Brunk Industries
Driving down manufacturing costs to retain customers
Brunk Industries received an ultimatum: Reduce costs by 25% or lose two major medical device customers. When the precision stamping company turned to Wipfli, it had two years to drive costs out of its business model and operations.
The Challenge
Brunk Industries needed to eliminate wasteful activities to reduce costs by 25% in two years. And to keep waste out of its manufacturing processes, the company needed to embrace a culture that valued continuous improvement and effective communication. So Wipfli created a continuous improvement plan that engaged every area of the company, from the shop floor to the executive office.
The Solution
Using value stream mapping, Wipfli and Brunk employees walked through every process, from the moment materials came in the door to production and shipment. Each step was studied to find opportunities for meaningful change and:
- Eliminate wasteful activities.
- Increase press availability.
- Reduce setups.
- Lower operating costs and breakeven points.
What makes Wipfli so powerful is that they not only helped us plan where we needed to go, they helped us get it done. In press room time alone, they helped us reduce downtime by 42%.
The results
Wipfli’s investigation drove costs down quickly — and made continuous improvement a permanent part of the culture. In the first 12 months, Brunk reduced the time it spent on setup, tool downtime and quality approvals, and increased press room productivity by 25% overall.
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reduction in setup time on targeted presses
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reduction in tool-related press downtime
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productivity gains on targeted secondary operations
%
increase in press room productivity
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faster press room quality approvals
