My apologies for the addendum, this should have
been in the October newsletter.

Brian Wagner and I recently wrote a major special
report for Packaging World titled "Quick
Changeover Packaging: Dynamics and Surging Growth
Opportunities" . This all new 135-page study was
edited by respected packaging journalist Jim George

• defines and quantifies the emergence of
quick-changeover packaging from both the marketing and operations perspectives

• explains why success depends upon marketing and
operations professionals working as a team

• examines changing market-side factors that have
created the "want it my way" consumer and retail
niches, and reshaped innovative thought

• includes advice, examples and worksheets to help readers build a QCOP model

And much much more.

For more information on the report including a
detailed table of contents and how to obtain a copy visit:

http://www.packworld.com/qc/



Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com

Subscribe to the Quick Changeover Newsletter at
http://www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm

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(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) S.M.I.L.E(sm)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Setup Minimization Improves Line Efficiency
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) The Lean Changeover e-letter
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Published monthly by Changeover.com
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Written by John R Henry, CPP
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)
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###     SEPTEMBER 2006
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This newsletter is a free service of Changeover.com. Visit our website at
http://www.changeover.com or contact us at
john@...

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be
interested

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Past issues are indexed and archived at www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm

=============================================================
PackExpo will be taking place in Chicago from Sunday, October 29 to
Thursday, November 2. If you are not planning on going, you should.
It is the premier show at which you can see all the new as well as
classic packaging and automation technologies.

I will be there all week. If you are there, call me on my cell at
787-550-9650 and we can meet up somewhere.

SOME THOUGHTS ON...
CHANGEOVER DEFINED

Stop me if youv'e heard this...

Seriously, from time to time I think it is a good thing to revisit
the definition of changeover. This is a word whose meaning everyone
knows but for which many different definitions exist. Some people
define changeover as only the physical changing or adjustment of a
machine. Others define it as including cleaning but not including
other ancillary operations such as line clearances by quality or
release of materials from the warehouse.

I think that it is critical in any organization to have a single,
consistent, definition of changeover. As important as I believe the
correct definition to be, I think that it is even more critical to
have a definition that everyone agrees to and works from. Too often
this is not the case. Too often people assume that others are working
from the same definition when they are not.

It is always better if, in addition to a consistent definition,
everyone is using the correct definition so let me state it here:

"Changeover is the total process of converting a machine or line from
running one product to another."

It is EVERYTHING that is involved. I break changeover into what I
call "The 3 Ups".

CLEAN-UP

This is the process of removing all previous materials, components
and product from the line. In some cases, this may be very simple and
elementary. If a company runs the same product under various brand
names, cleanup may consist only of changing the labeling. This is a
fairly rare case. Most of the time there will be a number of
components to be removed. Additionally, it will usually be necessary
to clean hoppers, tanks, pipes and so on to remove previous products.
Cleaning or wiping down of machines is often performed along with
cleaning of floors. In extreme cases such as a sterile pharmaceutical
product, cleaning will include complete disassembly of the machinery,
washing with detergent, rinsing with pure water and sterilization via
autoclave. This cleaning may extend to the room as well with washing
and sterilization of walls, floors and other surfaces. In some cases,
cleaning may be the major time component of changeover.

SET-UP

The term "setup" is sometimes used synonymously with "changeover". It
should not be. Setup is a component of changeover and refers to the
process of adjusting or changing a machine from one product to
another. This can include adjusting components such as guide rails.
It can include changing settings on controls such as speeds,
temperatures or pressure. It can also include changeout of components
such as timing screws or starwheels. Usually it will be some
combination of all three.

Other tasks will also need to be performed that may not be thought of
as setup. Documentation such as filling out of log books and
inspections is one typical example, Bringing the materials and
components for the next product to the area is another. Other plants
may have other tasks as well. These tasks may not be under the
control of the people with primary responsibility for changeover. No
matter. They do affect it and must be addressed.

START-UP
Changeover does not end when the line restarts. All too frequently
there is a period of time between when the line restarts and when it
"settles down" and runs normally. This period of time, called
startup, is typified by frequent jams, damaged product, marginal
product, shutdown for adjustments and general tinkering. In some
cases this startup period can last as long as 10-16 hours! In my
experience, most lines take at least a couple hours to settle down.

The reason for startup can be encompassed in a single word,
"Variation". This may be variation in the product or components. If
caps are being supplied slightly oversized, the capper will give
problems until the right set point has been achieved by trial and
error. More often the variation is in the setup and perhaps even in
the cleanup. to eliminate this variation there are two things that
need to be done: First, all adjustments and setpoints need to be
measurable. That is, they must be to a number, gauge, mark or other
indicator. The proper setpoints for each adjustment must be
identified and documented. Second, there must be a good SOP in place
that describes exactly how to achieve these setpoints.

Startup time is difficult to measure since it is often hard to see
the point at which the line is finally running right. A SCADA line
management system can show it very clearly. There are other ways to
determine it as well. It is important that it be measured. Otherwise,
there may be a tendency to do a quicker than optimal cleanup and
setup which will look like changeover times have been improved. If
startup times suffer because of this, there has really been no
overall improvement.

The goal with cleanup and setup needs to be to reduce them. Seldom if
ever can they be eliminated. The goal for startup should be
elimination. In the real world this goal may never be achieved. That
does not mean we should not constantly strive toward it.

The dividing lines between the categories above are not written in
stone. The line clearance documentation certifying that they line is
clean and ready for setup could be considered part of cleanup or part
of setup. It is not really important. The main function of the
divisions is to break changeover into smaller, more manageable components.

I feel that the above definitions of changeover are the correct one
in most cases. On the other hand, I do recognize that each plant has
its own peculiarities and may need to use a different definition.
That is fine, provided at a single, common, plant-wide definition is adopted.

As the saying goes, if you don't know where you are going, you are
unlikely to get there. Ditto changeover. If you can't define it, you
can't improve it.

TIP OF THE MONTH...
BOLTS

Bolts are pretty common and you use them every day. But how much do
you know about them? Do you know what the markings on the head mean?
Do you know what a properly formed US Standard thread looks like and
why? Do you know what a metric thread looks like and why?

A good website with lots of useful information is www.boltscience.com
Look at the links at the left side of the page and you will find
glossary, software, tightening sequences and more.

Bolt Science also offers training programs as well as software on bolting.

Interesting stuff.


Best,

John R Henry CPP
Best,

John R Henry CPP

•       Definition of changeover and changeover time

•        Definition of Lean Changeover

•        Importance of changeover-Monetary and non-monetary costs

•        The role every department must play in the program

•        The need to improve both mechanical and organizational aspects of changeover

•        Eliminate, Externalize, Simplify-A three step path to Lean Changeover

•        The importance for repeatability

•        Developing SOP’s for changeover

•       Definition of changeover and changeover time

•        Definition of Lean Changeover

•        Importance of changeover-Monetary and non-monetary costs

•        The role every department must play in the program

•        The need to improve both mechanical and organizational aspects of changeover

•        Eliminate, Externalize, Simplify-A three step path to Lean Changeover

•        The importance for repeatability

•        Developing SOP’s for changeover

•        Definition of changeover and changeover time

•        Definition of Lean Changeover

•        Importance of changeover-Monetary and non-monetary costs

•        The role every department must play in the program

•        The need to improve both mechanical and organizational aspects of changeover

•        Eliminate, Externalize, Simplify-A three step path to Lean Changeover

•        The importance for repeatability

•        Developing SOP’s for changeover

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(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) S.M.I.L.E(sm)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Setup Minimization Improves Line Efficiency
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) The Lean Changeover e-letter
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Published monthly by Changeover.com
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Written by John R Henry, CPP
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)
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###     MAY 2006
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This newsletter is a free service of Changeover.com. Visit our website at
http://www.changeover.com or contact us at
john@...

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be
interested

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=============================================================
Paul Zepf is widely known for his expertise and writings on packaging
lines and efficiencies. One of his major contributions has been the
development of the Zarpac Performance Index for analyzing line
performance. See http://pi.zarpac.com/ for more info. His company,
Zarpac at www.zarpac.com is a leader in this field. He was good
enough to contribute the following article for this month's newsletter.

Paul is also the author of a 4 volume book on packaging line
changeover "How to Implement a Quick Change Program in Production
Processes". It is excellent and should be read by anyone with an
interest in the field. See
http://www.zarpac.com/education_pub_quick.htm to order.

SOME THOUGHTS ON....


How to Set Up a Current Best Approach (CBA) Program

By

Paul Zepf
Zarpac Inc

CBAs are detailed step by step instructions or sequential task
procedures of how to accomplish a given task in the safest and most
efficient way considering ergonomics, education, skill level,
machinery and plant environment. To maintain an efficient operation
CBAs of even a basic level are a must to get a handle on training
personnel and running, changing and maintaining machinery. CBAs shine
the most in changeovers and change outs of machines and packaging
lines from one product to another. Below is an overview of how to set
up a CBA program in your plant.

1. Visually study the operators and line operations and the observed
sequence and procedures used.  Make general notes, observations and
list of questions.

2. Discuss with the Production Supervisor(s), mechanics, electricians
and operators what problems and comments they have with the line
(machines) and products under review.

3. Have the best mechanic write down in simple English the existing
procedure for assembly and disassembly for each machine; the tasks
that are required to be done and basic detail to explain each task
and why this way.

4. Management (with operator and mechanic input) agree to the CBA
type and the exact format.

5. Approach for the first rough draft CBA:

" Break down the CBA by machine and/or products.

" Get supply and logistics, safety and lockout tasks up front and verify.

" Do an existing input functional mapping or process mapping of the
line for each product.

" Do an initial top line FMECA and start up a To Do List and Action Plan.

" Where are all the tools located and what tools or aids are used.

" Review scheduling (present and anticipated); production
requirements; degree and effectiveness of training; level of skill
required and actual skill and employee stability on the packaging line.

" Following a change out of the line, write all the steps that the
mechanic is required to do for each machine and each product (as he
is doing them is best) and asking questions regarding sequence,
thinking and effort.

6. After typing up the rough CBA draft, go back to the line and
review the rough procedures with another mechanic on the line. It is
better to actually physically do the steps, but standing in front of
the machine and physically pantomiming the change out is also
effective. This latter technique could be done with the line running.

7. Review and mark up the rough CBA draft steps with this mechanic
and later reconcile differences, but highlight these areas for easy
identification later.

8. If possible have another mechanic different from the first two go
through the revised draft CBA and follow items 6 and 7.

9. Distribute the second revision to all personnel who may have to
undertake these tasks and ask them to review and comment. Call a
general meeting of all these personnel and get alignment and
approval.  Complete revisions and follow up suggestions and then
publish and use the first draft CBAs and prove it correct.

10. Audit and verify the published CBAs, using the following items as
guidelines:

" No errors in settings and instructions.

" Task results are consistent and correct.

" Task steps are complete (no assumptions).

" Task steps are in the proper sequence.

" Each task description is in simple language.

" Terms and Language are consistent.

" Eventually, can an operator do this effectively?

" Can we eliminate this step? How?

" Can we modify this step? How?

" Is there an inherent safety issue in this step?

" If tools are used, can we eliminate them? How?

" Can we eliminate the skill level required? How?

" Can a qualified new employee get this task done in 1.5X normal
speed, after one week on the job.

" Is this CBA complete and can form the core of the training program?
If not, adjust it so can be. Basically the full format CBA is the
training material.

" Fix as many variables as possible to minimize errors and time
losses on the machines. Error proofing.

11. Revise and approve the updated CBA as changes are completed and
verified. Destroy all old copies. This forms part of an ongoing
continuous improvement program and simplification of tasks.

12. Monitor and audit the CBAs and improvements a least semi-annually
to insure compliance and effectiveness.

13. Convert the full CBA to a short one page quick reference list of
task sequences, short descriptors, set points and key points for on
line use by qualified personnel.

Within this program, useful and effective elements of lean sigma,
error proofing, FMECA, Condition, Cause, Solution (CCS), Automated
Line Performance Monitoring, Quick Change Process (QCP) and
Technology, Transfer and Training (TTT) are used where applicable,
along with government regulations on safety, labor, cGMP, SOPs and
other regulatory compliance based onpublished and use region or country.


TIP OF THE MONTH
NON-SCRIBE SCRIBE MARKS

I was recently at Diageo's Baltimore plant and one of the mechanics,
Chris Hunt, showed me a neat idea. It is one of those things I slap
myself on the head for not having thought about 20 years ago.

But I didn't, and Chris did.

One of the most important factors in reducing changeover times is
having measurable setpoints to adjust to. I've long recommended
rulers or scales, permanently mounted to the machine to do this. Of
course, they then have to be calibrated and the setpoint values
listed in an SOP or chart.

In many plants the mechanics will make a scribe mark for each setup
and adjust to that. that works fine except that after a while a
number of scribe marks, some in use, some obsolete, will accumulate.
Machine adjustments will also change rendering the scribe mark not
quite accurate.

Chris has come up with a way to get the best of both worlds. He marks
the appropriate setpoints on a strip of paper. He then neatly
identifies each mark by the product it corresponds to. The paper
strip is then laminated in plastic and mounted in the correct
position on the machine. When a mark is no longer useful, it is a few
minutes work to make and laminate a new template.

Thanks, Chris, for the tip of the month.




Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com

Subscribe to the Quick Changeover Newsletter at
http://www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm

Best,

John R Henry CPP

Best,

John R Henry CPP

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(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) S.M.I.L.E(sm)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Setup Minimization Improves Line Efficiency
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) The Lean Changeover e-letter
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Published monthly by Changeover.com
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Written by John R Henry, CPP
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)
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###     FEBRUARY 2006
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============================================================

This newsletter is a free service of Changeover.com. Visit our website at
http://www.changeover.com or contact us at
john@...

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be
interested

To subscribe send a blank e-mail to: quickchangeover-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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=============================================================

Announcements:

I will be speaking next week at InterPhex in San Juan. My
presentation will be "Make changeover lean AND quick" and will be
Friday 2/17 at 11:00AM.

TS3 is presenting a 4 day seminar titled "A Six Sigma Approach to
Product and Process Validation" in San Juan PR on April 4-7. I will
be doing a short presentation on Lean Changeover during the seminar.
E-mail Steve Zagarola at swzagarola@... for more information.

I will be teaching the "Packaging Technology" course at the
Polytechnic University of PR during the Spring Semester. First class
will be March 7 so there is still time to sign up. This is in the
graduate school of industrial engineering. I just finished teaching
the winter semester and it was a very interesting course. Visit
http://www.pupr.edu/ for more info.



SOME THOUGHTS ON...
SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT AND LEAN MANUFACTURING

I first remember hearing about Frederick Taylor and Scientific
Management while in grad school. We read some articles on the history
of management in one of my classes. I have since taught about Taylor
in my Operations Management classes for more than 20 years.

With all that learning and teaching, however, I had never actually
read any of his books. Part of it was availability and part of it was
probably some doubt about how useful something written 100 years ago
could be in today's world. I am happy to say that I have now
corrected this failure. Project Gutenberg has his books "Principles
of Scientific Management" and "Shop Management" available for free
download as text files. Access them here
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/pscmg10.txt and here
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/shpmg10.txt

Principles of Scientific Management is also available as a paperback
from Amazon.

While I am at it, let me put in a plug for the Gutenberg Project at
www.gutenberg.org This is an organization that collects text files of
out of copyright books and makes them freely available. They have
over 17,000 books of all types available for download.

Scientific Management is a term Taylor came up with to describe his
approach to the organization of how tasks are carried out in the
workplace. He believed far too much work was being done in relation
to the tasks accomplished. He set out to find ways to eliminate
wasted labor and wasted effort. (Sounds like Lean Manufacturing to me.)

One of his first examples involves the loading of pig iron ingots
weighing 92 pounds. The process could not have been more basic. The
handler would bend down, pick up the ingot, carry it to a railroad
car and drop it. Taylor studied the matter and believed that the
average handler should be able to move about 47 tons per day. At the
time, they were moving about 12 tons/day. The key was pacing the
work. Taylor found one worker who he believed would be particularly
open to improvement and offered him a raise from $1.15/day to $1.85
if he would only follow the instructions of a coach.

The coach would then tell the man when to pick up a pig, when to walk
and how fast and, most importantly, when to rest. By following a
strict work-rest regime, the man's output was raised to 47 tons per day.

There are a couple of lessons to be learned from this simple example.
One is that great increases can often be had from relatively minor
improvements. Another is that Taylor realized that most of the effort
in handling the pig came from simply holding it. The picking up,
walking and dropping took relatively little effort. Minimizing the
time that the man was actually holding the pig greatly minimized the
total effort.

Another important point was how important the human factor was in
this process. Scientific management has been painted as ignoring the
human factor. In this book Taylor stresses it's importance. In the
pig iron example Taylor stresses both proper selection of the person
to perform the task and how it is presented to them. If they had told
the man that they were going to increase his output from 12 to 47
tons/day he would have been very skeptical and would not have "bought
in" to the process. Instead they told him that they were going to
give him a raise and all he has to do is follow instructions.

In another section of the book Taylor tells of Frank Gilbreth's (of
"Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Therblig" fame) work improving the
performance of bricklayers. Most of the improvements were very simple
such putting the bricks to be laid at working height instead of on
the ground. This eliminates bending. I have always known that it is
preferable to avoid bending but Taylor put the explanation in simple
terms. When a 200 pound person bends over and straightens up, they
are lowering and lifting about 150 pounds. Yeah, I know, it is pretty
obvious. But I had never thought of it in that way before.

Gilbreth also worked with the mortar mixture. Normally a brick is
laid then tapped into place. A slightly thinner mix allowed the
bricks to be set in place with minimal or no tapping.

Taylor is often associated with the phrase "One best way" and rightly
so. He believed and showed in his work that while there may be many
different ways to perform a task, there will always be one that is
best. (Remember that "best" can have a variety of dimensions such as
speed, cost, quality and so forth). Management's job is to find that
way and teach it to the employees.

In fact much of his philosophy focuses on teaching in addition to
doing. Running a shop must be separated into various functions. There
is the worker, with varying degrees of skill, who actually does the
work. There is management which has the responsibility for
determining what is to be done and how it is to be done. In addition,
there must be "teachers" who show the workers the proper methods.
Taylor laid great emphasis on this teaching function. Today we may
call it coaching, facilitating, training or something else. In the
end it all comes down to teaching and may be one of the most
overlooked skills in many organizations.

Scientific management has gotten a bad rap over the years. Too many
people think it exists to squeeze more work out of the workers. In
one sense it is. Too many managements have used it as an excuse to
make people work harder and expend more effort. This is a mis-use.
Taylor clearly shows that the goal of scientific management, properly
applied, must be more productivity with less total effort.

Don't be scared by what you may have heard about "Taylorism" and
scientific management. Read this book. It is fairly short (130 pages)
and packed with valuable information. If you don't get at least 1
idea you can put to work, I will refund every penny you paid for this
newsletter.


TIP OF THE MONTH...
GATOR GRIP SOCKET

To the maximum extent possible changeover should be toolless. Where
tools can't be eliminated, they need to be reduced. The Gator-Grip
Universal Socket can be used to replace a variety of sockets and
other wrenches. It consists of a socket with spring loaded rods. It
will fit down over any bolt, screw or other fastener and
automatically grip it.

It is available most places where tools are sold. Here is their website
www.gator-grip.com





Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com

Subscribe to the Quick Changeover Newsletter at
http://www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm

Best,

John R Henry CPP

Best,

John R Henry CPP

(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) S.M.I.L.E(sm)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Setup Minimization Improves Line Efficiency
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) The Lean Changeover e-letter
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Published monthly by Changeover.com
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Written by John R Henry, CPP
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)

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###     OCTOBER 2005
###
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============================================================

This newsletter is a free service of Changeover.com. Visit our website at
http://www.changeover.com or contact us at
john@...

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be
interested

To subscribe send a blank e-mail to: quickchangeover-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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Past issues are indexed and archived at www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm

=============================================================

Be sure to visit the packaging blog at www.packnation.com Lots of good
stuff there.

For those of you lucky enough to live in Puerto Rico, great news. I will be
teaching the course in Packaging Technology (MMP-6236) starting November
14. This is part of a program leading to a Master of Science in
Manufacturing Engineering degree. The syllabus is not online yet but
general program information is available at
http://www.pupr.edu/gs/gprogram.asp?ID=60

I hope I will see some of you there.



SOME THOUGHTS ON...
STARTUP Part II

In last month's newsletter I defined "start-up" as being the time spent
after line re-start getting the line settled down and running at normal
speed and efficiency. It is characterized by frequent stoppages for
adjustment, high reject levels and a variety of minor and sometimes major
problems in operation. As I said, start-up is caused by variability in
materials or variability in clean-up and/or set-up. For the purposes of the
following discussion, let us assume that all materials, components and
product is perfectly centerlined in it's specification. (That may not
always be a valid assumption)

Most of the following discussion will focus on set-up but clean-up can be a
source of variability as well. Chuck style cappers can sometimes build up
mold release from the caps of the previous run. If not properly cleaned,
this will cause slippage with resulting variation in on-torque in the
succeeding run. In general, the following comments, if not the necessarily
the examples, will apply to both clean-up and set-up variation.

In my experience, the absence of standard operating procedures (SOP's) for
changeover are the biggest cause of in my experience. Even where SOP's
exist, they may not be well written or may not be followed. Typically,
people are taught to do changeover by example. They then each evolve their
own techniques over time. Absent good implemented documentation, it is rare
to find two people doing the same changeover the same way. Often, even the
same person will not do changeovers the same way from one time to the next.
There is a best way. IT must be found and documented.

The first key to driving variation out of the set-up is good documentation,
properly implemented and used. An SOP must be more than a checklist. It
must include detailed instructions on everything that is to be done.

An SOP describing how machine settings are to be made is useless unless it
is possible to accurately measure them. Thus, measurability becomes the
second key to driving variation out of set-up. (This assumes set-up is
achieved via adjustment rather than changeparts. I will discuss this below)
If a capper set-up SOP calls for a "slight clearance" between the chuck and
the cap, this can be interpreted in a variety of different ways. Some might
think it means almost touching. Others may think it means 1/4". Even where
there is agreement on the distance, if it is done by eyeball, a short
mechanic may set it differently than a taller mechanic simply because of
difference in viewpoint.

All adjustments must be made to a fixed measurement. Digital indicators
work well for this. Scales and gauges are also useful. When using scales, a
critical element is the pointer. It must come to a fine point and must be
as close as possible to the number to be read. Otherwise, different people
may read it differently depending on the relationship of their eye to the
scale. If gauges are to be used, they should be permanently mounted to the
machine. There are several ways to do this including the revolver gauge I
mentioned in last month's newsletter.

Physical position is not the only thing that needs to be measured. Machine
speeds are all too often ignored and set by eye and feel. Conveyor speeds
are critical to a smooth running line yet I seldom see tachometers on
conveyors. All equipment or components capable of speed adjustment must
have tachometers. Temperature and pressure must also have adequate
indicators and controls. A temperature control consisting of a single turn
knob, numbered 1-10 with no indication of actual temperature is not
adequate. I strongly recommend digital rather than analog indicators as
they are less subject to interpretation error.

Machine construction and state of repair must be considered as well.
Machines with excessive wear cannot be set precisely no matter how good the
measuring device. A worn gate on a case packer, for example, may never stop
in exactly the same place twice. Some machines are built of light duty
construction or without safety clutches. When the inevitable crash occurs,
the machine will bend and all settings are now out the window, requiring a
complete recalibration and revision of the SOP to reflect the new setpoints.

There are two schools of thought on whether machines should be built with
changeparts or adjustments to accommodate different product sizes. The
argument in favor of changeparts is that, by eliminating adjustment, they
eliminate the possibility of mis-adjustment. While this is true, it also
eliminates the ability to compensate for variability in components or
product. (I'm still ambivalent about whether this is a good or a bad thing)
The use of changeparts also reduces the ability to rapidly produce new
products. Instead of simply making the adjustments and running, custom
changeparts must be purchased which can take anywhere from weeks to months.

Measuring startup time is difficult. It is easy to see when to start the
clock. It is harder to see when the line is running at normal speed and
efficiency. The best way to do this is to have a SCADA system that provides
a graphical display of line conditions. When the line showing speed
adjusted for efficiency flattens out, startup is over. Paul Zepf of Zarpac,
in his excellent book  suggests that startup be considered over when there
is a 15 minute period with no stoppages. Other plants may have their own
methodologies. One idea I recently ran across intrigued me so I made it
this months "Tip of the Month". The key is that a metric be developed and
used. While the metric must be as accurate as possible, it is more
important that it remain constant. Only constancy will allow for comparison
and observation of trends.

Variability is the greatest enemy of quality. It is the great enemy of
changeover time as well.


TIP OF THE MONTH...
A QUICK AND DIRTY WAY TO MONITOR STARTUP TIMES

In a workshop recently at Kellogg's cereal plant we were discussing this.
David Bryan (Randy, I am not positive it was David. Do you have any way to
verify?) one of the mechanics, suggested a solution that is pretty simple.
His suggestion was to measure the amount of time it took to produce the
first 5,000 units of good product. This does not actually measure startup
time. It does give an indication of how well the changeover was done. By
comparing these times across batches, it is fairly easy to see whether
startup times are increasing, decreasing or holding constant. The reasoning
behind this is that the longer the startup time, the longer it will take to
reach the 5,000 products.

The 5,000 is not a magic number. The cut-off number should be picked based
on the normal amount of production before the line settles down. It may be
more or less in specific cases.

Additionally, if different products run at different speeds, a multiplier
can be used to normalize times. The time it takes to produce 5,000 units of
a product running at 100PPM would be halved to make it comparable to the
time needed to produce 5,000 units of a product running at 200PPM

Best,

John R Henry CPP

Best,

John R Henry CPP

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(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) S.M.I.L.E(sm)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Setup Minimization Improves Line Efficiency
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) The Lean Changeover e-letter
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Published monthly by Changeover.com
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Written by John R Henry, CPP
(+)+(+)
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###     MARCH 2005
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This newsletter is a free service of Changeover.com. Visit our website at
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I hope everyone here will be attending PackExpo in Las Vegas in September.
It is an excellent show in a great town. Besides, would your other half let
you go to Las Vegas unless they thought you were actually working?

If you do go, be sure to sign up for the conference program. Lots of good
presentations on the agenda. I will be presenting a talk on "Calculating
and Cutting the High Cost of Changeover" on Wednesday morning. I hope to
see you there. Stop and say hello.

I'll be at the show all three days and always enjoy meeting my readers. If
anyone would like to get together for a cup of coffee, my cell is 787-550-9650.

For more information on the show and conference, visit
http://pelv2005.packexpo.com/index.shtml

Now I need a favor. My presentation is on how to calculate the costs of
changeover. In the course of the presentation I have some examples of
actual costs provided by some of my clients. Unfortunately, many of them
are as much as 3-4 years old or older. I would be interested from hearing
from any of you that can share your costs with me so I can include some
more current information. I will not identify any companies, I would like
to just give some examples from various industries.

If you can help, e-mail me at johnhenry@...

SOME THOUGHTS ON...
LEAN CHANGEOVER

You may have noticed a change in the name of this newsletter. Let me explain:

The concept of lean manufacturing, if not the name, has been around for
almost 100 years. Even though the benefits and techniques were known and
published, it is only relatively recently that it has begun to be
implemented seriously. There is lots of information out there about it. A
keyword search at Amazon.com will turn up over 800 books on the topic.
Google returns more than a million and a half hits for "lean
manufacturing". If you are not already implementing lean practices and
strategies in your operations, you need to be.

Although there is lots to it, lean manufacturing can be boiled down to a
very simple definition. It is the elimination of waste in all stages of the
manufacturing process. This includes the supply chain as well as the
administrative side of operations.

Over the past six months or so I have come to realize that what I have been
preaching all along is not really quick but lean changeover. The goal
remains the same in both cases, reducing the amount of time that a
production process is stopped. It is the approach that changes. "Quick"
seems to me to indicate doing the same thing but doing it faster. "Lean",
on the other hand, indicates a rethinking of the entire process to reduce
the amount of work involved. By reducing the amount of work required, the
time involved will naturally fall.

A problem often faced in implementing a changeover program is buy-in by the
people involved. Too often mechanics and operators hear "Reduce changeover
time" and think "quick changeover = working harder." In some cases that
will be the truth. Supervisors may insist on a mechanic walking faster to
the toolroom to get a required tool. That's not the solution.

The solution is to eliminate the need to go get the tool, perhaps by having
it permanently stored on the machine. Better than that is to eliminate the
need for the tool altogether by using toolless fasteners such as toggle
clamps or handknobs. Best of all would be to eliminate the need for any
adjustment at all. Instead of repositioning photoeyes, mount multiple eyes,
one for each product and use a selector switch to change between them.

A real life example occurred during a kaizen blitz I facilitated on a tube
filling line. We went through a series of changeovers on the line
identifying and implementing improvements after each one. During one of our
brainstorming sessions someone asked about the order in which the cartoner
adjustments were made. The SOP called first for an adjustment on the right
side of the machine, then the corresponding adjustment on the left side and
so on from infeed to discharge. If there were two people doing it, this was
not a big problem since they would simply work opposite one another.
However, normally one person did the changeover and this involved a lot of
backing and forthing around the end of the line. On the next changeover we
timed it with a stopwatch and found that almost five minutes was spent
walking. Not doing anything productive, just walking. Several of the
mechanics looked carefully at the machine and determined that there was no
real need to perform the adjustments symmetrically. That is, all the
adjustments on the back of the cartoner could be made first, then the
mechanic would walk around the end of the line and make all the adjustments
on the front. This not only saved time, it also eliminated about a quarter
mile of walking per changeover. (Think of it as changeover for lazy people!)

This sounds like a no-brainer and in a way it is. On the other hand, it had
been going on for some time and nobody had ever noticed. At least nobody
had noticed it enough to come up with an improvement. The reason for this
is simple. They were too close to the problem and under too much time
pressure to stop, take a step back and think "There has to be a better
way". Once they had the opportunity to do this in the kaizen blitz, the
solution jumped right out at them.

This illustrates one of the major principles of lean changeover, it
requires a cultural awareness of the problem so that people are thinking
about it. They need to be thinking all the time "How can I make my job
easier?". More importantly It also requires a commitment on the part of
management so that when people do come up with ideas, they are taken
seriously. That does not mean every idea will be implemented. If 3-5 out of
10 ideas turn out to be practical, that is probably a pretty good
percentage. What it does mean is that management will listen to the idea,
consider it, implement it if practical and if not, explain why not.
Anything less will cause people to revert to the same old ways.
So, the concept for this month, lean changeover. Get rid of the fat. Let's
all get skinny!

TIP OF THE MONTH
POSITIONING SCALES

One of the most critical elements of changeover is the ability to establish
and re-establish the same set point time after time after time on all
adjustments. There are a number of techniques that can be help achieve
this. Digital indicators, both mechanical and electronic, work well. They
have the advantage of not needing interpretation since they are have a
digital readout.

When, for various reasons, they are not practical, scales can be a good
alternative. Oregon Rule ( http://www.oregonruleco.com ) makes scales with
adhesive backing so they can be stuck up where needed. They have a wide
range of styles, sizes and gradations so chances are good you will find
exactly what you want.

Another alternative is to purchase machinist scales from a mill supply
house such as Reid Tool or MSC. These can be epoxied or riveted in place.

A couple of things to be careful of when using scales for this purpose:

Use decimal rather than fractional scales. It is much easier to interpret
7.8 than 7-13/16's. It doesn't really matter if the scales are metric or
inch since they are relative, not absolute measurements.

Use the same graduations throughout the line if possible. This makes it for
the mechanics and operators to use them.

Don't forget the pointer. A scale without a corresponding pointer is
nothing more than decoration. Be sure to get the pointer as close to the
scale as possible to avoid problems of parallax and to make sure everyone
reads it the same way.

Develop a chart that shows the proper set points for each adjustment for
each product size.

Standardize on the gradations

Scales are a useful, simple tool. Just be careful not to make them too simple.


BOOK OF THE MONTH...
"Improving Changeover Preformance"

This month I am beginning a new feature. It is often hard to find good
books and I will recommend one of my favorites each month.

There is not much written on changeover improvement. Much of what is
written is focused more on heavier processes. It is sometimes hard to
translate into lighter applications. This book, "Improving Changeover
Performance" by McIntosh, Culley and Owen is one of the few that focus on
the lighter processes such as packaging, printing and small assembly. There
is a lot of good information here. You can find more information and order
the book by going to the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0750650877/changeovercom-20?creative=3276\
41&camp=14573&link_code=as1







Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com

Subscribe to the Quick Changeover Newsletter at
http://www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm

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(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) S.M.I.L.E(sm)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Setup Minimization Improves Line Efficiency
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) The Quick Changeover e-letter
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Published monthly by Changeover.com
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Written by John R Henry, CPP
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)
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###     JUNE 2005
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This newsletter is a free service of Changeover.com. Visit our website at
http://www.changeover.com or contact us at
john@...

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be
interested

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=============================================================
I have added a new page to the Changeover.com site. This page, called "Best
Practices" is located at www.changeover.com/ideas.htm The purpose of the
page is to illustrate some practices that have been found to be useful in
reducing changeover time and improving changeover quality.

Submissions are encouraged. What are you doing that you can share with your
colleagues around the world? Send me a photo, sketch or drawing with a
brief description and I'll be happy to add it to the page. I will post all
submissions anonymously with no ID information unless you specifically
allow me to credit you or your company.

SOME THOUGHTS ON...
EXTERNALIZATION



Those who have read Shigeo Shingo's book, "A Revolution in
Manufacturing:The SMED System" will be familiar with the concept of
externalization. Briefly, it means performing as many changeover operations
as possible while the line is running. This may not save any labor time. In
some cases, it may even take a bit more. Still, since labor costs tens of
dollars per hour and downtime costs thousands of dollars per hour, it is
very powerful concept.

I first learned about the concept years ago and have been lauding it's
value ever since. For all that, I had never had it brought home as
forcefully as happened at a client earlier this year.

I was presenting my "Achieving Lean Changeover" workshop in a packaging
plant. Earlier I had been shown 8 pouch forming machines. These use flat
film from a roll. The film is folded and sealed to form pouches for the
product. One thing I had noticed about them was that they had only a single
roll of film mounted. In the course of discussion, I asked about this as
well as how often they have to replace the rolls and how long it takes.

The rolls are replaced about 3 times per shift, on a two shift operation or
6 times in a normal day. My first thought was that perhaps the rolls could
be made larger diameter to hold more material. Going from a 12" to a 16"
diameter roll should more or less double the amount of film and thus cut
the number of roll changes in half. The problem with that is that the rolls
are pretty heavy as they are. Increasing the diameter would make them even
harder to handle.

We then discussed mounting two film rolls on the machine. One roll, in the
forward position would be in use. The second, backup roll, would be mounted
on a shaft and positioned directly behind the active roll. When the active
roll is used up, the machine is stopped, the shaft removed and the backup
roll rolled forward on it's shaft into the active position. The leading end
of the backup and tail end of the active rolls are spliced with tape and
the machine restarted. (see www.changeover.com/doubleroll.jpg for a
conceptual example)

In discussing this, the group seemed to think that it might be a good idea
but would only save a few minutes a few times per day. As readers of this
newsletter already know, my position is that downtime elimination is all
about saving a few minutes here and a few seconds there, but doing a lot of
it. In the end, these little, "nickle & dime" improvements add up to a
significant reduction.

So, in my best pedagogical manner I decided to examine how much time would
actually be saved from this improvement. First I asked how much time the
current method took. The consensus answer from the group was that it was
about 10 minutes a time. Sometimes a bit less sometimes a bit more, but
about 10 minutes on average. The typical sequence of operation was:

Wait till the roll ran out (If the operator was not right there, it
sometimes took a minute or two to notice that the machine had stopped.)

With the machine stopped, remove the shaft and empty film core

Disassemble the shaft and remove the core

Fetch the new roll from across the room

Place it on the shaft

Assemble the shaft, mount the locking collar

Lift the assembly onto the machine. This sometimes required 2 people
depending on who was doing it.

Splice the new film to the old.

Restart the machine.

As I mentioned, this happened 6 times on the typical day. Here's the math:

6 changes X 10 min/change X 240 days/yr = 14,400 minutes per year or 240
hours.
In other words, when you actually do the math, this single, repetitive,
operation goes from being nickels and dimes to a major cause of downtime.
In this case it amounted to about 6% of the total available working hours.

If a second roll, with some refinements, could be added, this time could be
easily cut to 5 minutes per roll change.

The operation becomes:

3-5 minutes before the roll comes to an end, a yellow beacon alerts the
operator to be standing by.

When the roll runs out, the machine stops automatically leaving sufficient
material for easy splicing.

As soon as the machine stops, the operator lifts the shaft/core out of
place and sets it aside.

The backup roll, previously placed on the rollstand is moved forward to the
active position.

The film ends are spliced.

The machine is restarted.

With the machine running, the empty shaft that has just been removed is
loaded with a new roll and placed on the machine as the backup roll.

Total estimated downtime is now 5 minutes. Now do the math again:

6 changes X 5 min/change X 240 days/yr = 7,200 minutes per year or 120 hours.

This relatively simple modification, costing less than $5,000 has resulted
in a gain of 120 production hours per year.

What are 120 additional production hours worth in YOUR plant?

I believe that 5 minutes per change is still too long. There are ways it
can be improved further.

Splicing is too often done in an ad hoc manner with the operator trying to
hold the two ends with one hand and apply the tape with the other. A
purpose built splicing table will make this much simpler, faster and will
reduce the chance of an improper splice jamming in the machine. The splice
table can be fabricated in house or purchased, it need not be anything
elaborate. See
http://www.webtechniquesinc.com/acc_model_SP3_splicingaid.html
for a simple example. It's not shown in this example but I would recommend
that a permanent tape dispenser be mounted above the splice table. This
should be positioned so the tape can be pulled straight out of the
dispenser onto the web.

An even more effective approach can eliminate downtime altogether. This is
to have accumulation of the last 50-100 feet of film so that splicing can
take place without stopping the machine. One manufacturer of off-the-shelf
machines for this purpose is CTC International at http://www.ctcint.com
They make a complete line of automatic and semi-automatic machines as well
as components for build-your-own.

The dual roll concept can be used on labelers, PVC banders, foil cappers,
bagging machines and any other roll fed machine. Even a very simple
implementation can eliminate large amounts of downtime over the course of a
year.

TIP OF THE MONTH...
PROGRAMMABLE AIR CYLINDERS

Air cylinders are the workhorse of the typical industrial plant. They are
used for a wide variety of simple and complex machine motions.
Historically, air cylinders have been limited to 2 positions, fully
extended and fully retracted. When intermediate positions were needed, they
were usually achieved by putting a hard stop.

In recent years, several cylinder manufacturers have developed programmable
air cylinders. These cylinders incorporate an electronic position sensor.
They allow a controller to position and lock the cylinder at any position
in it's stroke.

One useful application I saw was a machine built to form small (6" X 4" X
2", approx) chipboard trays. This automatic former was designed by the
user's engineering department and built in their maintenance shop. It was
designed for quick changeover and used programmable cylinders for almost
all position adjustments. I saw the machine both in operation and in
changeover and can say it was most impressive.



Best,

John R Henry CPP



Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com

Subscribe to the Quick Changeover Newsletter at
http://www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm

This is the April 2005 newsletter. In updating the newsletter archive, it
appears it was never sent out to the entire list. I am hoping that nobody
is getting it twice and if you are, I apologize.



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(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) S.M.I.L.E(sm)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Setup Minimization Improves Line Efficiency
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) The Quick Changeover e-letter
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Published monthly by Changeover.com
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Written by John R Henry, CPP
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)
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###     APRIL 2005
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This newsletter is a free service of Changeover.com. Visit our website at
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john@...

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SOME THOUGHTS ON...
PRODUCT SURETY

I recently did the lead-off presentation for day long conference on Product
Surety. I thought it might make an interesting topic for this month's
newsletter. As a general comment, coming up with ideas for the newsletter
is sometimes a lot harder than actually writing it. I welcome any ideas or
suggestions for future articles. I also welcome contributions. You write
it, I'll publish it.

"Product surety" seems to be a fairly new term. I first heard it last year
but immediately recognized it's usefulness to encompass a range of concerns
to the manufacturer. Product surety tends to be aimed at the more sensitive
and regulated industries like food and pharmaceuticals. As I hope to show,
it should also be a concern in other industries as well.

Let me begin with a definition:

Product surety includes all measures taken throughout the distribution
chain, from raw materials to final consumer to assure the integrity, safety
and proper identification of a product.

Product surety is important for a number of reasons:

National security - The product supply chain, especially food and drugs, is
a point through which a country could be attacked. In today's world, we
often don't know who are enemies are and may not even know we have them.

Consumer confidence - Consumers need to know that when they buy whatever
product, it is actually what it purports to be. If they lose confidence in
a particular brand, they will cease to buy it.

Product liability -  If a consumer is harmed by a product, they are likely
to sue. It doesn't matter whether they have a good case or not, it will
cost the company money and reputation to defend against the suit. Tight
product surety is a means of both reducing the probability of actual harm
and reducing the risk of being found negligent in the event of harm.

Finally, there are legal and regulatory requirements that must be met.

Product surety covers four main areas of concern: Tamper resistance, Tamper
evidency, product diversion and counterfeiting. I will discuss each briefly:

The Product Surety Working Group Initiative defined tampering as:

"To change or add a substance to a product with the intent to cause harm
(health or financial)"

I think this is a good definition as far as it goes. The above definition
covers malicious tampering well. However there is also a problem with what
I call non-malicious tampering. That is the consumer in the store who opens
a package to get a better look at the product. In the case of foods, they
will occasionally even taste it. In other cases, packaging may
inadvertently become open through handling, either in the supply chain or
by the consumer. While these cases may not seem as serious as malicious
tampering, they are still a problem that needs to be addressed. They can be
addressed through a combination of tamper resistance and tamper evidency.

The first thing to know about tampering is that there is no such thing as a
tamper proof product. The best that can be done is a level of tamper
resistance. I have been told that a steel can is "tamper proof". As I show
in conferences, by introducing a can in which I have replaced the contents
with candy, this is not the case. (In the interests of safety, I'll not
tell you how I do it other than to say I use no special tools or equipment.
I will say that a roomful of packaging professionals did not notice a
problem with the can prior to opening.)

A steel can is at best tamper resistant. Other types of packaging that
provide good levels of tamper resistance include glass ampules, welded
clamshells, cartons of tear resistant board with glue seals and blister
packages. Multiple layers of tamper resistance generally work best. If
overdone though, they may make the product so difficult to use as to turn
the consumer away. A further problem with excessive tamper resistance
measure, in my opinion, is that they may create a dangerously false sense
of security to both the manufacturer and to the consumer.

Tamper evidency goes hand in hand with tamper resistance. Tamper evidency
does not seek to prevent tampering as much as it seeks to make visible the
fact that it has occurred. Some of the things that you may have noticed are
tearaway bands on bottle caps, inner foil seals, glue seals on cartons and
shrink bands or laels over bottle caps/necks. One client uses staples to
seal their corrugated shipping cases. The reason? Tape and glue can
sometimes be removed and replaced surreptitiously. Staples are much harder.
There are a number of other techniques out there and I will be happy to
discuss them privately with anyone interested. The key is that whatever
technique is used must leave visible evidence, usually by being destroyed
during opening. Too many times, it is possible to remove and replace a cap
without breaking the security band. Some cartons sealed with hotmelt glues
can be opened, undamaged, simply by freezing them. A further danger is that
the consumer may not realize that, say, a PVC shrink band is supposed to be
present. Some manufacturers glue tuck flap cartons but they can be opened
and reclosed. The consumer may not realize that they were originally glued.
A "Do not use if security band is not present" or similar instructions are
a must.

We, as consumers, have the right to expect a safe and quality product. We,
as manufacturers have a moral and legal obligation to provide that product.
It is not always easy. There are people who, maliciously or otherwise, will
interpose themselves in the process and cause bad product to get to market.
All we can do is to do all we can do to safeguard our supply chain.

Next month, in Part II, I will discuss the problems of counterfeiting as
well as product diversion including track and trace. If you would like a
copy of the PowerPoint slides that accompanied my presentation, drop me a
note and I'll be happy to provide them.

TIP OF THE MONTH...
COLOR CODING

Readers of this newsletter will know that I am a big believer in making
things as visual as possible. I am especially a fan of color coding of
tools, change parts, adjustments etc. Last month I was presenting my
"Achieving Lean Changeover" workshop at a plant and had one of those "Slap
me up the side of the head" moments. You know the kind. It's where someone
mentions something so important yet so simple and obvious (at least now)
that you feel stupid for never having thought of it.

For all my talk about color coding over the years, I had never thought of
people who might be color blind.
In a nutshell, I strongly recommend that you use color coding. But, when
you do, you must also be sure to use text or symbology to allow those
people who cannot distinguish colors to do their job.

Thanks go out to KK-H for bringing this to my attention.

Best,

John R Henry CPP



Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com

Subscribe to the Quick Changeover Newsletter at
http://www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm

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(+)+(+) S.M.I.L.E(sm)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Setup Minimization Improves Line Efficiency
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) The Quick Changeover e-letter
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Published monthly by Changeover.com
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Written by John R Henry, CPP
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###     MARCH 2005
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This newsletter is a free service of Changeover.com. Visit our website at
http://www.changeover.com or contact us at
john@...

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be
interested

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Past issues are indexed and archived at www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm

=============================================================
Last month I did a web seminar "Pitstops in Your Plant" for the IoPP and
Packaging World Magazine. We had a number of attendees from several
countries and it went very well. For those who missed it, I will be happy
to offer it, or any of my other presentations, to your organization. All
you would need is an internet connection. If you have a group, an overhead
projector would be helpful.

For more information, please contact me at john@...

The 5th  annual Forum for Innovation is coming up in a couple weeks (April
6-8) in San Juan PR. Lots of good conferences and exhibits. I will be
kicking off a full day track on product surety (counterfeiting, track and
trace, tamper evidency, RFID and more) with a presentation giving an
overview of the problem, trends and solutions.
For more info, visit  http://www.induniv.org/content.asp?PageID=116

ALSO: It's a bit short notice but if you can get to San Juan, I will be
speaking on changeover at the Colegio de Ingenieros. This is part of a
conference on Pharmaceutical Plant Optimization presented by the Instituto
de Ingenieros Industriales de PR. This will be Wednesday, 3/16 at 6:30PM at
the Colegio. . There will also be presentations on Failure Analysis and
Process Mapping. Admission is free and no advance registration is required.
It looks like it will be a fun evening. Come if you can.

SOME THOUGHTS ON...
INVENTORY

Many readers here are familiar with inventory. This familiarity is often
because they use it or supply to it. It is not always clear how complex and
important factor it can be in the modern manufacturing plant. I thought
that this month I would present a brief overview of some of the issues
involved with inventory.

Inventory can be defined simply as a reserve stock of materials. There are
3 basic inventories that concern most manufacturing plants. These are raw
materials inventory (RMI), finished goods inventory (FGI) and work in
process (WIP). RMI consists of those materials, components, products and
anything else that is required to make the product. FGI is finished
product, ready for shipment to the customer.

WIP can be a bit more difficult to get a handle on. Let's use
pharmaceutical plant which manufactures and packages tablets as an example.
Once the tablets are manufactured, but before they are packaged, what are
they? The quick answer would be WIP but they could also be viewed as FGI
(Ready for shipment to the "customer", packaging) They could also be viewed
as RMI (raw material input to packaging) or as all three.

Inventories serve a number of purposes. Perhaps foremost, they are a hedge
against uncertainty. These uncertainties include fluctuating demand in the
market or possible interruptions in supply. Inventories can be used to even
out production. A company that has a high seasonal demand for their product
may choose to produce at a constant rate through the year, building
inventory in the winter and depleting it in the summer. It can allow better
prices from purchasing in quantity. One very negative use it has is to
cover up the failings of planning and management.
So inventory is necessary. Nobody will dispute that. The question is how
much is optimal? While inventory has it's benefits, it also has it's costs.
Typically, it will cost about 25-35% annually to carry inventory. Of
course, as they say "your mileage may vary". This means that keeping an
inventory valued at $1,000,000 will cost $250-350,000 per year. These costs
come from interest on the capital tied up in inventory, cost of warehouse
space, administrative & handling costs, shrinkage, deterioration and
obsolescence, to name a few.

In other words, it is not cheap.

WIP can be viewed as a special type of inventory. The effects of excessive
WIP is even more insidious than those of either RMI or FGI. This is because
of it's nature and how it is handled. FGI and RM are almost always stored
in warehouses, under control properly identified and easy to find. WIP will
often be found sitting on the plant floor on pallets or in bins. There may
not be a good handle on where it is or even what it is. In an uncontrolled
environment, it is more susceptible to damage. Perhaps most important, it
may get in the way of normal production causing delays. For an excellent
in-depth discussion of the problems of WIP, read "The Goal" by Eliahu Goldratt.

This is a newsletter about changeover. So what does inventory have to do
with changeover? Or, more to the point, what does changeover have to do
with inventory?

Everything.

As readers here know, changeover is tremendously expensive. In consumer
goods, costs are frequently in the $10-20,000/hour range. One way to reduce
the impact of these costs is to do fewer changeovers. If the cost per
changeover is fixed, spreading it over a longer production run will reduce
the cost per unit of production. Longer production runs/larger batch sizes
for the same total production will result in higher inventory levels.
Inventory modeling is a complex science and will vary from company to
company. It is probably accurate (generally) to say that a doubling of lot
size will cause approximately a doubling in average inventory levels. This
doubling will occur not just in FGI, you will also need

For an interesting exercise, call your accounting department right now. Ask
them 1) What is you average inventory value? 2) What is the average cost of
carrying that inventory? Now, figure out what it would be worth to reduce
that cost by 15%.
If you didn't have a good reason to reduce changeover before, you have one now.

TIP OF THE MONTH...
BOLT BINS
When disassembling machines or change parts there are often loose pieces
such as nuts, bolts, pins and so on. Typical practice is for the mechanic
to place these on any convenient surface until they are ready to reuse
them. A problem is that frequently, the pieces may not be immediately to
hand when reassembling. Another is that, if more than one person is working
on the changeover, the second person may not be able to find where the
first person put the pieces. If the pieces are placed on top of the
machine, there is also the possibility that they may fall either on the
floor or, worse, inside the machine.

One way to solve this problem is to mount a small metal or plastic box on
the machine. The pieces are placed in the box and are always together and
always in the same location. One idea I have seen in auto parts stores is
boxes with magnetic mounting bases. If it is inconvenient to mount boxes
permanently, these might be helpful to the mechanics.

Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com

Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com

Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com

Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com

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(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) S.M.I.L.E(sm)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Setup Minimization Improves Line Efficiency
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) The Quick Changeover e-letter
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Published monthly by Changeover.com
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Written by John R Henry, CPP
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)
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This newsletter is a free service of Changeover.com. Visit our website at
http://www.changeover.com or contact us at
john@...

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be
interested

To subscribe send a blank e-mail to: quickchangeover-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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Past issues are indexed and archived at www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm

=============================================================

I tried Topica hoping that it would be better than Yahoo for the newsletter
and I do appreciate your patience. I now find that Yahoo is really much
better for what I am trying to do here and am returning to it. This month
some of you will receive 2 copies of the newsletter, one from Yahoo and one
from Topica. If you do, you do not need to do anything. If you have signed
up recently, you will receive only the Topica edition. In that case you
will need to sign up for the Yahoo version. To do this, simply send a blank
e-mail to quickchangeover-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit
www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm and sign up there.

I will be speaking at PackExpo on "Faster, Better Cheaper Changeover" at
9:50 Monday morning. I hope to see some of you there and it you are, please
come up and say hello. I will be at PackExpo all week and if anyone would
like to get together for a cup of coffee, my cell phone is 787/550-9650.
Give me a shout and we'll figure out where to meet.


SOME THOUGHTS ON...
VISITING PACKEXPO

Packexpo is just around the corner. It will be held in Chicago from
November 7-11 2004. More information can be found at www.packexpo.com
PackExpo is one of the largest shows held in the US and the world with over
1.6 million square feet of exhibit space in 5 floors in 3 buildings. In
other words, it requires a bit of thinking about beforehand to get the most
out of your visit. I've been attending for 20 years and thought I would
share some of my experiences and thoughts.

1. Wear comfortable shoes. If you walk the entire show, I have been told,
you will cover about 15 miles. In addition to all the walking, you will
likely not spend much time sitting down. No matter what, at the end of the
day, your dogs will be barking. A comfortable pair of shoes can make all
the difference. My recommendation, for both men and women, is running
shoes. Don't worry about being in fashion. Very few people will see your
feet and those that do will not care. (They may have running shoes themselves)

2. Register early. You can register online at www.packexpo.com Registration
lines at the show, especially in the morning, can be long and you don't
need to spend your first day waiting in line.

3. Take advantage of the conference program. This year there will be more
conferences on more topics than ever before.  Be sure to circle 9:55 Monday
and come hear me. You can find a complete schedule at www.packexpo.com I
tried to provide a direct link but for some reason when I do, it crashes my
e-mail. You can try typing this into your browser, removing the spaces

>http:// pei2004.packexpo.com/ pei2004/content/gsb_grid_v2.pdf

4. Eat a good breakfast. Meals at McCormick Place have gotten better over
the years but are still nothing to write home about. Also, time spent
eating is time spent not seeing the show. I've found that a good solid
breakfast allows me to go the entire day without lunch. Many exhibitors
will have popcorn, candy and other munchies to take the edge off.

5. Carry a bottle of water.

6. Make a plan of what you want to see at the show. You know what your
needs will be, make sure you locate and visit the people who can supply
these needs. If you are doing blister packing, make sure you list all the
blister pack vendors at the show, figure out where they are located and
make a map to locate them. Doing this will save you a lot of time backing
and forthing. Make sure that you look at all the blister pack vendors not
just the few you are familiar with. Just because you are wedded to one
manufacturer, doesn't mean that others won't have things of interest in
their booths. One of the great things about a show like PackExpo is that
you will get to see the newest technology, side by side, from all
manufacturers.

7. The good folks at PackExpo put out two show directories. One is pretty
heavy duty with maps of each hall, complete info including addresses,
telephones and the like on each exhibitor and much other useful
information. Make sure you get one of these not only to use at the show but
to keep on your desk when you get back to the office. It is an invaluable
reference. The other directory is a quick reference with only exhibitor
names and booth numbers. It is sized to carry in a hip or jacket pocket for
ready use.
TIP: Write your name on the front of your guide(s). If you use it for
making notes, you will not want to get it mixed up with someone else's copy.

8. When listing the things that you specifically want to see, allow plenty
of time to see everything else. If you are really ambitious, plan to spend
4-5 days at the show and walk up and down every aisle. Many of the vendors
will be smaller companies that you have never heard of. Give them a look
anyway, they are often the ones with the most unusual and innovative ideas.

9. Look at exhibitors from other industries. The fact that you work in the
food industry, for example, does not mean that vendors of pharmaceutical
equipment will not have things of interest. As in step 6, the key is to
avoid tunnel vision. Keep an open mind and look at everything.

10. When speaking with exhibitors, don't just ask them what they offer,
tell them what you need or want. This show is not just a good opportunity
for potential buyers, it is a very potent forum where vendors can find out
how their equipment is used and to get ideas for future improvements and
innovations.

11. All attendees at PackExpo get a magnetic swipe card that exhibitors
will use to collect your information. The first time you use it, check the
printout to make sure that your address, phone etc is correct. In addition
to the swipe card, you should still bring plenty of business cards.
Networking, at the show, at hospitality suites and other venues is an
important benefit. It is better to have a pocketful of business cards and
not swap them than to need to swap cards and not have any.

12. Many exhibitors will prefer to take your information and send
literature after the show. However, you can still accumulate a considerable
amount of stuff each day. You will be able to get plastic carry bags in a
number of booths but I find these get pretty heavy very quickly. I strongly
recommend that you carry a lightweight cloth briefcase with a shoulder
strap to collect this stuff in. A lightweight backpack also works well
though it tends to be a bit harder to put things into.

13. Did I mention comfortable shoes? That may my single most valuable piece
of advice.

TIP OF THE MONTH...
STORE CHANGEPARTS ON THE MACHINE

How much time is lost every changeover going to the toolroom chasing the
changeparts for the next changeover. Is there any reason that these parts
cannot be stored right on the machine?

One example where I saw this was a cartoner with interchangeable buckets.
Over the center of the machine, the users built a rack to store the
buckets. This not only saves the time spent chasing the parts, it also
simplified changeover. The parts were directly above the point where they
were used. The mechanic would remove a bucket, raise it, move it forward
and place it on the rack. Mounting the new bucket was just the reverse. No
bending, reaching or moving around.



Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com




Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com




Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com





Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com





Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com

My apologies to those of you receiving this for a 2nd time. The transition
to Topica is not going as well as I had expected and about 150 subscribers
did not receive the newsletter when I originally sent it.

I have been working with Topica and they seem to think it may be on the
receiving end due to spam blockers. If you did not receive the newsletter
earlier this month, you may need to set your spam block software to
specifically accept ("whitelist") mail from johnhenry@...

I've not given up yet and will continue to work to resolve this problem. I
appreciate your patience.



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(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) S.M.I.L.E(sm)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Setup Minimization Improves Line Efficiency
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) The Quick Changeover e-letter
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Published monthly by Changeover.com
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Written by John R Henry, CPP
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)
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NOTE: After 4 years at Yahoo and it’s predecessors we have moved to Topica
for hosting of the Quick Changeover Newsletter. One of the reasons for the
change is to allow the embedding of pictures and graphics in the
newsletter. This issue is all text based and should appear the same as past
issues. Any feedback will be appreciated.

This newsletter is a free service of Changeover.com. Visit our website at
http://www.changeover.com or contact us at john@...

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be
interested

To subscribe visit www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm

To unsubscribe follow the instructions at the end of the newsletter or
e-mail me directly at johnhenry@...

Past issues are indexed and archived at www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm


Shameless self-promotion:

We have many potential clients around the world who would like to use our
services but find the costs prohibitive due to travel. One of the services
we offer is virtual assessments of your changeover and set-ups. The way it
works is, you videotape a changeover and send us the tape. We review it and
e-mail a report of our observations and improvement recommendations.

Our fee is $750 (US) per tape, up to 3 hours. Satisfaction is guaranteed.
If we are not able to show you savings of at least double or triple the
cost of the assessment, tell us and we will waive the fee.

E-mail me at john@... for more information.

=============================================================
SOME THOUGHTS ON...
SEA STORIES FOR OUR TIME

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following was written by a friend of mine who is a
retired US Navy Master Chief Petty Officer and a veteran of both WWII and
the Korean War. I will be happy to forward any comments to him.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The editor, seizing upon my claim that the duties of a U.S. Navy ship CO
were similar to those of a successful factory manager, asked me to explain
further.

Navy ship commanding officers are carefully selected. They have convinced
numerous selection boards of their competence to perform the duties of rank
(usually Commander of Captain) but must also pass a Screening Board which
recommends only those deemed fully qualified to command a warship or a
major command. You can be a perfectly respectable Captain in the U.S. Navy
and not have a prayer of commanding one of their ships. I assume that those
responsible for the governance of a factory that is expected to produce a
profitable product are equally careful in selecting factory managers.

Over the past few years, as the number of ships in the U.S. Navy have
declined, more COs have been relieved ‘for cause’ than previously. The
officer who relieves a CO of a ship under his jurisdiction usually cites ‘a
lack of confidence in his ability to command.’ According to an editorial in
Navy Times (28 June 2004), ten COs have been relieved in the first months
of 2004 and 27 in the past 17 months – more than in 2000, 2001, and 2002
combined. In some cases the reason given is “Inappropriate relations with a
person in his command.” Sex rears its ugly head, even in the senior
leadership of the Navy.

In my time (1943-64) each Navy ship produced a monthly Roster of Officers
which listed each officer in the command with some personal data; their
duty assignment, collateral duties, date of rank, duties in training for,
date of expected qualification and a code which indicated the source of
that officer – Naval Academy, ex-enlisted, NROTC, etc. To this white hat
the intriguing section was the line which listed the Commanding Officer.
His Collateral Duty was always Morale. Other officers had numerous
collateral duties – member of a Special Court Martial, Mess Treasurer, Mail
Officer, but the COs single collateral duty was Morale.

A very few Commanding Officers seemed overly concerned with their morale
but most took the stricture to mean the morale of their command. Following
are some examples of Commanding Officers. Most are dead now so aren’t
available for civilian employment – my argument is simply that their
background would have made them excellent candidates to manage a complex
factory. My preferences will be obvious; my morale as a white hat was what
was important to me.

All these COs had one thing in common; their word was their bond. This was
important, since many may be put at both physical and career risk as a
result of a very few words from the CO. You didn’t have to like your CO but
you didn’t lie to him. [This Nirvana was before pervasive political
correctness ruled the world.]

1944-45 The Supply Depot of a Pacific Advanced Base. The Supply Officer was
a Regular Navy Lieutenant Commander, soon promoted to Commander and then,
as the Supply Center on an island in the Pacific grew in importance,
‘spotted’ to Captain. A ‘spot’ promotion lasted only as long as you held
the position you had. Once relieved, you reverted to your previous rank.
  From my standpoint, our CO was fine until he made Captain – then the new
rank seemed to take precedence over everything else. Okay, maybe it wasn’t
that way but that’s the way we saw it.

1945 The relief for the previous CO was a Captain in the Supply Corps, a
long-time personal friend of Fleet Admiral Nimitz, boss of the U.S. Pacific
Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas. He was very low key. The only time I saw him
in action was when he was sending off a Lieutenant (who was somewhat
flustered as this was a no-notice immediate transfer) to become the Navy’s
supply representative on Iwo Jima. His advice which this eavesdropper heard
was: “Joe. Help everybody you can. Just remember you are in the Navy.”
1948 Aboard an ESSEX-class carrier for a Mediterranean cruise. The CO was
very quiet and reserved. But he was a tiger on zone inspections, held every
Friday where groups of officers inspected the ship for material
deficiencies that were reported to the CO.

The Captain led one of the groups. It was only years later that I learned
why the materiel condition of the almost-new ship meant so much to him. At
the beginning of WWII he had been CO of a converted WWI destroyer which
served as a tender for my brother’s wing of PBYs which the Japanese quickly
tore up but his ship wasn’t badly damaged. Off Iwo Jima, he had been CO of
the last U.S. carrier lost in the war, a ‘jeep’ carrier sunk by a Kamikaze
with great loss of life. Jeep carriers had no armor. He wrote letters to
the parents and widows of those hundreds lost.

1949 Same carrier; new CO. The most gentlemanly officer I ever met. He had
a great deal of experience aboard carriers during WWII. He had once been
one of the section officers in VF-2, the “Flying Chiefs.” Then (early
1930s) all the pilots in VF-2, except for the CO and section leaders, had
been chief petty officers. Highly skilled and sometimes highly unorthodox.
A sense of proportion and humor. As a retired admiral, he used to attend
our ship reunions as long as he was able. Unfortunately for us, he was
relieved from command just as the Korean War began so he could become the
chief of staff of the 7th Fleet Commander off Korea. Always considerate of
the crew, his officers, and our escorting destroyers – a new experience for
the destroyers.

1961 CO of a destroyer tender in the Pacific. He managed by walking around
and observing – tenders do their important work in port. He came into our
shop unexpectedly, looked around, spoke genially to everyone and then,
“Chief, don’t you think this space could use a coat of paint?” Painting
followed almost immediately. I remember this Captain most because of his
campaign against swearing. He made it clear there was to be no swearing
aboard his ship. He didn’t threaten bread-and-water but it just wasn’t to
be done. Banning swearing aboard a Navy ship is akin to banning bikinis at
all beaches during spring break, but he pretty much made it stick.
An incident which made our crusty chief boatswain’s mate laugh until he
almost cried happened during this command. We seldom went to sea, but the
Captain spent a lot of time on the bridge. One morning in Yokosuka, a
boatswain’s mate had a crew working on the foc’stle. They were too
lackadaisical by his standards and he started to tell them so. Then he saw
the Captain was on the bridge, watching with interest. He began explaining
the proper procedures to his crew but couldn’t get the words right. The
chief boatswain’s mate was also watching, protected from the light rain
(and the CO’s surveillance) by standing under the bridge overhang. Finally,
the BM1 came to where the chief was standing and said, very quietly,
“Chief, what do you call dumsumbitches when you can’t call them dumsumbitches?”




TIP OF THE MONTH...
PHOTOEYES

Camera based machine vision systems have been used for years for
inspection, verification and control of manufacturing tasks. They have
proven to be very effective. Costs have been dropping dramatically with
some basic systems now under $5,000 (US). I am certainly a fan of vision
and recommend it's use where appropriate.

However, camera based systems are still relatively expensive and complex
compared to photoeye based systems. Photoeyes have been improving and
becoming more versatile as well. They are currently in use for such
applications as part and component orientation, size and position
verification, level control and other tasks. One interesting application
from Tri-Tronics www.ttco.com has a highpowered infrared photoeye that can
look through an opaque pouch or carton to verify the presence of product or
bottle inside. This means that a $1,000 photoeye based inspection/rejection
system could replace a $25,000 checkweigher in some applications.





Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com

Subscribe to the Quick Changeover Newsletter at
http://www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm

The Quick Changeover Newsletter has changed it's server and is now hosted
by Topica. It will no longer be sent by Yahoo as it had been through the
August issue.

The September 2004 issue was sent out yesterday, 9/10/04 via Topica

If you do not receive the September 2004 issue of the Quick Changeover
Newsletter, please let me know at john@...

If you do receive it but have any questions or comments, please let me know
that as well.


Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com

Subscribe to the Quick Changeover Newsletter at
http://www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm

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(+)+(+) S.M.I.L.E(sm)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Setup Minimization Improves Line Efficiency
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) The Quick Changeover e-letter
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Published monthly by Changeover.com
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Written by John R Henry, CPP
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###     AUGUST 2004
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This newsletter is a free service of Changeover.com. Visit our website at
http://www.changeover.com or contact us at
john@...

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be
interested

To subscribe send a blank e-mail to: quickchangeover-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

To unsubscribe send a blank e-mail to:
quickchangeover-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Past issues are indexed and archived at www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm

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SOME THOUGHTS ON...
WHO'S YOUR HERBIE?

This month I want to recommend a novel. It has a little of everything. Some
romance for those who like that sort of thing. Drama for those who like
that. A happy ending for others. And for everyone involved in any area of
manufacturing, lots of good information that will help you run more
efficiently.

The book is "The Goal" by Eliyahu Goldratt. If you have not read it yet,
you need to order it immediately. Once you get it, you need to read it at
least once but probably 2-3 times to make sure you capture all the
information in this excellent book.

The hero of the book, Alex Rogo, is plant manager of large job shop making
an unidentified products using typical metalworking processes. The plant is
losing money and he has been told that it will be closed in 3 months if
they can't get it under control. Alex has a chance meeting with his old
physics teacher, Jonah, now a business consultant who, though he has very
limited time, agrees to help. He does this by asking Alex questions, not
supplying the answers and then letting Alex and his staff puzzle it out.

The first question he asks is: "What is the goal of the plant?" That seems
like a pretty basic question but have you ever thought what the goal of
your plant it? Do you have it clearly defined? For 20 years, on the first
night of many of my classes, I would ask my students what the goal of the
normal business enterprise was. Some of the answers I got were pretty
amazing. Businesses do not exist to provide jobs. They do not exist to
produce products. They do not exist to capture market share. One student
told me they existed to keep him out of the house and away from his wife
during the day. I accepted that as tongue in cheek. Businesses exist for
one reason and that is to make money for their owners or shareholders. By
doing this, and only by doing this, they are able to to provide all the
other things that we count on them for. Alex, for the first time, was
forced to really think about this and realized what he needed to
concentrate on to save his plant.

The next question Jonah asks Alex is how he can maximize the amount of
money he makes for the shareholders? Of course readers of this newsletter
will have heard me say, more than once, that measurement is key to
obtaining results. "If you can't measure it, you can't control it." Jonah
gives Alex some tools and then lets him and his staff ponder through the
implications. Basically, it boils down to a need to increase throughput
while holding costs and inventory constant or, better yet, reducing them.

So now Alex has to figure out how to increase throughput and he does it by
identifying bottlenecks in the process flow and then attacking them. This
turns out to be the key to maximizing profitability. In the book, the
bottlenecks are a couple of machines and they figure out ways to maximize
their throughput. However, they also realize that the bottlenecks do not
necessarily have to be in the process. They can also be external. If
marketing does not sell enough product, throughput will suffer. This
realization leads them to change their terminology from "bottleneck" to
"constraint" and brings us to the subtitle of the book, "The Theory of
Constraints".

The above is a gross oversimplification and I am afraid that I have not
done justice to an excellent book. I only hope that I have whetted your
curiosity enough that you will buy the book and read it.

You can also find much useful information on Dr. Goldratt's websites at
www.goldratt.com and

Oh, by the way. I can hear some of you asking: "Who is the "Herbie" of this
essay title? In the book, Alex takes his son and Boy Scout troop on a 10
mile hike. Herbie is an overweight, slow, kid who acts as a constraint on
the troop as a whole. Alex compares the line of scouts with different
hiking speeds to a production line. Herbie is the constraint on the hike.
Alex experiments with different ways of minimizing his negative impact and
realizes what he needs to do to improve his process.

So, To return to the title, Who's the Herbie in your plant? Where is the
constraint or bottleneck in your process?

More importantly, what are you going to do about it?

For more information or to buy the book, visit
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0884270610/changeovercom-20

TIP OF THE MONTH...

PROCESS TRICKS AND TIPS NEWSLETTER

I have not personally evaluated VATSCORP's productivity software. However,
some of it may be of interest to readers here and you can check it out here
http://www.vatscorp.com
They also publish a free Process Tricks and Tips Newsletter which I have
been finding very interesting. Lots of ideas that you will find useful. You
can subscribe here
http://www.vatscorp.com/pages/landingpage.asp

Happy reading!

John Henry CPP

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(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) S.M.I.L.E(sm)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Setup Minimization Improves Line Efficiency
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) The Quick Changeover e-letter
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Published monthly by Changeover.com
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Written by John R Henry, CPP
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+)
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###     JULY 2004
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============================================================

This newsletter is a free service of Changeover.com. Visit our website at
<http://www.changeover.com>http://www.changeover.com or contact us at
john@...

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be
interested

To subscribe send a blank e-mail to: quickchangeover-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

To unsubscribe send a blank e-mail to:
quickchangeover-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Past issues are indexed and archived at www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm

=============================================================
Last week I spoke at the PMMI's PackOps 2004 conference. My topic was
"Fast, Nimble Packaging Lines - Is One Touch or Touchless Changeover
Possible?" I've put the presentation online at
www.changeover.com/packops.ppt I hope it is useful, comments are welcome.

Speaking of comments, I would like some input on the newsletter.
Specifically, I would be interested in hearing from you about A) Usefulness
of the newsletter, B) General comments about the format, C) Suggested
future topics D) Any other feedback you might think appropriate. Send
comments to john@...

SOME THOUGHTS ON...
THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE (shoe) BOX

When I was a kid, buying sneakers (or what we now call "athletic shoes")
was simple. You had a choice of 2-3 brands and 2 styles, high- or low-tops,
in each. Cost? Around $10-15 the pair. Now we have dozens of national brand
manufacturers and each has perhaps hundreds of styles, each designed for a
specific use or sport. They are no longer cheap, either. It is not hard, as
I found when my son was playing basketball in high school, to spend
$100-150 on a pair of shoes.
So I guess it should come as no surprise that Adidas has developed a
running shoe with a servo motor, gear train, computer, controls, battery
and sensors built into the sole. While this sounds like the work of some
mad scientist or a spoof from a humor magazine, it is a real product. The
sensors detect the hardness of the running surface, stride etc, the
computer determines the optimum firmness of the sole for the conditions and
the servo motor then adjusts the shoe. The technology is amazing enough.
What I find truly astonishing is that they are able to pack all this
technology into the shoes without increasing the weight significantly AND
they are able to sell the shoes for $250.00.

You can find more information in the June issue of Wired Magazine.
http//www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.06/start.html?pg=5  If you are not
reading Wired every month, you should be. It is a technology magazine but
features new technologies and new applications of existing technologies in
a wide variety of fields. All of it presented for the layperson in a very
readable format.

So why am I writing about servo driven sneakers this month? Well it struck
me as a good example of a problem I see far too often. That is, as new
technologies come along, they are simply used to replace the old
technologies. That in itself is not a problem. In packaging machinery, over
the past 3-4 years, I have noticed an explosion of servo motor use. They
are being used to replace cams and air cylinders. In stead of a variety of
machine functions being driven by a single motor through transmissions,
gears and linkages, they are being driven by individual servos. This
represents an improvement for many reasons. Adjustment for changeover or
modification for new products becomes much simpler. They can be done via
software rather than needing hard changes. Wear and play is less. Friction
and the need for lubrication is greatly reduced. The number of components
used in a machine go down which should have a positive impact on costs.

Those of you who are building machines, keep doing what you are doing,
simplifying with servos.

But...

Using new technology to improve old functions is not enough. The real key
is find new functions that could not be performed previously. Inkjet
desktop printers have been in wide use for years. They have proven to be
reliable, easy to use and economical. Why not take that same concept and
apply it elsewhere. Researchers at UC Berkely are refilling cartridges with
cell cultures and printing living organs. Several companies make systems
for decorating cakes with inkjet printers. In manufacturing, a German
engineer asked himself why the technology could not be used to print on
labels, cartons, lumber and the like. The result can be seen at
www.nutechsys.com

Many of you use Palm Pilots, Ipaqs and other PDA's and handheld computers
to keep track of names, calendars, to-do lists and the like. Some may use
them in more sophisticated ways such as sending and receiving e-mail or
getting info from websites. Have you ever asked if they could be more
integrated into managing a manufacturing operation? I recently read that
Wal-Mart is introducing PDA's to all their checkout supervisors. They will
be wirelessly connected to each cash register. When a cashier needs more
change, needs the register emptied, needs a comfort break or the like, they
will enter a code on their register. This will not only page the supervisor
but will also tell them what is needed. This will replace the current
system where the supervisor is summoned and then must make a second trip
after finding out what wanted. Could a system like this be used on a
manufacturing line to call a mechanic or technician when the line goes
down? The technology is not earthshaking. The uses to which it can be put is.

Another idea would be to scan machine manuals and load them on a central
server. Each mechanic could have a wireless Ipaq and instant access to any
information they might need.
How about using RFID on the packaging line? Perhaps bottles could be
identified and then each machine on the line read the bottle to determine
what products to put in it and what info to put on the label? That was
actually done more than 6 years ago.

The key is not the technology but how it is applied.

Albert Einstein famously said "Imagination is more important than
knowledge." I can only agree. We can always find the knowledge. If we want
to implement PDA's to provide decentralized information, we can find
programmers. If we want to put servos in sneakers, we can find engineers.
What is hard to find is the imagination to come up with new, sometimes
outlandish, applications that are at the root of all progress.

TIP OF THE MONTH...
ACCUSTUDY

Speaking of PDA's, I recently purchased a program called AccuStudy from a
Interval Systems. http://www.intervalsystems.com

Many of you have probably done line/machine time studies using a clipboard,
pencil and stopwatch. You then took the data collected and spent a fair
amount of time beating it into a useable format and generating reports to
show what was going on. I have and always found it a royal pain in the
neck. For a recent study I was contracted to do, I figured there had to be
a better way and that led me to AccuStudy. Basically, it provides a series
of clickable and configurable icons. To record and time an event, you
simply click on the icon. When the event finishes, click again to capture
end time. At the end of the study, use the report module to generate a
variety of standard reports or export the data to Excel and design your own
report. Best of all, the collection module runs on an Ipaq handheld PC
which makes collection a piece of cake.

I really can't do it justice here but go to their site and look at the
demo. I know it will be an essential item in my toolbox from now on.


Best,

John R Henry CPP

Visit the Quick Changeover website at http://www.changeover.com

Subscribe to the Quick Changeover Newsletter at
http://www.changeover.com/newsletter.htm