year in the manufacturing plant. Due to reduction in rejection the estimated savings is in (to) the order of 0.9 million INR per annum.

Keywords: Six Sigma; failure mode and effect analysis; why-why analysis; single minute exchange of die; process capability; measurement system analysis; reducing rejections.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSOM.2019.099655

International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 2019 Vol.33 No.1, pp.69 - 86

Received: 04 Feb 2017
Accepted: 27 Apr 2017
Published online: 20 May 2019 *

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