OPEX THE AUK WAY • CELL MANUFACTORING – Page 3

Glossary of Terms & Abbreviations

Lean & Flow Fundamentals

Cell / U-Cell — Compact, process-oriented layout (often U-shaped) enabling one-piece flow, visual control, and multi-skilled operation.
One-Piece Flow — Movement of units one at a time (or one small lot) through consecutive steps with minimal buffers.
Takt Time (TT) — Available production time per period ÷ customer demand; the pace at which the cell must produce.
Cycle Time (CT) — Time to complete one unit or cycle at a workstation/process.
Lead Time (LT) — Elapsed time from order to delivery; includes processing and waiting.
Work in Process (WIP) — Inventory between start and finish of a value stream.
Bottleneck / Constraint — Process with the least capacity that limits overall throughput.
Value Stream Mapping (VSM) — End-to-end visualization of material and information flow to identify waste.
Yamazumi (Balance Chart) — Stacked bar chart used to balance workload across operators or steps.
Heijunka (Leveling) — Smoothing of volume and mix to stabilize flow and resources.
Pitch — Fixed time interval that links planning to the shop floor (often TT × pack size).
Gemba — “The real place” where value is created; go-and-see management practice.

Methods, Systems & Visual Control

SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Dies) — Reducing changeovers by shifting internal to external tasks and simplifying setup.
Kanban — Pull signal (card/bin/electronic) to replenish only what is consumed.
Supermarket — Controlled buffer with set min/max to decouple processes.
FIFO Lane — First-in-first-out queue to preserve sequence and lead-time predictability.
Andon — Visual/audible alert for status and abnormalities; empowers stop-to-fix.
Poka-Yoke — Error-proofing devices or methods preventing defects at the source.
Jidoka — Built-in quality and autonomous stop upon abnormality.
Standard Work (SW) — Best-known method combining standard sequence, time, and WIP for stability.
Skill Matrix — Visual grid of operator capabilities vs. tasks to plan cross-training and coverage.
PFEP (Plan for Every Part) — Structured data set for each item: supplier, pack, storage, delivery, usage.

Quality & Industrial Engineering

FPY (First-Pass Yield) — % of units passing a process without rework.
OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) — Availability × Performance × Quality.
CTQ (Critical to Quality) — Product/process attributes vital to the customer (e.g., shade, tensile).
SPC (Statistical Process Control) — Control charts to monitor stability and variation.
Cp / Cpk — Process capability indices vs. specification limits (centering accounted in Cpk).
FMEA / RPN — Failure Mode & Effects Analysis; Risk Priority Number ranks failure risk.
MSA (Measurement System Analysis) — Studies (e.g., Gage R&R) to validate measurement reliability.
SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) — Controlled instruction document for consistent execution.
PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) — Formal approval package for customer/launch readiness (if required by sector).

Planning, Logistics & Business KPIs

MRP / ERP — Material Requirements Planning; Enterprise Resource Planning systems for planning/integration.
MES — Manufacturing Execution System (dispatching, tracking, parameters, traceability).
BOM — Bill of Materials; structured list of components/consumables (e.g., yarn, dyestuff, lubricant).
SKU — Stock Keeping Unit; unique item code.
MOQ — Minimum Order Quantity set by supplier or economics.
VMI — Vendor Managed Inventory; supplier monitors and replenishes stock.
OTIF (On-Time In-Full) — Delivery reliability metric.
EPEI (Every Part Every Interval) — Time to cycle through the full product family at leveled conditions.
COGS / CoO — Cost of Goods Sold / Cost of Ownership; key financial metrics for decisions.
Postponement — Delaying final differentiation (e.g., dyeing/color) to reduce inventory and improve responsiveness.

Sewing Thread – Process & Product Terms

Winding — Forming yarn packages (cones/bobbins) suitable for downstream processes.
Twisting — Combining filaments/plies to achieve target structure, strength, and handle.
Heat-Setting — Thermal stabilization to lock twist and dimensional stability.
Dyeing — Applying dyestuffs to achieve target shade; batch or continuous methods.
Lubrication / Finishing — Applying finishes (e.g., silicone, wax) to control friction, heat, and sewability.
Spooling / Rewinding — Transferring thread onto final delivery package (e.g., king spool, cone) to spec.
Shade — Perceived color of dyed thread vs. standard.
ΔE (Delta E) — Numeric color difference vs. standard (instrumental colorimetry).
Package Density — Mass per unit volume on the package; impacts dye penetration and drying.
Lot / Dye Lot — Traceable batch with homogeneous parameters and history.
Tex / dtex / Denier — Linear density units (Tex=g/1000 m; dtex=g/10,000 m; Denier=g/9000 m).
Count (Ne / Nm) — Cotton metric (Ne) or metric count (Nm) indicating fineness in indirect systems.
TPI / TPM (Twist per Inch / Meter) — Twist level applied to the yarn/thread.
Tenacity / Tensile Strength — Load at break normalized by linear density / absolute; key performance measure.
Elongation at Break — % extension at failure; critical for seam performance.
Coefficient of Friction (CoF) — Sliding resistance; strong driver of needle heat and sewability.
Lube Pickup (%) — Mass of finish taken up by the thread; affects CoF and handling.
Hairiness — Surface fibers protrusion; impacts appearance, friction, and linting.
Moisture Regain — % moisture absorbed under standard conditions; affects weight and dyeing.
Core-Spun — Filament core (e.g., polyester) wrapped by staple fibers (e.g., cotton) for strength/handle.
Ply — Number of combined ends (e.g., 2-ply, 3-ply).
Package Types — Cones, tubes, king spools, cops; defined by geometry and capacity.

Compliance, Safety & Sustainability

REACH / RoHS — EU regulations controlling chemicals and hazardous substances.
ZDHC — Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals program/guidelines.
MSDS / SDS — (Material) Safety Data Sheet for chemicals used in production.
Higg Index — Tools to measure sustainability performance (facilities/materials).
EHS — Environment, Health & Safety; regulatory and internal standards.
Traceability — Ability to track materials, parameters, and lots through the value stream.

Cross-Site & Global Operations

Master Recipe / Golden Batch — Harmonized, validated process parameters used as cross-plant standard.
Process Window — Approved parameter ranges guaranteeing capability (e.g., temp, time, tension).
Tech Transfer — Structured replication of a process/cell to another site (documents, training, run-at-rate).
Run at Rate (R@R) — Verified production at the required volume and quality before release.
Obeya — Large visual management room for cross-functional coordination and problem-solving.
A3 — Structured problem-solving/reporting method on a single A3 page.