Poka -Yoke

Jani Saheb Shaik, PMP

What is Poka-Yoke?

The phrase Poka-Yoke originates from the Japanese words:

yokeru poka =

= to avoid inadvertent/uninted errors

It is a methodology that is used to strive toward zero defects by either preventing or automatically detecting defects.

Originally called "fool proofing"

later changed to "mistake proofing

"fail safing so employees weren't offended,
The result is a business that wastes less energy, time and resources doing things wrong in the future.

Concept Development
Developed by Dr. Shigeo Shingo, industrial engineers at Toyota who has been credited with creating and formalizing Zero Quality Control (ZQC), It is a simple technique to avoid simple human error at work. Part of Zero Defect Quality Control. Identifying defects at the source lowers the cost.

Shigeo Shingo was a leading proponent of statistical process control in Japanese manufacturing in the 1950s but became frustrated with the statistical approach as he realized that it would never reduce product defects to zero

Statistical sampling implies that some products to go untested, with the result that some rate of defects would always reach the customer.

While visiting the Yamada Electric plant in 1961, Shingo was told of a problem that the factory had with one of its products Part of the product was a small switch with two push-buttons supported by two springs. Occasionally, the worker assembling the switch would forget to insert a spring under each push-button. Sometimes the error would not be discovered until the unit reached a customer, and the factory would have to dispatch an engineer to the customer site to disassemble the switch, insert the missing spring, and reassemble the switch. This problem of the missing spring was both costly and embarrassing Management at the factory would warn the employees to pay more attention to their work, but despite everyone's best intentions, the missing spring problem would eventually re-appear.

A poka-yoke device is any mechanism that either prevents a mistake from being made or makes the mistake obvious at a glance. As Shingo writes, "The causes of defects lie in worker errors, and defects are the results of neglecting those errors. It follows that mistakes will not turn into defects if worker errors are discovered and eliminated beforehand [Shingo 1986, p.50].

Mistake and a Defect

Mistakes are inevitable; people are human and cannot be expected to concentrate all the time on the work in front of them or to understand completely the instructions they are given.

Defects result from allowing a mistake to reach the customer, and defects are entirely avoidable.

Shingo advocates the concept of zero quality control by arguing that inspection processes or the use of statistical control should be completely eliminated. He believes that quality should be controlled at the source of the problem and not after the problem has manifested itself. He recommends that inspection should be incorporated within the process and at the point where the problem has been identified and from where it should be eliminated.

Types of Poka Yokes

prevention. engineers the process so that it is impossible to make a mistake. remove the need of correction.
detection. signals the user when a mistake has been made. they do not enforce the correction.

Who Develops Poka Yokes? Here's the beauty of the methods...anyone, from manager to line supervisor to line employee can develop a poka yoke

Characteristics

they are simple and cheap. they are part of the process.

they are placed close to where the mistakes occur.

APPROACH

1. Control Approach - Shuts down the process when an error occurs. - Keeps the suspect part in place when an operation is incomplete.
2. Warning Approach - Signals the operator to stop the process and correct the problem.

POKA YOKE SYSTEMS

Poka-yoke systems consist of three primary methods:

1. Contact 2. Counting

3. Motion-Sequence
- Each method can be used in a control system or a warning system. - Each method uses a different process prevention approach for dealing with irregularities.

Contact Method

A contact method functions by detecting whether a sensing device makes contact with a part or object within the process.
Cylinder present Missing cylinder;piston fully extended alarm sounds

An example of a physical contact method is limit switches that are pressed when cylinders are driven into a piston. The switches are connected to pistons that hold the part in place. In this example, a cylinder is missing and the part is not released to the next process.

Cannot proceed to next step.

Contact Method using limit switches identifies missing cylinder.

http://www.landp.com.au/special/presentation_demos/mproof_smpl_1.ppt

Physical Contact Devices

Toggle Switches Limit Switches

http://www.landp.com.au/special/presentation_demos/mproof_smpl_1.ppt

Energy Contact Devices

Light

Photoelectric switches can be used with objects that are translucent or transparent depending upon the need. Receiver
Transmission method: two units, one to transmit light, the other to receive. Reflecting method:PE sensor responds to light reflected from object to detect presence.

Transmitter

Object

If object breaks the transmission, the machine is signaled to shut down.

http://www.landp.com.au/special/presentation_demos/mproof_smpl_1.ppt

Counting Method
Used when a fixed number of operations are required within a process, or when a product has a fixed number of parts that are attached to it. A sensor counts the number of times a part is used or a process is completed and releases the part only when the right count is reached.

In the example to the right a limit switch is used to detect and count when the required amount of holes are drilled. The buzzer sounds alerting the operator that the appropriate amount of steps have been taken in the process.

http://www.landp.com.au/special/presentation_demos/mproof_smpl_1.ppt

Counting Method

Another approach is to count the number of parts or components required to complete an operation in advance. If operators finds parts leftover using this method, they will know that something has been omitted from the process.

I have an extra part. I must have omitted a step!

Motion-Sequence Method

The third poka-yoke method uses sensors to determine if a motion or a step in a process has occurred. If the step has not occurred or has occurred out of sequence, the the sensor signals a timer or other device to stop the machine and signal the operator.
This method uses sensors and photo-electric devices connected to a timer. If movement does not occur when required, the switch signals to stop the process or warn the operator.

http://www.landp.com.au/special/presentation_demos/mproof_smpl_1.ppt

Energy Sensors
These devices work by using energy to detect whether or not an defect has occurred.

Fiber optic
Vibration Photoelectric
http://www.landp.com.au/special/presentation_demos/mproof_smpl_1.ppt

Everyday Examples
3.5 inch diskettes cannot be inserted unless diskette is oriented correctly. This is as far as a disk can be inserted upside-down. The beveled corner of the diskette along with the fact that the diskette is not square, prohibit incorrect orientation. Fueling area of car has three error-proofing devices: 1. insert keeps leaded-fuel nozzle from being inserted 2. tether does not allow loss of gas cap 3. gas cap has ratchet to signal proper tightness and New lawn mowers are required to have a prevent overtightening. safety bar on the handle that must be pulled back in order to start the engine. If you let go of the safety bar, the mower blade stops in 3 seconds or less.

1-10-100 Rule

The 1-10-100 rule states that as a product or service moves through the production system, the cost of correcting An error multiplies by 10. Activity Order entered correctly Error detected in billing Error detected by customer $1 $ 10 $ 100 Cost

Dissatisfied customer shares the experience with others the costs is

No Finger Pointing. Operators and Machines will sometimes make mistakes.

Find ways to keep errors from becoming defects!

Mistake-Proof or Poka-yoke the process!

Recognize that it is natural for people to make mistakes.

Not noticing that an error is made or a machine is not functioning does not make a person stupid or foolish.

Errors never become defects!

No finger pointing after the fact. No mandate to do better next time.

Ten Types of Human Mistakes

Forgetfulness Misunderstanding Wrong identification Lack of experience Willful (ignoring rules or procedure) Inadvertent or sloppiness Slowliness Lack of standardization Surprise (unexpected machine operation, etc.) Intentional (sabotage)

Poka-yoke will catch the errors before a defective part is manufactured 100% of the time.

Analogy: Railway Crossing

3 Rules of POKA-YOKE

Dont wait for the perfect POKAYOKE. Do it now!

If your POKA-YOKE idea has better than 50% chance to succeedDo it!
Do it now.improve later!