How To Strike Out Your Production Quality Concerns

In baseball, the slightest variation in a pitcher’s wind-up or release point can be the difference between a strikeout and a home run, and your manufacturing equipment and processes are no different. Much like a pitcher must analyze his mechanics, repeat his delivery and learn from his mistakes, manufacturers rely on repetition, analytics and quick corrective action. Are you warmed up? Use these tips to strike out your quality concerns.

STRIKE ONE: AUTOMATE QUALITY PROCESSES TO REDUCE VARIATION

Just as pitchers must focus on repeating their throwing motion, manufacturers must focus on reducing variation (and repeating high quality performance) in their processes. Processes with a lot of variation can lead to a larger amount of scrap material, which wastes time and resources. Automating those processes can help you reduce scrap rate, increase production and meet delivery dates.

Just like the best pitchers record and analyze their mechanics, best-in-class manufacturers use online SPC (statistical process control) tools to ensure their production assets are running within spec. When an asset starts to drift out of spec, it alerts team members to calibrate before scrap is produced.

Best-in-class manufacturers also leverage tools in their planning and design-for-manufacturability processes to identify and plan for potential manufacturing process failures that could create scrap. This includes key quality control checks to ensure out-of-spec product is identified before it creates larger issues.

One way to automate quality control checks is using smart machines and sensors to inspect objects and verify that picking and parts assembly are done correctly. Industrial and collaborative robots are another effective way to improve consistency for repetitive tasks. Unlike humans, once a robot is programmed to perform a task, it will perform that task the same way every time. Using these technologies to automate processes reduces waste and improves efficiency.

STRIKE TWO: LEVERAGE DATA TO SIMPLIFY QUALITY PROCESSES

Just like major league pitchers analyze the latest video technology and data to continuously monitor and improve the quality of their pitches, using a digital quality management system (QMS), like Plex’s cloud-based module, gives your workforce the tools and insight they need to perform like an ace.

Manufacturing several products with varying quality check procedures can make it complicated for plant floor operators to accurately perform and record quality checks. With a digital QMS, operators can view their next quality check on a monitor or tablet as they work, so they can perform their tasks more quickly and confidently.

A QMS also digitizes and automates record keeping, so you can document and access quality checks and troubleshooting procedures. Not sure what caused your most recent quality incident? Accessing historical data in a digital QMS gives you a single source of truth so you can identify, correct and future-proof quality concerns.

Additionally, if you are required to provide production and quality data for regulatory compliance or customer audits, the QMS can automate and audit reporting processes, freeing up employees to perform higher value-added work.

STRIKE THREE: QUICKLY DETECT AND RESPOND TO PRODUCTION ERRORS

A good pitching coach can quickly identify when a pitcher is out of sync and visit the mound before he starts giving up runs. In the same way, the quicker manufacturers can detect and respond to production errors, the more they can reduce their cost of poor quality.

Using smart sensing with a QMS provides real-time feedback, so you can diagnose potential issues and perform preventative maintenance before they affect the quality of your production. A QMS, like Plex, allows you to set quality parameters, so you can be alerted to issues as soon as they happen.

For example, if a line produces five defective products in a row, you would be alerted. Then you could investigate and see how to correct the problem before you begin to produce more scrap material. Over time, analyzing the quality data from your QMS allows you to make changes to optimize your production processes.

HOW CAN WE SET YOU UP FOR SUCCESS?

At the end of the day, even the best pitchers need to rely on the bullpen to close out a game. How can Van Meter’s smart manufacturing team help you improve quality? What quality solutions are you interested in? Call 1-800-247-1410 and ask to speak with one of our smart manufacturing consultants to learn how Van Meter can help you improve quality and perform like a pro.

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