Thermoplastic Injection Molding Machine Setup Downtime Reduction

Abstract

Setup is one of the most common downtimes that affects every manufacturing organization. In a molding company, a top offender setup downtime machine (IMM 128) was identified, and a time study of the setup process was performed. DMAIC and SMED methodologies were applied to identify the potential causes related to the setup downtime. The principal cause identified was the lack of external activities performed during the setup process. Internal vs external activities analysis was performed and a total of 18 activities were converted to external by implementing a molding staging area near the machine and a mold component kit (nozzle tips) for IMM 128 was implemented. These improvements resulted in the reduction of 16 minutes and 4 seconds of each setup performed in the top offender. Key Terms ⎯ DMAIC, Non-Value Added, SMED, Waste Reduction.