Transforming Electrical Soft Ferrite Core Manufacturing Industry through IE Study

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Introduction

Among the changing faces of electrical component production, staying competitive is not merely a matter of having sophisticated equipment—it is a matter of planning with precision, optimizing resources, and process excellence. This case study delves into how India's top soft ferrite core producer joined hands with Production Modeling India (PMI) to revolutionize its operational efficiency across all its production plants. The client, a manufacturer of high-performance electric cores utilized in transformers, inductors, and other power devices, wanted to bring its production capabilities in line with its vision to be a global innovator.

Client Profile and Project Background

With increased demand and a complicated mix of core geometries, the client recognized the requirement to:

• Standardize work processes in all the Press, Sintering, Grinding, Tumbling, Coating, and Packing shops
• Utilize PMTS methods (MODAPTS) to accurately measure work content
• Maximize human and machine utilization
• Re-arrange to minimize fatigue and non-value-added (NVA) movement
• Use dashboards for daily and monthly demand-driven production planning
• Suggest low-cost process improvements and automation

Key Challenges

Although an experienced manufacturer, the customer had quite a number of operational hurdles:

  • Assess the overall system capacity and verify if targets for production could be achieved.
  • Determine the likely bottlenecks that impact flow and efficiency.
  • Examine the influence of unscheduled downtimes and maintenance interruptions.
  • Determine the interaction and interdependencies between various zones of downtime.
  • Calculate the buffer capacity required between zones to facilitate smooth operations.

Transforming Electrical Soft Ferrite Core Manufacturing Industry through IE Study

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PMI’s Strategic Approach

PMI applied a three-stage methodology tailored to the client’s production environment:

1. Data Collection

• Detailed video recordings of activities across all process areas.
• Extraction of historical production data over 2–3 months.
• Interaction with plant teams to understand variability based on different core types.

2. Estimation & Data Analysis

MODAPTS was used by PMI to decompose work into elemental time standards. Major activities involved:
• Measurement of work content per process, per product type
• VA/NVA analysis to identify inefficiencies
• Work distribution modeling for balancing manpower
• Development of area-wise dashboards to simulate production shifts, machine needs, and mandays.
• Suggestions for multi-manning, where a single operator could handle more than one machine.

Monthly Dashboard Based on Production
Area Wise Dashboard
Layout Modification/Multi-manning

3. Results & Conclusion

The results were noteworthy and actionable:
• Productivity improved by 59.49%, driven by streamlined task sequences and layout adjustments.
• Manpower reduced by 38.55%, through multi-manning at Dorst and Rotary machines.
• Dashboards now enable real-time, geometry-wise planning and capacity forecasting.
• Layout modifications eliminated motion-loss by reconfiguring aisles and work zones.
• Low-cost automation opportunities were identified for loading/unloading and material movement.

Transforming Electrical Soft Ferrite Core Manufacturing Industry through IE Study

Download Case Study PDF

Improvement Highlights

PMI’s report included several impactful recommendations:

• Use of special fixtures to reduce manpower dependency.
• Introduction of FIFO systems and signs within the Green Core zone.
• Rollout of on-the-job training (OJT) for new operators to reduce errors at the initial stages.
• Installation of visual inspection machines to mechanize core gauging.
• Improvement in tool management, consisting of preventive maintenance and monitoring of the life of tools.
• Scientific cleaning and process standardization in the grinding and coating shops.
• Reengineered packaging processes to save material and enhance quality.
• Introduction of Daily Work Management (DWM) and OEE monitoring systems for long-term performance monitoring.

Conclusion

By a systematic industrial engineering strategy, PMI facilitated the client to reshape its operations—not just with short-term improvements in productivity as well as manpower efficiency but also positioning for sustained growth. With digital dashboards, transparent work standards, and more streamlined layouts, the client is now capable of piloting the soft ferrite manufacturing sector with flexibility, efficiency, and innovation.

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