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Process Improvement...

"Defect prevention is more cost effective that defect detection".

Accepting scrap rates of 3 to 7 percent has almost become the norm in some industries. However, as competition gets tougher, there is more and more pressure on organizations to improve quality and reduce scrap with less and less recourses. Improving processes is the logical starting point that brings many potential benefits to an operation.

UV Research & Technology can support or lead those process improvement activities based on a three step approach.

STEP 1: INVESTIGATE

Included in the operational audit is a detailed review of both the Product and Process Failure Mode Effect Analysis involving all engineering disciplines. This Audit identifies, quantifies and priorities each area of concern and a detailed description of each problem area. It analyses its cause and provides preventive measures to minimize rejects and improve quality as well as increase productivity.

STEP 2: IMPLEMENT

In step two, Implement, the design criteria is normally generated from data gathered from,

1. The operational audit and the product as well as process failure mode effect analysis.
2. Assessment of clients perceived needs and goals,
3. Production requirements
4. Evaluation of product design
5. Dictates from quality control,
6. Requirements for coating formulation and process equipment
7. Environmental as well as Health and Safety concerns

UV Research & Technology will write the process specification changes that enumerate your finishing requirements in terms that all affected engineering disciplines will understand. These performance driven specifications are fully verifiable by provided six sigma data, actual DOE test results or inspection.

UV Research & Technology will work hands on with your manufacturing and production engineering teams to implement the necessary changes. If necessary will submit these specifications to at least three equipment suppliers specializing in radiation curable systems. UV Research will perform an ISO based supplier evaluation of proposed suppliers once tenders have been submitted. A full written evaluation and recommendation will be submitted to the client Management Team.

STEP 3: MAINTAIN

Step 3, Maintain, is the most critical aspect of any production process. A successful UV curing process is dependent on the stability of its operating parameters. With stability comes predictability, then capability can follow.

Irrelevant of how well a process is designed if it is not properly maintained the potential cost, of both rejects and down time, can be staggering. The importance of keeping a line running consistently and efficiently is obvious, as a poorly maintained process inherently will result in lost production, wasted time and money.

Maintaining a process within proper parameters requires a process or group of processes to be monitored to a specific set of specifications. This is called a process window, which is often based upon a large number of individual specifications. The process window can be described as the range of measurable production variables within a process which meet the required specifications of the end product. Often the process window has been narrowed by pre-finishing decisions and operations to such an extend that the final process window becomes so narrow that it is extremely difficult to control. Our specialized approach based upon design of experiments or DOE is to quantify and prioritize possible deficiencies and eliminate them before they happen.