6 Shortcuts To Improve Production Lines
Every manufacturing business is always on the lookout for ways to improve the quality of production lines. But how do you achieve this in the real world without blowing through your budget?
That’s what we discuss here. We look at some shortcuts you can use to improve the quality of your production lines without a significant capital investment.
Look For Defects
If you can run a defect “autopsy” every week, that’s a great idea. These can be illuminating and show you where your processes might be going wrong.
You don’t need to spend a long time on these. All you need to do is dedicate around 30 minutes to an hour to them, allowing operators to dissect issues and then figure out solutions.
Looking for defects is usually the best way to improve your processes. You can see what’s going wrong and how to fix issues on your line.
Reward Stop-The-Line Cultures
Another thing you can do is reward staff when they stop the line. While this is expensive, it is also an excellent way to maintain the highest possible quality.
For example, many production lines have emergency shut-offs that regular staff are authorised to use. These stop the line in the event of a defect, allowing the problem to be fixed. Then the line can be restarted with the new, higher-quality applied.
Use Quarantine Bins
If you’re producing parts of questionable quality, it’s a good idea to institute quarantine bins as well. These allow you to analyse what might have gone wrong in your production process and how to fix it.
What’s nice about these bins is that they provide a record of defective parts and mistakes. Then, all you need to do is keep a log and trace the source of the issue, fixing it so it doesn’t happen again.
Install High-Quality Finishing Spray Systems
Another thing you’ll want to do is install industrial pneumatic solutions and high-quality spray finishes. These give your products a really professional look and improve overall perceptions of quality, whether you sell to other businesses or to final consumers.
These systems require the correct setup, of course. But once they are in place, they can make a world of difference to your quality control.
Run Daily 15-Minute Quality Huddles
You also want to institute daily 15-minute quality huddles if you can. These are common in the retail sector, but they also apply to manufacturing when used appropriately.
The purpose of huddles is to review the state of the line and highlight any issues that staff have noticed. These will often bring things to your attention you didn’t know about, so you can fix them quickly.
Use Error-Proofing
Finally, it’s a good idea to use error-proofing devices. These can take all sorts of forms, but things like limit switches are a good idea because they prevent cycling when parts are missing.
You could also consider using go/no-go gauges, depending on your processes.
