Avon Rubber

Background

Manufacturers of Rubber, which is supplied throughout Europe as Raw material.
The Small chemical ingredients mixing and weighing process supplies the main rubber mixing plant with unique ingredient mix to determining rubber properties and characteristics. The facility consists of large raw material store, vertical storage and delivery units, weighing booths, bagging and labelling.
Manufactured to an overall schedule in batches and delivered to mixing plant in wheeled containers.

Scope

Main mixing facility stoppages due to waiting for small chemicals.
Client aware of potential to increase output with no increase in labour. (Level of Non Value Added)
MAS to deliver tools & techniques to Shop floor staff to aid the kick starting of CI initiative

Method

Delivered a 1-day process improvement workshop consisting of training in 7 Wastes and Process Mapping. Identified waste and Process mapped process, with 3 staff from Small Chemical area.

Options and Recommendations

Identified Waste activities, times and distances within the process. Determined Value Added and Non Value added activities. Quantified extent of Non value added. Brainstormed ideas to systematically, reduce, combine or eliminate non value added

Results

Quantified five Key improvements in reducing non-value added time and increasing productivity by 25%.

1. Improve planning of facility to eliminate overproduction (Kanban with Mixing plant)
2. Eliminate delay in prompt screen where operator waits for next step.
3. Reorganise material storage shelves to reduce material deliver time and movements.
4. Implement storage location system to reduce operator time spent looking for materials.
5. Reposition workstation to reduce operator movements.

Further Actions

Client scheduling in to improvement plan .

Customer Feedback

The staff in this area now know, understand and able to identify Value added / Non Value added activities. This is an important step on the road to Improving.