Master class improves plastics process

A PICME product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team May 4, 2004

Leading European plumbing and drainage supplier Geberit Terrain is currently rounding off a course of master-class improvements with PICME.

Leading European plumbing and drainage supplier Geberit Terrain is currently rounding off a course of master-class improvements with PICME.

Geberit Terrain will share some of its new production expertise at a special PICME/BPF seminar for plastics processors on 8th June 2004.

The event will be held at leading automotive moulder and Plastics Industry Award (PIA) winner, Eaton Automotive in the West Midlands.

Van Williams, Geberit Terrain Operations Director will lead the company's presentations on 8th June.

He says: "We really took to the PICME problem-solving philosophy of 'inch wide, mile deep'.

Drilling down into the fundamentals can be a bit testing - but little by little, we went further down a funnel of factual analysis, eliminating our pet theories until the true answers were revealed".

These answers were generated by Geberit Terrain's dedicated eight-man, crossfunctional team, with more than 123 years experience between them.

Within three months the Geberit Terrain team had identified the needed solutions, had freed new capacity - thus saving the cost of a new extrusion machine, and had halved the potential for waste.

From the outset the Geberit master-class team set themselves high standards.

They resolved to tackle the most underperforming extrusion line on the shop-floor, where 91 general improvement actions were identified for execution.

In similar manner, 28 actions were set for tooling and calibration issues, 24 actions for materials issues, together with a host of other points around the production line.

Van Williams explains that the line in question had been inexplicably under performing.

"It was tying up our staff across all four shifts to try and put it right; it was reducing the machine's potential availability and was also producing too much waste.

Most involved had a pet theory as to the cause".

The more rational of these theories included machine conditions and also a suspicion about the existing materials formulation.

The suspicion about the formulation was immediately removed when trials with alternative materials were run and produced no adverse side effects.

It was then established that only one colour was at fault, and from there, it was established that the problem could be traced to the particular additives during processing.

As a consequence new additives are now being trialled, and are expected to come on stream shortly, delivering even better product quality.

The Geberit Terrain enthusiasm for manufacturing improvement - and the recent return of the company to profitability - can be traced to Chris Bayliss's tenure as Managing Director.

Now in his fourth year at the helm of the GBP 39 million turnover site, Bayliss believes passionately in two things: "customer focus - and making the most of our people.

We spent GBP 100,000 on training last year.

It's what it takes - and it's worth it.

Guys that were sitting on the fence have now got confidence.

Their confidence gives me confidence.

Customers are taking notice.

Since the beginning of this work, we are now conducting regular customer visits; they get the opportunity to see the product manufactured, undertake a site tour and get to talk to our people.

They like what they see".

However, Bayliss cautions manufacturing management in general to have patience with the process: "Sustainability is key.

'Big bang' solutions merely create islands of excellence which eventually drop back to the general standard.

Ultimately we require something akin to 'a way of life' in manufacturing to be created here.

It needs to be self-sustaining and without a need for 'policing'".

Bayliss adds: "At Geberit, we're fortunate to have a parent company that really understands these issues in the context of effective medium to long term planning and vision.

That attitude has helped the group to achieve continuous growth in its 100-year history and to deliver well above average return-on-sales in recent times.

As part of out shorter term focus at Geberit Terrain, I am now tasking PICME and our company team to reduce the total waste bill by 50%.

It's a tall order but I believe we can do it.

We have certainly made an effective start".