Propuesta de mejora para la reducción de desperdicios e incremento de la productividad basada en herramientas Lean Manufacturing en el área de serigrafía de la empresa Pinto S.A.

Abstract

Abstract: This study developed a Lean Manufacturing improvement proposal for the screen-printing area of Pinto S.A., located in Otavalo, Imbabura Province, Ecuador, which objective is to reduce waste and increase productivity. To this end, an assessment of the area s current condition and operations was first conducted through a non-experimental, cross-sectional study with a descriptive scope and a mixed-methods approach, using purposive sampling of ten representative production batches of four-color designs. The diagnostic tools included process flow diagrams, a current-state Value Stream Mapping, and a root-cause analysis (Ishikawa). SMED was selected as the improvement tool due to its potential to deliver substantial gains without requiring major investment. Data were collected through direct observation, semi-structured interviews, video recording, and time studies. Analyses were performed in Excel to quantify times and prioritize actions. The results confirmed set-up as the primary constraint; moreover, the SMED-based proposal, supported by standardization and control mechanisms, let us estimate a reduction in design changeover time from 1:46:59 to 0:40:46 (−61.9%), improving flow continuity and the area s operational capacity.