Background
An international, family-owned private equity company specializing in composite materials and coatings. The company produces a wide range of coated fabric and film products and prides itself on quality and innovation.
Challenges
➢ Time and Energy Consuming Coating Processes: The company’s coating processes were inefficient, consuming excessive time and energy.
➢ Coating Quality Problems: Frequent coating quality issues led to high scrap rates, customer dissatisfaction, product rejections, and significant lost time.
➢ Lack of Control Mechanisms: With hundreds of products manufactured, there was no control mechanism to understand and manage critical process and product quality factors.
➢ High Cost of Poor Quality: The combination of these factors resulted in a high cost of poor quality, affecting the company’s profitability and reputation.
Implementation
To address these challenges, a Statistical Process Control (SPC) program. Was launched The implementation steps included:
➢ Integration of Test Results and Parameters: Raw material test results, process parameters, and finished product tests were connected for each product automatically with thorough programming. This provided a comprehensive data set for analysis.
➢ Statistical Analysis of Process Parameters: Process optimum parameters and capabilities were analyzed statistically to identify and establish the most favorable process conditions.
➢ Automated SPC Reporting: Monthly SPC reports were generated and automated to unite Manufacturing, Quality, and Engineering to take action together. This facilitated prompt action on poor quality indicators and trends, enabling continuous monitoring and improvement.
➢ Root Cause Analysis: Surface defects were investigated and Root Causes were turned into action items.
Results
Initiatives delivered significant improvements:
➢ Increased Process Speed: The main coating process speed was increased by up to 20%, resulting in substantial time savings.
➢ Energy Cost Savings: Process energy costs were reduced by 15%, contributing to lower operational expenses.
➢ Reduced Scrap Rate: The scrap rate for a main product was reduced by 30%, leading to decreased waste and higher product yield.
“By connecting raw material tests, process parameters, and finished product tests, we now have a clear understanding of our process capabilities. The reduction in scrap rates and improvement in coating quality have been remarkable.“ – Director of Operations
“The SPC program and defect analyses have been a game-changer for our manufacturing operations. The statistical approach to process control improved our product quality and also significantly increased our operational efficiency.” – VP Of Manufacturing
