Pythia Industries

Sample Plant

Implementation plan

1. Count repairs after failures in the log

The log shows whether repairs follow failures, and on which molds.

Action	In the mold shop repair log, count last quarter's repairs. Mark each one logged after the mold failed in a press, with what went wrong. List the molds that appear most, beside the eight that stop most in the downtime log.
Owner	Mold shop lead
Purchases	None
Decision	Do most repairs follow a failure, on a small group of molds?
Fallback	If most repairs are planned, or spread over many molds, stop here.

2. Fit a counter and write a card for each mold

Each mold shows its own count, and its card says when to clean it.

Action	As each of the eight molds next comes out of a press, clean it fully and fit a counter in its side. Write its card: the count at which to clean the vents and check the pins, springs and seals. Set the first count below the shots the mold ran between its last stops. Hang the card on the mold, so it stays with it.
Owner	Mold shop lead
Purchases	Eight mechanical counters, about $800, and about four mold shop hours per mold
Decision	Does each of the eight molds carry a counter and a card?
Fallback	If a mold has no room for a counter, add up its shots from the job log each week.

3. Clean at the count, between jobs

Cleaning moves from a stopped press to the mold shop bench.

Action	At each mold change, read the counter of the mold that comes out. At or near the count on its card, the mold goes to the bench before it goes to the rack. Write the count and what was found in the log. Count the unplanned stops on the eight molds each week, against today's nine and a goal of about four.
Owner	Mold shop lead, with whoever plans the jobs
Purchases	About 3 hours per week of mold shop time
Decision	Are stops on the eight molds falling toward about four per week?
Fallback	If a mold still stops between cleanings, lower the count on its card or clean it in the press at a planned stop.

Illustrative sample. The plant, the walk and the footage are synthetic.