Implementation of Lean Manufacturing Tools to Reduce Start-Up Time in the Frozen Mango Production Line in the Agro-export Company, Vinculos Agricolas

Abstract

One of the main problems affecting production lines in the agribusiness sector is the excessive line start-up times that operators take to prepare before entering the production hall. According to Finance Forward Latin America, (2021), 31% of the problems that generate delays within production lines are due to the lack of organization within their processes. In order to ensure the optimization of line start-up and eliminate downtime, an improvement work that seeks to optimize resources and start-up times will be presented, and the root causes of delays will be analyzed and viable solutions for continuous improvement will be proposed. This case study focused on identifying and addressing start-up delays in the frozen mango production line at Vínculos Agrícolas. A mixed approach was employed, analyzing qualitative and quantitative data to understand the problem. Strategies such as SMED, 5S methodology, and lean layout design were implemented to reduce machine setup times, personnel and time in specific areas, achieving a total reduction of 46.50 min in start-up time (98.12–51.62 min). The application of the 5S methodology resulted in less time spent on personnel preparation; the reorganization of the space for washing boots through a new lean layout reduced the time that the operations spent in this area; and finally, the SMED tool managed to reduce the start-up time of the machines within the line. This optimization resulted in a 47% increase in production, maximizing the use of available time and resources. These results highlight the effectiveness of the improvements implemented to optimize production capacity and operational efficiency in the agribusiness industry.