Essentials of Lean Six Sigma

Six Sigma is a management program that provides tools that help manufacturers obtain efficient, stream-lined production to coincide with ultimate high quality products. Lean Six Sigma will show how the well-regarded analytical tools of Six Sigma quality control can be successfully brought into the well-established models of lean manufacturing, bringing efficient, stream-lined production and high quality product readily together. This book offers a thorough, yet concise introduction to the essential mathematics of Six Sigma, with solid case examples from a variety of industrial settings, culminating in an extended case study.

Various professionals will find this book immensely useful, whether it be the industrial engineer, the industrial manager, or anyone associated with engineering in a technical or managing role. It will bring about a clear understanding of not only how to implement Six Sigma statistical tools, but also how to do so within the bounds of Lean manufacturing scheme. It will show how Lean Six Sigma can help reinforce the notion of less is more, while at the same time preserving minimal error rates in final manufactured products.

• Reviews the essential statistical tools upon which Six Sigma rests, including normal distribution and mean deviation and the derivation of 1 sigma through six sigma
• Explains essential lean tools like Value-Stream Mapping and quality improvement tools like Kaizen techniques within the context of Lean Six Sigma practice
• Extended case study to clearly demonstrate how Six Sigma and Lean principles have been actually implemented, reducing production times and costs and creating improved product quality

About the Author

Dr. Salman Taghizadegan has substantial experience in chemical and plastics processing, design, control, and analysis. He received his B.S. in chemistry from Western Illinois University, his B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Arkansas, his M.S. in chemical engineering from the Texas A&M University, and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering with emphasis in plastics from the University of Louisville.

He has over 20 years of academic and full-time industrial experience in plastics and chemical processing, design, and control engineering, primarily in injection molding industries. He has authored numerous technical publications and has spent most of his professional career as an adjunct professor in engineering, as a highly technical specialist in the plastics industry, as a leader in quality and process improvement, and as the manager of waste reduction in the manufacturing environment. Dr. Taghizadegan is certified Six-Sigma Black Belt and Master Black Belt through the University of California at San Diego and the university of San Diego. He is a member of the Society of Plastics Engineers.