What is Poka-Yoke?
Poka-Yoke is a method developed in Japanese industry for error prevention, which aims to eliminate errors at their source. The term literally means "preventing unintended errors." This approach is a pillar of lean manufacturing systems and is used in all industrial environments where quality, reliability, and traceability are critical.
The principle is based on integrating physical, logical, or visual mechanisms into the manufacturing or assembly processes in order to:
- Prevent human or mechanical errors,
- Detect anomalies immediately,
- Block the further process in case of non-conformity.
In industries with high quality requirements such as the automotive, aviation, medical, and defense industries, poka-yoke enables:
- A drastic reduction in waste,
- An improvement in product reliability,
- Compliance with quality standards (IATF 16949, ISO 13485, EN 9100),
- A safeguard for automated processes.
Examples of the use of poka-yoke at DEMGY
Manufacture of car keys
DEMGY has implemented poka-yoke devices in the manufacture of car keys, from plastic injection molding to automated assembly. The integrated devices enable:
- Preventing the incorrect installation of molded parts,
- Detect alignment or position errors using sensors and image processing systems.
- Block the production chain in the event of an anomaly to ensure consistent quality.
This approach ensures the dimensional accuracy and aesthetics of the parts while meeting the automotive industry's requirements for reliability and traceability.
Injectable medical devices
In the medical sector, DEMGY uses poka-yoke to make the assembly of disposable syringes safer. The systems prevent components from being mixed up, guarantee sterility, and ensure compliance with ISO 13485 standards.
Complex aircraft parts
In the case of technical plastic parts for the aviation industry, poka-yoke is integrated into the robot-controlled cells for dimensional inspection and assembly. This ensures complete traceability and flawless quality, even with complex geometries.
The integration of Poka-Yoke into DEMGY's industrial processes reflects a proactive quality strategy tailored to the requirements of the most critical industries. This approach makes it possible to secure production, optimize costs, and strengthen the confidence of industrial customers.
