Andon (manufacturing)

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In manufacturing, andon (Japanese: アンドン or あんどん or 行灯) is a system which notifies managerial, maintenance, and other workers of a quality or process problem. The alert can be activated manually by a worker using a pullcord or button or may be activated automatically by the production equipment itself. The system may include a means to pause production so the issue can be corrected. Some modern alert systems incorporate audio alarms, text, or other displays; stack lights are among the most commonly used.

“Andon” is a loanword from Japanese, originally meaning paper lantern; Japanese manufacturers began its quality-control usage.^[1]