Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 17

Continued on page 19 Managing Production Disruptions SCOTT SHAVER Executive Vice President Equipment Manufacturers International, Inc. ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS: • Importance of mapping your supply chain • Remanufacturing – a cost effective solution ahead of its time U nfortunately, the good news regarding the steady growth in the manufacturing economy continues to be overshadowed by the bad news—labor shortages (especially technical skills), raw material shortages, and price increases. While today’s challenges seem unlike anything we have ever seen before, in many ways they are not. We’ve all seen price increases, rising interest rates, and supply issues before. The bigger question is this: Why are some manufacturing companies able to handle the labor and supply shortages better than others? We believe that companies doing better have an actionable continuity plan in place that addresses important areas of common disruption. Continuity plans keep your operation up and running and typically addresses important supply chain issues. SUPPLY CHAIN MAPPING Minimizing supply chain disruption comes from mapping your entire supply chain to identify potential for disruption. Without a comprehensive map, it’s impossible to know how your company can respond in the face of challenges, much less be proactive. There are newer technologies that can assist in this important high-level effort. EMERGENCY PLANS While we hope that we will never see another pandemic, conventional wisdom tells us we will likely see similar disruptions in the future. Having an emergency plan that details back-up equipment, talent, space, and logistics will help any company navigate the next disruption. You can never ask too many “what- if?” questions. Every “what if?” must be addressed and reviewed in your emergency plan. Planning for a replacement robotic end effector would be an important “what it?” if you have a robotic work cell. But how do you plan for large capital equipment such as a new robot, core machine or molding system when lead times are 6-12 months and costs are through the roof? Include in your emergency plan, the ability to have your current equipment remanufactured, to modern specifications. In some cases, they can even be equipped with more flexibility than new equipment – all at less cost, and less time to deliver. Here are two example projects that led to faster lead times, lower overall project costs, and machinery guarantees similar to new equipment options: CORE MACHINE RETROFIT Challenge: Modify a high production cope eject core machine to a drag out style, including updated hydraulic circuits for smoother and improved cycle times. Solution: This re-design included the cope strip assembly to ease maintenance and cleaning, providing accurate separation for cope and drag. OSHA approved safety guarding was added with “control reliable” machine directives. By analyzing an existing machine design and comparing to the customers production goals, we were able to identify new design features and options that offered greater flexibility and improved productivity. Re-purposing many of the existing machine components and adding new controls where 17 BACK TO BASICS