PCG Recommendations Elevate Production Capacity for Major North American Manufacturer
Summary
In 2016 a major North American manufacturer sought to increase the production capacity of one particular product line by 20%, but they were not ready to invest in additional equipment. They hired PCG to recommend changes that would eliminate inefficiencies from existing processes in order to achieve their desired production increase of 20%. In addition to evaluating the basic facility layout and material queues, PCG considered non-physical limitations such as processing rate, process downtime and quality waste.
PCG designed an experiment that enabled the manufacturer to verify the readiness of their materials upon arrival from vendors. In the event that materials were too wet for processing, PCG recommended pulling air (like a vacuum) through the materials as a more effective drying method. Additionally, PCG suggested that increasing conveyer feed rate and tuning the temperature and flow of air during production would maximize production and optimize the product’s condition.
Key Activities
- Designed experiment that allowed manufacturer to verify the quality and readiness of their vendors’ materials, as well as a more effective drying method for preparing materials to be processed
- Provided Manufacturer with a maintenance scheduling solution that alone would provide a 19% improvement on capacity (when not implemented in conjunction with other PCG recommendations)
- Provide “Build Ahead” plan that utilized excess capacity to build inventory during low demand season
- Assessed product specifications and training, then recommended improvements
Results
PCG’s comprehensive recommendations will realistically yield improved capacity by at least 36% for the following production year, bettering the manufacturer’s desired improvement by at least 16%.
Is your business experiencing a similar problem? Reach out to PCG today.