If you are a production manager or a operations manager in a food facility, there is some creative challenge to staying ahead of potential problems with the production line. Configuration challenges can include bottlenecks and a lack of an opportunity to shut things down properly while production is moving. For those getting started working with flexible manufacturing systems, it therefore makes sense to look at a few key areas that can likely help form the cornerstone of a technical strategy to control production systems well from the start. Here are some areas that will help you to control the production line in a food facility:
Uptime is better than downtime
If you have a flexible manufacturing system that gets re-configured like Legos or like a maze of tubing, it is a good idea to look at systems like Parker crimpers that put you in immediate control of how strong the flow is through a specific set of tubes. As there is quite a range of tubing sizes that Parker crimpers can cover, covering your tubing sizes that are not being addressed is never a bad idea to start with. In addition to crimpers, the filters that you attach to the tubing are key parts of a quality production system.
The more sophisticated the filter, the better results you’ll likely have. At the same time, sophisticated filters typically require greater cleaning attention and care.
Build to the people
One company that processes fruit for the national market had American workers on the production line joined in the Summer by Mayan people from Mexico. The problem was that many of the Mayans were shorter than the Americans and their arms weren’t as long. They therefore had to over-extend themselves in order to do their jobs as quality specialists. People were even known to fall onto the production line after they propped themselves up with a box and tried to reach something that was out of reach for them. The company finally built two separate lines and staffed each line by height, solving the problem.
Spend time learning production planning and scheduling
Most people that work in the food industry have a pretty good feeling for how their bosses are magically changing schedules and plans so that the production goals are met. If you take some time and look for production planning and scheduling information online so that you understand it well, coupling that with what you see going on at work should allow you to reinforce your learning with reality.