Boosting Productivity Through Bindery Machine Setup Reduction
Bindery printing operation employees dramatically boost output and reduce scrap with set-up reduction events that improve flow, standardize work, and slash waste.
When there’s no let-up on orders, and your operation is fighting to avoid a backlog, it’s time to examine what is slowing things down internally. A national printing and direct marketing company hired Daniel Penn Associates to support employee-led problem-solving in two Kaizen events designed to slash set-up times, speed changeovers, and improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) for its bindery and inserter operations from bindery machine baseline measurements.
The objective? Focus on one pilot bindery machine and one pilot inserter machine, then apply improvements across all machines in each department. This two-part case study shows how the company’s employees made substantial changes to each operation with impressive productivity gains.
Defining the Challenge
The goal was straightforward: test improvements on one bindery machine and one inserter machine, then scale them across the departments. Bindery machine baseline measurements revealed that over 12 months, the company’s 12 bindery machines produced 267,692,472 pieces, with 510 hours of changeover and 515 hours of roll time.
By reducing setup times by 50%, the team projected the machines could produce an additional 9.2 million pieces annually. Reducing material damage from 8% to 2% would add another 550,800 saleable pieces each year.
(Related reading: How Kaizen Events Transform Production Efficiency)
Bindery Machine Findings
During the pilot bindery machine Kaizen event, the team observed that setup time averaged 85.8 minutes—and could have taken even longer due to waiting for paperwork. They found unnecessary movement between stations, misplaced tools, and unclear visual standards.
Quality issues such as misaligned borders, barcode detachment, and poor cut quality were traced back to inconsistent maintenance procedures and unclear operator instructions.
Generating Improvement Ideas
The team identified 72 opportunities for improvement. Key actions included:
- Preparing lines in advance
- Marking slit lines on paper rolls
- Establishing “recipes” in the cutter
- Using fixed cut marks and folder scales for setup
- Standardizing bolts and screws to eliminate adjustments
These initiatives created a foundation for standardized work and reduced setup variation across all 12 machines.
Impressive Results
Within 90 days, the team had implemented 96% of the identified improvements. The results were remarkable:
- Setup time dropped from 85.8 to 31.8 minutes (a 63% improvement)
- Scrap rate fell from 8% to 0.5%
- Output increased by 1.6 million pieces per month (19.2 million annually)
Employees no longer needed to run setup rolls or work weekends. Increased bindery capacity also improved upstream processes and enabled the company to onboard two to three new customers.
Key Takeaway
Reducing bindery machine setup time is one of the fastest ways to enhance productivity, cut waste, and boost morale. Employee-led improvement, guided by structured Lean and Kaizen methods, turns operational challenges into measurable results.
Continue reading Part II: Inserter Machine Optimization to see how similar techniques delivered even greater efficiency gains.