Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 15

30 Contact: JACK PALMER [email protected] LOTO (Lock Out Tag Out) remove 4 bolts, remove the pattern on the supplied tramrail, move the new box into place, replace 4 bolts, and reverse LOTO with 2 motivated operators. This sometimes can be performed in cycle; if not, it rarely exceeds 90 seconds. After the molds are produced, they move to a traditional conveyor based line where coating is applied and torched (if needed), cores carefully placed, the cope is lifted and vents drilled, blown out, and carefully placed on the drag. But again, ICT Dualtech is unique in that the molds are 1 in 1 out. That is to say the mold halves are not moved to a staging or accumulating line where they are assembled as the operators see fit. With the 45 second per half rate, there are only 90 seconds to perform the above operations. However, with careful planning, good tools, great communication, efficient delivery of good cores to the closing area, this rate is achieved hour after hour and day after day. With the previous (and still existing) carousel / rollover system it took 3 operators about 10+ hours to produce the full floor quantity of 140 molds. With the newly installed Flip Molding System, the floor is filled in 3-1/2 hours with the same 3 operators. This system went from concept to engineering/manufacturing/runoff /shipment in a little over 90 days. Installation took 4 days to achieve production operational status at the designed rate of 20 molds per hour. This 4 day time frame is exceptional by any measure but is achievable with careful planning and excellent communication. While the designed production rate was achieved the first week of operation, it took about 4-5 weeks to get to 35; once 35 was reached, it was determined that box fill time was the last step to increase the production rate. The mixer flow rate was increased to the point where a full 40 molds per hour is a daily occurrence. In keeping with ICT’s continuing improvement mindset, there have been a number of additions and changes mostly to the reporting side of the program. There is now a running 5 mold average production speed that is displayed on the Home HMI screen and sand and resin usage can be tracked along with a number of other items being monitored by both management and floor production personnel. By going out of the box, Laugle saw these key benefits: • Production rates never seen before with a no-bake automated molding system anywhere in North America. • Cost reduction from not using a comparably sized rollover. The cost of the FMM was determined to actually be less than a rollover by itself with the obviously huge advantage that the FMM is a complete molding system by itself. • Additional daylight is essentially unlimited. • No special foundation or pit was required which makes installation quick and easy, but also makes the system portable if building changes are made or if it is determined that the system would be more productive in another location. • Greatly reduced labor costs. In this instance, the previous rate was 35 labor hours for 140 molds. With the FMM, this was reduced to 10.5 hours – a labor savings of over 300%! As a result of ongoing excellent management and business practices in general, and the obvious success of the FMM in particular, ICT Dualtech is now in talks with Palmer for another foundry with larger size capacity.