Productivity Improvement for the Manufacture of Disposable Medical Material in a South American Country pointing towards Industry 4.0

Abstract

The manufacture of disposable medical material in a developing country is a labor-intensive manufacturing process. Quality inspections are based on experts’ personal observations, who then decide which products fulfill the required quality. Errors in quality control can have fatal consequences due to the clinical use of the products. Furthermore, we cope with several manufacturing problems that affect demand fulfillment. In this context, we need an efficient production line with reliable quality control processes, i.e. a lean production system, no wastes. Implementing the concepts of Industry 4.0 is therefore recommended for a continuous improvement process in the disposable medical material industry. In the cur-rent research, we introduce automated assembly machines as a first step to establish new standards for production and quality. Furthermore, we analyze the long-term benefits based on the application of automation, lean production and Industry 4.0.