Analysis and Optimization of the Winding Department according to Lean Management Principles. The Case of Hitachi Energy Italy S.p.A.

This thesis was done during an internship at Hitachi Energy Italy, a multinational corporation specialized in the production of power transformers for the management and distribution of electrical energy. The main topic of the thesis is the analysis of the production process of windings, which are coils of conductive wire wrapped around the magnetic core of the electrical machine. These windings serve to transfer electrical energy between the primary and secondary circuits through the principle of electromagnetic induction. The analysis is focused on the “Winding department”, and the study identified internal process improvements aimed at optimizing it through the application of Lean principles. The thesis is divided into two main parts: the first part is dedicated to the theory, presenting the history and evolution of Lean Thinking, starting with Taiichi Ohno's Toyota Production System. This is followed by a description of the Kaizen philosophy and the efficient and effective techniques for its implementation within a business context. Finally, the main tools of Lean Manufacturing are presented, highlighting their importance within a continuous improvement process. The second part discusses the project study of this thesis, specifically the execution of a Kaizen event for mapping the flow in terms of time, methods, and materials in the winding department of the company. The event was organized with the aim of identifying waste and solutions to improve the department’s efficiency, as it had previously been identified as a bottleneck in the factory. The steps taken before, during, and after the Kaizen event are described. The wastes present in the process were identified and analysed. It has been found that the waste is mainly due to the lack of standardization both in methods and in the use of space and material flow management. Finally, two of the main improvement ideas for the winding department are developed: the optimization of the material management and the optimization of the work area. The objective of this thesis is to identify all sources of waste in the winding department and implement significant improvement actions to enhance its performance.