Assembling machinery is an immense production and, consequently, frustrations in manufacturing processes are not uncommon.
From fabrication to packaging, any everything in between, there is always room for improvements; as in the case of a customer of ours who manufactures large machinery.
We all know that machine parts that aren’t welded need fasteners to hold them together, and lots of them. And every fastener requires anti-seize lubricant to protect from seizing, galling, cold welding, rust and corrosion. Our customer bought their anti-seize in 5 gallon pales, had it hand-scooped it into a bowl, then had it applied by using a small hand brush. This application method caused a drippy mess both in the staging area and on the production line. The solution? Since we distribute greases and lubricants, we were able to solve their problem by becoming their adhesive supplier and providing them anti-seize in 55 gallon drums with a dispensing pump. We then engineered and installed manual applicators for the assembly line to ensure no mess and no waste. Plus drums cost less per pound!
This customer was also having problems with their packaging process. They had a significant amount of adhesive spillage when applying the glue on the assembly line making a mess and wasting product. They used a wand to shoot glue onto package which caused the spillage. The solution? For around $100 they switched to a glue dispenser that could regulate the amount adhesive and provide more precise gluing thus eliminating any mess and waste.
Lastly, in their packaging process they were never able to use their entire adhesive supply because of the way the glue was extracted. They bought their adhesive in totes and would pump glue from the top of a tote which always left 3 to 4 inches of adhesive on bottom of every tote. The solution? We moved the pumping mechanism to the bottom which, in turn, eliminated any adhesive waste. This small change now saves them from purchasing an extra tote per year!
As I work with customers, it is always exciting when together, we find solutions that significantly impact their production process. If you would like to discuss adhesive technology solutions and speciality adhesive machines that could significantly improve your production, call or email me. I would love to hear from you.
Gary Hajek, Technical Sales Manager gary.hajek@haradhesive.com 216-374-6423