Lean Manufacturing
Freudenberg Medical and the Freudenberg Group are recognized as world leaders in Lean Manufacturing with more than 35 years experience.
Using Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodology, we deliver solutions that reduce lead times, maximize efficiency, and ensure superior product quality. Our customers consider us a preferred partner with whom they can take a product from the initial idea to regulatory approval and market launch, from product design and development to efficient production processes with lean methods, and finally to volume production.
Introducing GROWTTH®
Across all our global facilities, our teams follow a proprietary Lean Manufacturing approach.
This company-wide program reflects our commitment to continuous improvement and includes proven methodologies designed to optimize value, reduce waste, and enhance collaboration at every stage of the manufacturing process.
At Freudenberg Medical, Lean isn’t a trend—it’s a core principle. With over three decades of experience and our proprietary GROWTTH® system, we empower teams across all our global sites to eliminate waste, enhance quality, and drive innovation. That’s how we help customers bring life-changing medical devices to market—faster, smarter, and more efficiently.
Séamus Maguire
VP GROWTTH® and Lean Systems
At Freudenberg Medical, Lean Manufacturing is more than a methodology
It’s a mindset that drives efficiency, reduces complexity, and ensures we deliver high-quality, cost-effective medical solutions to our customers, every time.
Technology
Patented, proprietary processes, methodologies and data systems used to evaluate manufacturing process and location to optimize performance.
Transparency
Global communication planning to drive quality and efficiency throughout the product lifecycle.
Alignment
Integrated global project teams include management, engineering, financial, regulatory, and manufacturing experts.
Excellence
Consistent quality and tracking standards across all 12 global locations.
Leveraging VR and AI for Lean Manufacturing
VR Training Skills Acquisition
At Freudenberg Medical, VR training helps employees acquire high-precision manual skills more efficiently. Operators meet takt times in catheter manufacturing within 3 days of VR training instead of 3 to 4 weeks of conventional training. One of the core challenges in medical device production is training new employees quickly and consistently without compromising on quality or safety. By embracing these technologies, it helps strengthen our lean manufacturing capabilities, reduce waste and accelerate employee onboarding.
Our VR-based training platform creates a virtual replica of the production environment, allowing team members to learn at their own pace while developing real-world muscle memory. By simulating the complete manufacturing process from material handling to equipment usage-this immersive approach ensures new colleagues understand the terminology, techniques, and tools critical to producing life-saving medical products.
AI-Powered Production Layout Planning
By using proprietary AI algorithms trained on Lean principles, we can rapidly and accurately develop and optimize shopfloor layouts. AI technology supports seamless manufacturing transfers and smooth site expansions. This approach not only provides a realistic, virtual view of future production flows to identify opportunities for improvement early, but also significantly reduces engineering costs by enabling geographically independent, cross-functional collaboration in a shared virtual environment.
VR and AI technologies form a key part of how we continuously improve, standardize, and optimize our global manufacturing processes.
