Karakuri is mean mechanism,

Karakuri kaizen is how to make a improvement especially about ergonomi with a mechanism with less energy (no pneumatic, hydrolic, motor)

Karakuri kaizen which was first introduced by Japanese is system which is used to handle the materials using natural principles like gravitation force, centrifugal force, etc. It requires only initial investment cost and so plans were made to apply this system at the machine shop.

Here is one from Japan’s JMAC with multiple examples:

Such devices have long been used as part of TPS and Lean, but now we have a generic name for them. The principles of Karakuri Kaizen given at the end of this video are as follows:

1. Don’t use the human hand. Move objects automatically.
2. Don’t spend money.
3. Use the force of your equipment.
4. Build it with the wisdom and creativity of the people of the shop floor.
5. For safety,  don’t just rely on paying attention but build a device that stops automatically.

Others sample of karakuri

There are 3  Sheets in standardized work :
1) Standardized work chart (SWC)
2) Standardized work combination table (SWCT)
3) Production capacity sheet (PCS)

Those 3 sheets is interlinked, when we will improve standardized work, so we must make 3 sheets to evaluate current condition before we make improvement. Continue Reading