LEAN PRODUCTION IN CONTINUOUS PROCESSES: A SURVEY OFBRAZILIAN MANUFACTURERS OF ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS

Abstract

This paper aims to present information relating to the levels of Lean Production
practice in continuous manufacturing, particularly among manufacturers of electric
conductors. It proposes to identify the motivations that led these companies to
search for the model and to understand the role of tools and techniques employed
in this manufacturing environment so different from the automotive industries
where the concept originated. This article presents the results of a descriptive
exploratory survey with manufacturers of electric conductors (electrical
distribution and transmission wire and cables) in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The results suggest that the adoption in the electric conductor industries still
requires a more significant evolution both in the dissemination of ideas and in the
customization of the applicable tools. On the other hand, the paper provides
empirical insights and contributes to fulfilling an identified need to study Lean
Production in continuous manufacturing.