Tool Management for Job Readiness

Woodward is a global leader in energy conversion and control solutions, serving the aerospace and industrial industries. Our project focused on improving job readiness and production efficiency for a natural gas valve production line, a component that requires precise machining to prevent gas leaks. Gauges are utilized to verify that machined components conform to specified dimensional tolerances, ensuring precision and compliance with engineering design standards. Initially, inefficiencies in gauge organization, tracking, and calibration caused frequent downtime leading to cost overruns or losses. Misplaced gauges, lack of real-time tracking, and delayed calibrations disrupted workflow, increased production delays, and reduced overall efficiency. To address this, we applied lean manufacturing principles, digital tracking tools, and calibration management systems through a phased approach: assessing pain points, developing real-time tracking solutions and standardized workflows. We created kit packs that enhanced gauge organization, significantly reducing search time. Additionally, the redundant gauging solution which incorporated a new calibration schedule minimized unexpected disruptions, leading to more consistent production quality. These improvements have driven significant cost savings, improved production efficiency, and enhanced quality control. As a result, search time was decreased by 92% and a proposal was created to increase gauge traceability from 0% to 90%. These optimizations ensure long-term sustainability and create a scalable framework for improving efficiency in other high-value products at Woodward.