Packaging and getting this ready to ship is something that needs to be as streamlined as possibnle within the scope and size of the one doing the shipping..
As an example, I palletized right off the powder coating overhead conveyor line out of the bake oven pallets of products to certain specified heights per size of product height and width and after that pallet was full height we simply quickly moved it out of the way and had another one that was already prepped on the bottom of the pallet (corrugated cardblard pads to fit the skid plus some foam styrene that provided cushioning as well as a non skid surface and it was non-marring. One good person could handle the off loading on the conveyor and stacking the product on the pallet. Another person would hand all the products on the powder line paint hooks as well as keep an eye on the powder booth, gun spray patterns, and powder in the fluid beds.. I would run around 600 parts an hour through there and some other sizes were half that.. Strect filming that pallet of product was done using an automated stretch film machine that always applied correct tension and the correct spped up and down so we overlapped properly and did not waste film..
Just an example. Plant layout and ergonomics are things I do in my sleep. Work station motions using MTM combined with work flow thru the shop are keys. I have been doing this for so long it was only natural to me afteer awhile. I got into design and development of various things as time went by but manufacturing plants are something I am at home in..
Today I isolate problems for companies and also solve whatever problems they may be experiencing whether it is in making of somethings, work flow ergonomics and plant layout, or in product finishing. I am one of a handful of people in the country who have been in powder coatings since it first came to the United States.
There isn't anything I have not seen or run into with that and stopped caring about wet applications with atomizers and spinning bells and rotary applicators for automated coating or plain old wet paint hand guns.
I was offered in my youth the position of head of engineering by Bushman Conveyor Systems in Hamilton Ohio.
Before they re-located there, they were in cincinnati. They were re-locating and had two sites they were considering. They wanted me to layout the entore favility and operations as engineering manager but would not or could not tell me which location was going to be where the company was re-locating to. I was not going to move to Indiana but they could not or would not give me a definite answer. I turned down the offer consequently.
What you need is a packaging company that is really large and handles all kinds of equipment because they could also evaluate your methodology and make suggestions for improvements and consequently you could get the use of free expertise close by to you..
If you had BGR INC. for example close by, the President is Alan Backsheider and his company is a huge packaging supply of both materials and equipment of various kinds that would speed up things..
But, as you say, the firstthing to do is really to put eyes on it and see what we are doing now and then get a plan together for what we want to do and do an analysis of cost savings with whatever equipment costs may be needed and see if is justifiable.
A good industrial engineer or possibly a manufacturing engineer should be able to easily look at your operations and consult with you and offer up those suggestions..
Not saying I would not but I am busy with clientele and I am going to Franklin Park next week for some business there.. Right next to O'Hare in the rear of its properties.
Anyhow, I would be willing to listen to how you are doing things currently and see if I can glean the gyst of things and see if there some obvious things one could do to make those things operate more smoothly and with less time involved.. Let the equipment do the work.. Employees are happier that way also..
My plant manager on occasion would say to the workers to please do something he needed done while they were resting... That was manually stretch filming a full pallet that 40x48 and about six fot tall.
I tried it once. Afterward I called Alan from BGR and Ih ad a new Wolftec automated stretchfilm machine in one week installed. It reduced our stretch filming by 95 % and was immensely better and used less film..
Just an example.. So yes, we'll figure out how to converse after next week. I will be gone on that Chicago area trip and focusing on things there first.
I just picked up two more new accounts in CLeveland last week. So I am getting stretched a little but I'll make time.
Thanks Fizzy.. Yes, you need to operate with fewer employees if possible and make things easier and faster for those you have.. They won't be as tired and sufffer the Westinghouse Bell Curve effect after 4 hours of working...
My best wishes for continued success with your business!
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