Lean Six Sigma project: Elimination of the manual 45° grinding phase at wheel/disc seats preparation

The thesis is based on an internship experience at Alstom Ferroviaria SpA in Savigliano, where I worked in quality department. The following article provides a general overview related to the railway industry, focusing mainly on the reality of the company Alstom Ferroviaria S.p.A. and, more specifically, on the Lean Six Sigma projects from which the company gains great profits. The main objective of this thesis is to describe the Lean Six Sigma project for the elimination of the manual 45° grinding phase at wheel/disc preparation that I had the opportunity to actually follow. In the paper, all phases of the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) tool are explored in depth, both from a theoretical and practical point of view: are described the tools and how they were applied to the case study is explained. The thesis is divided into five chapters: ●??In the first one, the company Alstom, specifically Alstom Ferroviaria SpA, is introduced and the sectors in which it operates are described: rolling stock, service and signaling. it is explained what the Italian sites are involved in, in particular the Savigliano site, where the internship activity was carried out, is analyzed. A description of the evolution of an important invention realized in this production site is also provided. ●??In the second chapter, the Lean Methodology and Six Sigma approach is discussed; the principles of this business approach, its origins, and evolution over time are described. ●??The third chapter explains that Alstom Ferroviaria SpA uses Lean Six Sigma approaches and why the company believes it is important to invest in these projects. ●??The fourth chapter introduces the case study: Elimination of the manual 45° grinding phase at wheel/disc seats preparation. It contains an explanation of why this project was chosen to be completed. The main reason is a problem involving EHS ●??The fifth chapter is the core of the paper: it encapsulates all the DMAIC phases of the case study from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The tools that were used during the project phases are described and analyzed in detail. Unfortunately, the control phase has not yet been implemented for this project, and this is why it is not analyzed in the thesis from a practical point of view.