Mold Storage Packets Store Supplies, Useful in Lean Manufacturing
Mold kitting packets from Canopies by Fred (Seattle, WA) are packets that are used to assist in implementing a lean production process.
Mold kitting packets from Canopies by Fred (Seattle, WA) are packets that are used to assist in implementing a lean production process. Mold manufacturers can keep a packet with each mold to provide an efficient way to store related tools, hoses, water pipes, knock-out bars, etc. According to Marv Kvamme, President of Canopies by Fred, work orders and related documentation are readily available and stored in the packet’s clear front pocket. “Mold packets cut down on wasted time searching for the correct hoses and tools,” Kvamme notes. The packets are made of a durable 18-oz. vinyl manufactured to take abuse, Kvamme adds. “Oil, dirt and grease will not hurt the integrity of these convenient pouches,” he says.
Case Studies
Seattle, WA-based injection moldmaker Vaupell has found the packets to be extremely useful. Toolroom Manager Craig Linhart notes that they are available in custom sizes and urges those considering the packets to think about what size is needed before ordering them. He points out the following advantages. “The toolroom work order stays with the mold in the clear section, and any components needed for the job (water lines, knock-out bars) stay in the back section,” Linhart explains. “Also, with my toolroom work order system, I can tell by the color of paper in the packet weather the mold needs work or is ready to go.
“This is a great way to lean your system for faster setups and to give your toolroom the info they need to keep the mold running quality parts,” Linhart adds.
Over at REXAM Pharma (Buffalo Grove, IL)—a producer of drug delivery devices—Senior Process Engineer Robert Gattshall has been integrating the mold maintenance packets into the company’s process for about four months. “These packets are a big advantage as far as protecting the paperwork that is being handled department to department,” Gattshall says. “They also are a critical part of helping the toolroom identify an issue; it houses the samples of the defective cavity. And with the snap feature that was added it keeps them from being misplaced. We use these packets to help the communication between toolroom personnel and process technicians on the floor.”
Gattshall recommends ordering a mold packet for every tool. “We did try to use this for multiple tools with very little success,” he notes. “They need to be dedicated to a mold.”
In conclusion, Kvamme states that the mold packets are a cost savings tool. “As the saying goes, time is money,” he comments. “Manufacturers are wise to do all they can to ensure that they implement the most efficient production procedures. These unique mold packets assist in saving worker time and production confusion.”
For more information from Canopies by Fred call (800) 845-5067, e-mail marv@canopiesbyfred.com, visit www.canopiesbyfred.com.
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