CASTINO: 5S Transforms Castino Corp. and Helps Them Run At Peak Performance
Castino Corporation is now better than ever. I don’t doubt for a second that we would have closed our doors had it not been for the help of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center.
-- Robert L. Castino, Jr., President, Castino Corporation
Headquartered in Romulus, Mich., Castino Corporation (www.castinocorp.com) is a family-owned and operated manufacturing company with more than 35 years of industry experience and 40 employees. Castino produces polyurethane and plastic components using state-of-the-art injection molding machines with three-axis and six-axis robots that feed laser inspection equipment. Their manufacturing facilities in Michigan and Walnut Ridge, Ar., hold the ISO/TS 16949: 2009 certification which ensures the highest quality.
Challenge
Castino Corporation has been in business for more than three decades. Longevity in a mid-size manufacturing company is often a double edged sword. It is a great testament to the company on their ability to satisfy their customers. On the flip side—over time, little things can build up or conversely not adapt to the evolution of the company. For example, procedures that were sufficient years ago, either when implemented or slighted modified a number of times over the years, are no longer optimal—causing inefficiency in the operation. This was the situation at Castino. They were using the same processes that worked when they had two machines, but now that they have more equipment it’s not efficient. On top of that, longevity impacted their manufacturing space optimization. Thus, making it difficult to perform even the simplest tasks in an efficient manner.
Solution
The team at the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center) met with Castino Corporation’s key employees at their Romulus, Mich., headquarters. They examined their processes and carefully analyzed the layout of the building. It was determined that Castino Corporation could benefit from 5S Visual Management. It results in a clean, visually organized workplace that is self-maintaining. Castino embraced 5S and the necessary steps recommended by The Center. Their facilities were cleaned up, the layout of the building was improved for smarter workflow and equipment was moved around the facility to maximize efficiency. Castino also added three molding machines, eight three-axis Yushin robots and new measuring equipment (both laser and optical). This new automation ensures that Casino’s parts are 100% checked by laser equipment, NOT for the purpose of replacing employees, but for improving quality control and increasing Castino’s ability to deliver the product on-time—without quality issues. This automation initiative has resulted in additional/new business from existing customers and has preserved profit margins from the retained business.
Results
- Retained jobs: 40
- Jobs created: 5
- Increased revenue by: 50%
- Increased productivity by: 20%