Hello all,

I just started working at a Custom Profile Extrusion company 3 months ago. I was hired to implement Lean manufacturing. Some of the Projects going on include applying SMED to the die changes and installing Activplant software to collect as much data from the extruders as possible. The biggest challenge however is trying to reduce downtime from the form-up state. I have observed the supervisors trying to get that profile in the specified shape and it takes 2 hours or longer sometimes. My question is, what are some tools, machines, or anything I can research in order to help control this process at a faster rate?

Thank you,

RYENG

Anyone have any thoughts here.

I know there are some threads on SMED...have you looked through those?

Just thinking.....

One thing I have seen improve set up time was to pre-heat the dies for the next job on the schedule where you have to change dies.

I worked for a PVC extrusion company recently and they were also insterested in some lean methodologies...

The key to decent startup times in that company was training and standardizing methodologies. When I was there tuning the die was the most time consuming part of the process and the tuners were constantly in demand.
Corporate had an idea of pre-tuning dies in the main plant and then sending them to other plants for installation and production. I left the company, but as far as I know this was absurd and failed miserably since they were not tuning the die on even the same BRAND of machine that the die was to be run on in production.

My advice - find your best tuner and try to quantify his work. What he does is not magic, but sometimes it really seems like an art.

As far as SMED - I've participate in one of those programs with a plastics blow moulding company. We made our greateast impact in improved mold handling (customized lift truck devices and hoists) and in simplifying electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic connections.
And NEVER understimate the impact of standardizing both methods and equipment.

I just want to thank you all for your help. I am currently so **** busy with turning the plant to a smart plant, installing PLCs on the lines and recording information like OEE and all sort or useful data. After I'm done with this project, I'll get back to the form-up project. I think it is very important to learn the chemistry behind the process first, so I'm gonna have to do some PVC search and learn more about the extrusion process. There are so many variables that affect the shape, therefore controlling it is a huge challenge.

Again, I thank you all :)