Augos Factory / Proof / Food producer
Case study · Food & beverage
Wrapper stops cut from 43 hours a month to under 7.
Two stretch wrappers were stopping a palletising line 555 times a month. The stop record named the faults, and the line fixed them one by one.
The problem
Death by a thousand wraps
Two stretch wrappers sit at the end of the line. In month 1 they stopped 555 times and cost 42.9 hours.
No single stop seemed worth chasing. Together, they were the line's biggest equipment loss.
What the record showed
Two faults, hundreds of stops
Every wrapper stop carried a reason. The wrapping ring hitting the load stopped the wrappers 279 times, costing 20.6 hours. Most were on the second wrapper.
The film was the other problem. Film breaks and film changes stopped the wrappers 197 times, costing 14.8 hours.
The suggestion
Most ring collisions were on the second wrapper. Stop off-centre loads reaching it, and switch to a more durable stretch film.
The fix, and holding the standard
Centred loads, tougher film, fewer stops
On the second wrapper, where most collisions happened, a guide now centres and squares each load before the ring starts.
The plant also switched to a more durable stretch film that tears less often.
By month 7, film-related stops fell from 197 to 45 a month. Ring collisions fell from 279 to 2. The wrappers lost 6.5 hours, down from 42.9.
Months 10 to 12 cost 2.8, 8.5 and 4.1 hours, against 42.9 in month 1.
Questions
This case, answered
What caused most of the wrapper stops?
The wrapping ring hitting the load, mostly on the second wrapper, and the film. Ring collisions cost 20.6 hours in month 1. Film breaks and changes cost 14.8.
Why did the film matter so much?
Every break or empty roll stops the wrapper. A tougher film cut film-related stops from 197 to 45 a month.
What does this case leave out?
A rand value: the plant hasn't shared its sales values. Figures cover the first 12 months of monitoring. Plant and product names are withheld.
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