Lean Training and ISO Certification Helps Meet Customer Needs

The Frasal Tool Company is an ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturer of custom tools and parts as well as ground support tooling & assemblies. This second-generation family company has been in business for nearly 50 years, providing CNC machining of high quality, close tolerance, precision parts made to customer specifications.

Frasal primarily serves the aerospace, automotive, fiber optic, medical and hardware industries, specializing in holding fixtures, bonding fixtures, install tools, removal tools, gauges and complex assemblies. Frasal’s years of experience, longevity, and high level of quality and on-time delivery has earned it several industry supplier awards.

Frasal Tool has always strived to excel in continuous improvement, logistics and product manufacturing efficiency and their mission to accommodate and satisfy every customer has earned them a reputation for outstanding customer service, giving them a competitive edge over similar suppliers. After completing ISO certification, the leadership team at Frasal Tool contacted CONNSTEP, part of the MEP National Network™, for assistance with their desire to continue focusing on being a clean and organized lean manufacturing job shop. 

After becoming ISO certified, it was collectively decided to conduct training of lean principles and tools for Frasal workers with an emphasis on 5S training. CONNSTEP organized and conducted workshops that would illustrate the power lean principles have on optimizing shop floor operations and reinforcing continuous improvement mindsets among its workforce. Educating the workforce began with a general overview of lean principles and practices and shifted to hands-on training of 5S. 

After the CONNSTEP consultant delivered the classroom training session on the lean principles and the 5S approach, the CONNSTEP consultant then provided hours of hands-on training to Frasal employees on how to implement 5S activities. This approach reinforces the mindset and culture at the company of ensuring a clean, orderly and structured production environment among its workers and by taking a hands-on approach, ensured the practices continued after the initial training was completed.

These efforts continue to help the way Frasal tracks for tooling. This traceability has been applied to the procedural processes and color-coding identification of the many part components produced for customers. Becoming ISO certified has also met customer requirements and expanded opportunities for new business.