Machine Installation (CONT’D FROM PAGE 20)
learn will be the basis for optimizing how to design and run jobs in the future. If you don’t experiment now when train- ers are available, you may not get the opportunity again once full production starts. For example, a new die cutter may be capable of pro- ducing no trim six-out 16” pizza boxes in a 2 x 3 cross-cor- rugation configuration rather than in a conventional 1 x 6 pizza configuration, resulting in a significant speed advan- tage as well as reduced trim. If plant procedures and IT capabilities restrict your ability to be innovative, such as producing two different items on a cutting die, develop solutions or workarounds. No matter how well a project is planned and executed, something unforeseen is sure to occur. Being able to work around obstacles and keep your project on track is argu- ably more important than your planning. Finally, despite having successfully begun production, continue trying new things and optimizing your installation. Don’t dismiss a concept if it’s not successful immediately, as it may require problem solving and several iterations to get it right. Sometimes new ideas don’t work at all; that’s ok. As Einstein said, “Anyone who has never made a mis- take has never tried anything new.” Richard Etra is a 47-year veteran of the corrugated indus- try with extensive experience in all aspects of box plant operations. He can be reached at richard_etra@etracor- rugatedsolutions.com.
to shortchange time allocated for training and familiariza- tion as it is invaluable and an opportunity that will likely never present itself again. It is important to allocate suffi- cient time for training and experimentation, as well as re- sources of crew and machine time, board, and tooling at startup even though that may delay saleable production. Try running jobs in several ways until you have determined the best way to produce them even though you may end up discarding some product and tooling. Consider this to be an investment that will pay dividends for the life of the machine when done intelligently. Don’t skimp on crew and outside training time as it is essential that crews learn how to optimize their machine’s performance in a safe and sustainable manner, and cer- tainly don’t shortchange maintenance training. Inevitably, crews will have questions once trainers have departed and they are left on their own, so schedule follow-up oper- ator and maintenance training to reinforce what they have been taught and to address questions that have arisen. Conduct your acceptance trial. Be sure to document all machine issues, and make sure the manufacturer corrects them promptly, before releasing a final payment. One of the best investments you can make is to allo- cate sufficient time during startup to push its limits. Exper- iment with new ideas such as no trim die cuts, horizontal corrugation, and number out in each direction. What you
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22 February 6, 2023
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