Mixed Product - Keeping one product from being mixed with similar product

[Dawn]

Looking for different ideas from all you intellects out there on different ways to keep product from being mixed with similar product. Any simple ways? Thanks ahead, Dawn

[Jim Biz]

How many --ways??
& how many Places are the being mixed now ??

Dawn,

It may help to know the type of product. Alloy Bar stock or Medicines?

[Dawn]

Wow! You guys are fast! I'm looking at powder metal product with parts that are being molded, sintered that are very similar to the part being molded and sinter right along side of it. We have been pretty good so far but will be looking at at large quantities which go to outside suppliers, inhouse tumble, etc. Currently we use Hey Look tags to prompt operators to look a little closer. Looking for preventive measures that have helped people in the past.

Dawn,

I worked in a sheet metal house where numerous look alike parts were fabricated for the Aircraft industry. Brackets, covers, etc.. There was no way to keep parts segregated without serious control of Lot Numbers and the material. Parts were not allowed to run side by side through their processes. Even orders for the same parts were separated by other jobs to minimize the confusion and possibility of mixing parts. Of course, the traceability requirements for this type of Industry is probably greater than yours. Maybe not. Material sent to External Heat Treatment, Inside Tumbling Department or External Electroplaters were shipped by Lot Number with strict instructions, to all, not to mix. We paid a premium for, say an order for 12 “A”’s that had another batch of “A”’s fairly close behind it. The supplier could have given a better price if he/she were able to combine like parts. This Company was extremely frugal with their processes. If there were a way for them to do it more cost effective they would find it. In my opinion, there is no easy way to run similar parts together through a process. At the very least someone has to segregate the components into separate containers after a process. I hope someone else has found a better way. Good Luck!

[Jim Biz]

Dawn - We use a "traveler" or "process status tags" on individual tubs (lots) for tracking

Customer - Part number - Print revision - work order number - Count
The back of the tags tells us how many were processed at the last operation what date and where the lot is routed for the next operation.

In your situation - I would think about adding a "mold number identifier as well (that would high-lite the fact that even tho they are similar - there is a difference.)

Our tags stay on each "batch/lot" at each stage of handling / storage / Packaging prep - so the identifiers can be confirmed prior to shipment. - We then have all the info we need to transfer when it becomes time for shipment.

Hope this helps

[Dawn]

Thanks guys. This is stuff we already have in place. Maybe I'll try different colored tracer tags.

[Jim Biz]

OR (if you have the option open)

Go to separate colored containers.