Problem explained
Small molds take up large presses, which use more power and are needed for large molds.
How it works today
The plant molds plastic parts on 26 injection presses, sized by clamping force in tons, the force that holds a mold shut.
A small mold also fits a large press, which then uses more electricity and cannot take a large job.
The job log shows about 60 runs of small molds in large presses in twelve months, about 1,000 press hours.
Only some can move, because a smaller press has to be idle when the job starts: by our estimate, 300 hours.
What we saw
- On the visit we saw a small mold running in a large press while two smaller presses stood idle.
- We did not see a large job waiting for that press.
What it costs
- A freed hour is money only when an order fills it: we count $55 for 70 percent of them.
- With the extra electricity this costs about $11,900 per year, and fixing it could save about $8,900 after the scheduler's time.