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Driving uptime from 55
to 95 percent
Thyssen Krupp, which
produces automobile coil springs for major manufacturers, had a
problem: 55 percent uptime performance of production machinery.
Philip Ryan, maintenance coordinator, was charged with improving
that to a minimum of 90 percent uptime. In his analysis, Ryan
discovered that workers were wasting large amounts of time just
locating replacement parts they needed to keep two production lines
up and running.
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Before |
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After |
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The plant’s parts
storage system consisted of poly bins on wall mounted louvers in the
mechanical, electrical and paint maintenance departments. Instead of
taking only the parts they needed for a job, workers would often
grab the bucket containing the parts they thought were needed and
bring it to the machine. In many cases, these bins were not returned
to the wall, or were returned to the wrong location.
Exacerbating the problem
was the fact that labels identifying bucket contents were often lost
or defaced in the process of being moved about. Finally, many small
parts were so prone to getting lost that Ryan kept these in his
office.
Ryan decided to
eliminate the poly bins/louver system. Working with The Durham
Manufacturing Company, he developed a new system using models with
4, 20, 32 and 72 compartments with varying sizes to accommodate the
wide range of replacement parts. Their modular design also permitted
him to arrange them vertically or horizontally to meet space
requirements.
Also, the new bins were
designed with space for pressure sensitive labels under each
compartment which remained firmly affixed. The use of steel boxes
with inner plastic compartmented trays which are mounted in a steel
case with slide racks proved to be the answer to the need for a
compact system to contain and organize small components in his
office.
Ryan’s effort resulted
in an uptime productivity increase to 95 percent. Further, there was
the additional benefit of more accurate inventory management.
Item 126
This
article appeared in the June/July 2007 issue of
MRO Today
magazine. Copyright 2007. Back to top
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