Machine Installation (CONT’D FROM PAGE 18)
Be sure that vendors have been given secure remote ac- cess to their equipment for troubleshooting, downloading software, and monitoring. Some vendors do not preload their equipment with essential operating programs and must download them when the machine is in place. When you are ready to start up your new machine, be sure to have trainers for the machine and its peripherals (e.g. prefeeder and stacker), the actual crews assigned to it, and a sufficient number of disparate jobs, complete with board and tooling, to keep the machine running through- out the training period and for your acceptance trial. Use new tooling and fresh ink for your training and trial and be sure your board quality is good and delivered in a man- ner suitable for your equipment. Schedule technical rep- resentatives from tooling and ink suppliers to be on hand at startup to make any necessary adjustments. The objec- tive is to start up your machine with a minimum of disrup- tion, and keep it operating continuously; interruptions and downtime due to supplies are unwelcome distractions. Starting up a new machine requires planning, coor- dination, and – last, but not least – patience. Once it is installed and powered up, management often pushes for production to ramp up immediately. Understandably, this may be motivated by a desire for the machine to begin earning a return on investment, or by the need to get the backlog under control after the disruption caused by the installation. Whatever the motivation, resist the temptation
to learn about best performing machines and request actu- al production statistics. Establish set-up and run standards based on best industry performance. Arrange visits to one or more of these locations and bring operating personnel to observe the operation; not only will this familiarize them with the machine, but it will demonstrate that the proposed standards are achievable. If feasible, arrange for your crew to train at another facility while awaiting your machine’s installation. Develop best practices for set-up; delivery of board, tooling, and supplies; and layout of tools and sup- plies at the machine center for maximum efficiency. Selecting the right crew can make all the difference. Just because someone has been operating a flexo for twenty years is no indication that that person has the tech- nical proficiency and hustle to run current machinery at design speeds. If a crew underperforms, replace them promptly before their performance becomes the de facto standard. Similarly, don’t hesitate to change procedures, and tooling and ink suppliers that are inhibiting perfor- mance. Once undesirable procedures and performance have been established, it is very hard to unlearn them. Prefeeders, stackers, conveyors, bundlers, and unitiz- ers should all be functional when the machine is started up as failure to have them operational will prevent the crew from learning proper procedures. All plant utilities includ- ing scrap system, IT, and networking must also be in place.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
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