The 4 pillars of lean coil production: introduction to the Efficiency Revolution

Have you ever heard of the Pareto rule, the famous 80/20 principle?
This concept, introduced by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, states that in most observable phenomena, the majority of effects are often caused by a small number of causes.

In the world of industrial manufacturing—especially in the processing of thin sheet metal from coil—this principle proves true every day.

With over 46 years of experience and thousands of companies served worldwide, Dallan has identified that 80% of production issues stem from 4 key factors:

1. Productivity – producing more pieces in less time
2. Efficiency – reducing raw material and energy consumption
3. Flexibility – quickly adapting to market needs
4. Automation – producing more with fewer specialized workers

These four pillars of Efficiency form the foundation of true LEAN Coil Production—an innovative and sustainable approach that helps improve margins, reduce waste, and simplify processes, generating real value for customer companies.

What is efficiency in industrial production?

In our approach, Efficiency means achieving results with minimal resource use.

The formula is simple:

Efficiency = Output achieved / Resources used

Resources in a production line include:

• Raw materials, including waste and storage costs
• Energy, both electric and thermal
• Time, related to productivity and changeovers
• Labor, increasingly difficult to find and train

Improving efficiency means:

• Using less material for the same number of parts
• Reducing energy consumption with the same output
• Producing in less time
• Automating repetitive tasks to reduce workforce needs

But there’s more: efficiency also increases when a better product is achieved using the same resources. This is where LEAN Efficiency meets advanced technology.

The 4 pillars of LEAN coil production

In upcoming articles, we’ll explore each pillar in detail.

Here’s a preview:

1. Productivity – How to produce more pieces in less time through integrated systems combining decoiling, punching, laser cutting, and continuous roll forming.
2. Efficiency – How to save raw material and energy with smart technologies that eliminate waste and optimize every processing step.
3. Flexibility – How to adapt to the market with Just-in-Time coil systems that change product in minutes and profitably produce even small batches.
4. Automation – How to address the lack of skilled labor with automation that enables more, better, and leaner production.

A new mindset for a new industry

As we describe in our book The Efficiency Revolution, embracing these four pillars means adopting a new production mindset: leaner, more effective, and more sustainable.
Through hundreds of real-world cases, we’ve seen that the right solutions can:

• Save up to 20% in material
• Cut labor needs by 75%
• Double production in half the time
• Offer a better product with higher margins

All made possible by Dallan technology: integrated, modular systems designed to bring Efficiency to the heart of your production.

Next in the series

In the next article, we’ll focus on the first pillar:
👉 Productivity – How to produce more in less time with coil processing.
📩 To receive the full series or speak with an expert, write to [email protected]