Many teachers strive to make learning fun. But is there a way to make lean manufacturing fun? Hytrol Conveyor Co. Inc. is giving it a shot with a comic book that explores the adventures of “Captain Hytrol,” as well as his friends, “Power Lean” and “Safety Lady.”

The company created this 56-page book to help its organization understand the “remarkable journey of lean manufacturing.” Hytrol stresses that it is not an implementation guide, but a companion to lean education.

“We are a part of a large manufacturer of industrial equipment,” Hytrol says. “As we began implementing the lean concepts in our facility, we found that many people did not fully comprehend the changes taking place. We also found that those who do not understand are not supportive of the concepts.”

To develop the book, Hytrol’s staff and management worked together to identify the key attributes for understanding lean. “Our goal was not to teach people how to implement lean but to make people aware of what and why things were happening and how they affected our operation and ultimately our end-user customers,” Hytrol says.

Now available for purchase on ebay.com, the book was designed by Hytrol’s master illustrator, who has more than 25 years of experience in industrial manufacturing. Captain Hytrol’s adventures explain lean principle applications, value-added activities, why a value stream is important, the benefits of one-piece flow and how to identify waste. Not only has the comic helped Hytrol’s employees understand the power of lean, the company says, but its board members and outside consultants also have found it effective.

Executives know the “fun” of seeing the financial and process benefits of lean manufacturing, but Captain Hytrol may be the key in convincing the rest of the organization to change. The manufacturing industry as a whole could use more heroes like him.