When and where to use Poka Yoke?

Posted by Charles Wilson on November 30th, 2022

When to use Poka Yoke?

Poka Yoke is an actual strategy to use whenever an error is probable. Poka yoke can be effective at any stage of a procedure, as long as human mistake can lead to avoidable defects. The near-ubiquity for human mistake is why see so many instances that can be classified as poka yoke devices in regular life. Mistake proofing is noticeable from the familiar instance of power cords that can be inserted only the right way, to the rarely-seen example of a surgical device that applies powder to control bleeding without using air that could create an intercalation.

The purpose of a poka yoke device is to stop human mistake, to stop the occasional mistake that humans make when they must do a repetitive task, leading to quality difficulties. This means that the flaws that stop with poka yoke strategies essential to be the results of the potential for human mistake, not the result of procedure inability. Poka yoke detects and stops errors in manufacturing procedures with processing errors, setup errors, missing parts, improper parts, operations errors, and measurement errors. Poka-yoke can be applied at any point in a manufacturing procedure in which a mistake can be made. Poka Yoke training PPT can be used for quickly and efficiently implementation of Poka Yoke based mistake proofing system. Here are some situations where it would be chiefly significant to mistake-proof a procedure:

•          At a hand-off step in a procedure, when output is transferred to another worker.
•          When a minor mistake early in the procedure will cause major problems later in the procedure.
•          When the penalties of an error are expensive or dangerous.

Here are some communal types of errors that can happen in manufacturing processes:

Processing errors: Missing a procedure operation or not performing it according to the standard operating process.

Setup errors: Setting machine changes wrongly or using the wrong tooling.

Missing parts: Not all parts involved in the assembly, welding, or other procedures.

Inappropriate parts/items: Using the incorrect parts in a procedure.

Operations errors: Carrying out an operation wrongly or having the improper version of the standard operating process.

Measurement errors: Making a mistake in measurement in a procedure, machine adjustment, or the dimensions of a part coming from a supplier.

Where to use Poka-Yoke?

After determining which procedure would benefit from a Poka Yoke device, there are some areas consider where the device or method should be located within the workflow. It can have an influence on the effectiveness of the device’s location within the workflow.

• The perfect location to place a Poka Yoke is before the operator or machine starts a task. It is best to avoid any errors by not allowing the procedure to start until certain conditions are met.
• The second-best location to place a Poka Yoke device during a precise step of a procedure is at the end. An operator or machine is notified if there is a fault. This stops the procedure or part from moving.
• The third best place to store a Poka Yoke is downstream after the procedure step has been completed, usually at an inspection station. Now assuming that errors or defects might have happened. This is why need to rely on detection controls to locate the flaws before proceeding with the procedure.