Technical Support

Manufacturing Assessment and Improvement

A factory evaluation that combines on-site assessment and benchmarking performance levels to give a clear picture of the potential for improvement.

  • An in-depth onsite evaluation by clearPerformance experts, taking 2-4 days depending on agreed scope and the size of the factory.
  • Practical recommendations for performance improvement that will result in measurable productivity gains and cost reductions. Go to Completed projects page
  • Benchmark the performance of specific factory operations using real (but anonymous) data from a comparable operation.

 

Examples of benchmarking would include:

I. Furnace: kcal/kg of glass melted; tons melted per m2

II. Forming: pack to melt percentage; defect analysis; forming practises
III. Moulds: units produced per blow mould; set sizes; cavities per mould repair worker

IV. Machine Repair: variable equipment set up; Job change performance

V. Productivity: people per feeder; tons packed per person

Experience shows that a factory assessment proves that continuous improvement is always possible. Even the best factory can be better!

NNPB Development

NNPB brings benefits and competitive advantage but it is a demanding process with high precision, control and expertise needed to assure quality and production efficiency.

As markets develop or customers seek new markets, the need for lightweight containers becomes apparent. Experienced glass makers recognise that NNPB is a step up from normal production and that there are critical factors for success

clearPerformance provides support in 3 key areas:

  • Design – of the lightweight container and getting the parison and plunger right
  • Production facilities – assessing the factory’s capability to produce NNPB: glass conditioning, machine capability, mould repair equipment and expertise, forming skills and QA inspection and systems
  • Forming support – on site for both sampling and full production.

 

AND we also advise on progressive light weighting using blow/blow to meet customer needs and as a progression to NNPB.

Job Change Improvements

In the economic climate of today there is the need for flexibility and reduced inventories and Job changes are a critical part of this.

Success will come from a focus on improving job change performance.

clearPerformance offers a job change improvements program that is tailored a factory’s needs.

  • Job change planning and coordination
  • Critique and improve the job change
  • Methods to measure monitor and drive improved performance
  • SOP’s to achieve sustainable improvement

 

Success is measured in improved job change time (TI), ramp up (T2) and overall Pack to Melt.

Mould Operations

Moulds are a significant cost and their quality directly impacts product quality and pack to melt.

clearPerformance provide expertise to improve the areas crucial to mould repair performance.

  • Mould shop layout and equipment
  • Inspection set up for new and used mould equipment
  • Best practice in mould repair
  • How moulds cause glass defects and corrective action
  • Skill training
  • Implementation of SOP’s

Machine Repair

Quality product and production efficiency depends upon

  • Minimising downtime and breakdowns
  • Variable equipment that is well maintained within written specifications
  • IS machines set up to exact tolerance

 

The clearPerformance program focuses on:

  • Machine repair department’s use of jigs, fixtures and SOP’s to maintain variable equipment.
  • Best practice for repair of variable equipment
  • Critical skills and procedures in machine set up and machine maintenance
  • How machine repair can cause glass deflects and mould equipment damage

Forming Support

Good “bottlemaking” is at the heart of a successful glass factory and clearPerformance has particular expertise in this area.

Trouble Shooting

clearPerformance experts have successfully provided support to significantly lift the performance of particular jobs, often based on the DPT framework:

  • Review mould and blank design in light of manufacturing defects
  • On site forming support
  • Providing SOPs and Defect Correction check lists
  • Training specialists and Machine Operators

 

Speed increase

Increasing the speed of a job is one of the quickest ways to improve productivity. clearPerformance uses benchmark data and forming expertise to speed up machines and increase output.

Lightweight and Right-weight

Experience shows that many companies are giving glass away by running heavier than needed or heavier than specification.

clearPerformance advises on light-weighting to the optimum weight capacity ratio using the existing forming process. This saves weight/cost and has the additional benefit of allowing speed increase.

Investment Support & Project Planning

The team has vast experience in the design of new facilities and of managing major projects.

Recent involvement in three new build projects has given a knowledge that is current and of value to our clients in:

  • Optimising design and specification in line with best practice and business needs
  • Efficiency built in at the design stage
  • Elimination of over specification to reduce cost
  • Project management and control

 

The tangible results have included: reducing a total project cost by over 20%, changing the proposed line up of machines to fit the job mix and redesigning the plant layout for operational efficiency and cost reduction. Major projects like furnace rebuilds require careful planning, control and execution.

clearPerformance project offers support through:

  • Detailed project planning
  • Gantt charts and critical path analysis
  • Project management experience
  • Onsite support for local Project manager

Completed Projects

clearPerformance has a record of success in completing projects that prove our differentiation:

Job Change Improvement
Mould Operations
Plant Reviews
NNPB start up

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