Header Die & Tool Inc.

(44 employees)

Rockford, Illinois-Global supplier of cold-forming tooling and other specialty manufactured parts for the automotive and aerospace industries

www.header.com

“IMEC has been there and done that. They have a lot of experience, and it’s hands-on experience, not theory. They’re a great partner in our ongoing continuous improvement journey.”

Lucas Derry, President

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Situation

After 57 successful years in business, Header’s leadership is committed to keeping the company from becoming complacent. To ensure employees are focused on customers and committed to continuous improvement, the company exposed its entire workforce to lean concepts through an IMEC-conducted training session, then decided to embark on several projects to begin implementing improvements

IMEC Solution

IMEC led a 5S team of six employees through the Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain process for gauge pins, a common piece of measuring equipment used on the shop floor. The team discussed the current state, brainstormed ideas for improvement, walked through the process in the shop and gathered inventory and then documented a new process, developed guidelines for all employees to follow, conducted an audit and followed up to ensure the process was working. The initiative was so successful that Header launched a second 5S project for collets, which is now in implementation.