Mold Changes

we have the same issue i would let the next mold change run until the guys are ready to change it more parts but they will need less next time right?? then it will be we made to many parts why.. hear it all day long but we run short run's why i don't know yet.or make them run bigger runs.. your in a catch 22my friend good luck..

mold on rendy

You need to have proper scheduling, have the molds that are need quickly set on the machines first and then use other molds so that the machines do not remain unused.

optiarc

We are having a similar issue at the business that I work for. We have 6 techs per shift doing 40 Steel changes in 24hrs. Thats just Steel changes not including machines going down for material changes, inserts, ect. I think we are moving in the right direction with training "cross-functional operators" to swing steel, while the rest of our crew can focus on the processing and what not. We are starting to see improvement even with the program in its infancy. Look into that along with everyone elses suggestions with SMED and such.

James

Hi Joe
I would seem that by the date posted you came back from the future, and also you have the same issues in the future that we have in 2012.
I our facility we have 69 machines and the chage over time is about the same. We do over run jogs to reduce the delay of the change overs. We also use two crews I've been trying to add a thrid crew to reduce the over runs. The ressuting issue is just a math problem as you have 30 minutes change overs and a crew that in an 8 hour shift works 7.5 hours due to breaks, in a 12 hours they work 11 hoours threfore one crew in the 8 hour can change 15 molds and in a 12 hour shift 22. The presented number are only true if nothing goes wrong
Regards
JCM

czworo@gmail.com
I can change tool between 30-15 minutes
I worked in SMED
I'm looking for a job

I can change tool less than 17 minutes

Hi Jo
I think you are already good with what you have achieved. My simple addition is this. With 65 machines running and 40 change overs per day you have close to 2 change over per hour throughout the 24 hours? With 2 mold changers and 1 cleaner, you are changing the mold in half an hour! which is good. You just have to get the next mold change only after the next half an hour. Can you planer make the quantity to run match to this time?
Try some of the lean / SMED stuff, like doing what ever you can do off line. Standardize the fixing of mold, clamps, connections, tools used.
There is something called minimum time, you can't go below it, without changing the thing itself....
Best of luck...

Don't read too much into it. Analyze how scheduling procedures, and then take those into account with the above - RE: what parts can be over run, and which ones can you short. That will allow you to schedule accordingly. It can be done.

Vacuum Forming Mold | Thermoforming Mold

I can do a mold change in about an hour, but it depends on what material I was using/going to. I've done changes in as little as a half hour. But, that was smaller molds, and I'm lucky to have a 15 ton overhead crane to help out. But as far as I have read, you have to get your scheduling together. Find all your cycle times, find how many parts you need to produce, and go from there.

tell me some SMED's that you have implemented in your company...............

Good Afternoon,

Step 1- Standardize as many IMM's as possible with clamps, bolts, water lines, etc. If the equipment is already at the IMM you will shave time off without asking for a reduction from the mold setters.

Step 2- Interact with the mold setters, have them write down what all of their tasks are for a single set up. Seperate the external task (can be down while the machine is running) and internal (have to be done when machine is down). Review and prioritize these duties in a standardized way. So everyone changing tools can be doing the same thing. This way training additional people or people who want to learn for a future position can start early.

Step 3- Review Step 2, do you have any resources from your existing man power that can help do any of the tasks the mold setter are doing? Remember, you are just trying to standardize, not speed up the change over. Any available resources can help prep the next IMM which is helping your down time problem.

Step 4- OPTION- if you feel the volume of mold sets will remain this way for long term. Consider dividing the shop up into Cells - train other employees to set up molds and have your experienced people leading each team. This will take some time, but the investment will be worth the time when you see each cell setting up tools on their own.(this was the option I ended up going with).

Hope this helps, Gabe Howard, Sun Plastech, Inc. ghoward@asaclean.com

There seems two paths forward.

Obviously, if you don't need to make a change - then eliminate the waste. Work with your planners/schedulers and get down to as few as you can justify.

But my Lean background tells me that you need to run true SMED events - work to get your change-over process down to 10 minutes or less and you machines will never be down.

Sounds like you have the skills and knowledge - just need to execute a program to get the changes faster and faster - so your change capacity is never a limiting factor.

@ I'm a new person

When you read this go back to the forum. LOGIN with a name or make a comment on how to contact you.

While it's good to know you'd like to learn, it's hard to teach without your name.

I'm a new person in this feild, I want to learn something about the mold in the United State.Can you professional person teach me something about your processes in making a plastic mold? also can you show me how to make the mold be more beautiful? Anyway, if you tell me what is the standrads about a perfect mold will be very help for me. thank you very much

Joe,
You need to create a production run quantity +/- a couple hours based on what makes sense for each product. This gives each mold a window of time instead of a finite stop point. You do not want to stop until you team is ready to change.

You will also want to measure press time savings against the loss or damage of product for not being complete pallet or box quantities. Press time is a fixed cost. If you save 5% on press time your cost probably will not go down 5%. Your electricity will be the same and the ability to save money by sending people home is limited if you only saving a few minute per shift. You fixed cost is almost exactly the same. Your only real opportunity is that you can sell more with this capacity if you have the sales. Most times this is not the case because it is very hard to sell a plant to full capacity. Damaged or lost products is a true out-of-pocket cost.

Good Luck,

Rob
www.providenceplastics.com

Hi Joe ,
It reminds me my old days when as a shift incharge we work in Injection molding shop with 26 machines & we were producing parts for our washing machine appliances division & assembly also.
Seems look at your problem would like to know more about your product type ,is it on order basis or is this a regular products (repetative orders) this will help your shift incharge / planner to keep some extra stock after finish production run without shutdown & keep line ideal for 8 hrs.
Another if we look at your problem as you said you have 65 lines ,but you have only 2 mold changer /shift & have additional 2 changer in day shift only .but want to know how many line operator you have for 65 lines ? each operator / line . If like that then you can restructure operating team as you can go for fast order m/c which you plan for longer hrs. with Robotic arm system & give this manpower under Mold setter & changer team for train them for further mold change activities .
So each shift you can take out another 8 person to be train under mold setter & thus can only addition cost of robotic arm system for 8 m/c ,but it will pays back to u in very short time .
Bye for now.keep us update .

Amol Ambavane
Thailand (tikubangkok@yahoo.com)

Are you doing any staging before the mold changes are required? I have had good results using material handlers as external-setups.
If you are on top of scheduling and know when jobs are finishing through your day its simple to prioritize the jobs that the external set-up stages for your set-up personel.
They bring the molds, fixtures, extra cooloing lines, ect... to a staging area at the press before the machine is done with production.
The set-up tech's don't spend time moving a mold to the press and hunting for anything. They swing steel and move on.

had to find new job working back in the Auto bizz again making pointers and cap's for the clusters. old job sent every thing over seas back in Oct. Need to brush up on processing again i got stale. glad to see your still him keep en every one in line i hope?

Rendy

Where were you?

are keeping on molding?

brent

Are these four guy shooting these tools as well. or just change them and moving on. small tool change take 10 min. and that's 40 ton press two plate tool. you need Production control to come down and change tools. that will fix schedule issue real quick.

Rendy

Brent i'm back ( A.K.A gasman )

Also, it's 40 in 24 hrs, not per shift.

Just regular two and three plate cold runner tools in 20 to 360 ton machines.

4 people doing 40 c/o's a shift? Man I am very impressed, oh by the way what kind of molds are being set? small individual Pocket molds or Mud units.. I think scheduling needs to work with production more

CONGRATULATIONS

Dare we say it???

Will sanity and reason prevail giving you more profits?

Good luck.

Bill

Update:
we have a new person in charge of production control who came from a Kan Ban run company and she has vowed to help us. She is going to tackle a smaller department first and then work with us later in the year.

I also am impressed as I am a set up guy and with conventional tools and plattens I can do about 5 in 8 hrs so 4 ppl doing 40 a shift awesome.

my suggestion is to find out what you can overrun and what you can cut short. ( leadtime items and inventory items ) We don't do near the volume of changes in a day but we do have a lot of jobs end at the same time. if we can see it coming in advance we will check with scheduling. as downtime is a number 1 concern.

Ashley

Joe

When the production scheduling folks stop laughing you might remind them of my COMPANY MISSION STATEMENT:

"All blessing flow from the shipping dock. Everyone's job is to either put customer acceptable,parts on the dock on time at the lowest possible cost or help someone who is. There are no other job descriptions."

Remind the front office fools that idle machine time doesn't put more product on the dock. Their paychecks are a function of collected invoices (parts on the dock). No parts, no paycheck. Tattoo the mission statement on their foreheads. Maybe they'll get it.

Bill

I'm still waiting on our production control people to stop laughing.

tell us how it worked out?

I have no answers for you but I am impressed that you have 4 people doing 40 changeovers a day.

your problem is scheduling. Not from the front end but looking at it from the view of when you have to change the mold.

Have your production control schedule from the point of view of mold changes. It isn't that tough if you insist on it.

Hope this helps

Bill