WP, Inc.

WP, Inc.Automatic Parts Washer

Brought to you byCandace Hunt, Drew Siebert, Laura Anstine

MGMT 580-Quality Management & Statistical AnalysisOctober 25, 2012Connie Fleming

Southwestern College Professional Studies

WP, Inc.

Problem Statement• Frequent shutdowns of

the automatic parts washer causes production slowdowns due to the forced re-cleaning of parts and maintenance and/or cleaning to the automatic parts washer.

WP, Inc.

Problem Statement Continued • Because this machine is part of the process of every part

produced, customers, management, maintenance, and operators are all effected by the problem in the form of increased workload, missed production goals, and missed deadlines.

WP, Inc.

Problem Solving Team

• Operator• Automation Engineer• Maintenance Technician• Scheduling Manager• Production Manager

WP, Inc.

Mission Statement

• As a problem-solving team, we will concentrate on the causes of the clogging. We will investigate in-house processes as well as possible supplier material inadequacies.

WP, Inc.

Problem Solving Tools

• Cause-And-Effect Diagram• Generic Brainstorming Exercise• Force-Field Analysis• Corrective Action Plan

WP, Inc.

Problem Solving Steps• Step 1. Plan: Recognize a Problem

Exists• Step 2. Plan: Form an Improvement

Team• Step 3. Plan: Develop Performance

Measures• Step 4. Plan: Clearly Define the

Problem• Step 5. Plan: Document and Analyze

the Problem/Process• Step 6. Plan: Determine Possible

Causes• Step 7. Do: Identify, Select, and

Implement the Solution• Step 8. Study: Evaluate the Solution• Step 9. Act: Ensure Permanence

WP, Inc.

Problem Analysis• Frequent shutdowns of the automatic parts washer

due to small particles clogging spray nozzles causes production slowdowns due to the forced re-cleaning of parts and maintenance/cleaning to the automatic parts washer. Because this machine is part of the process of every part produced, customers, management, maintenance, and operators are all effected by the problem in the form of increased workload, missed production goals, and missed deadlines.

WP, Inc.

Automatic Parts Washer Cycle

Water is Emptied

New soap and water are

put in tank.

Parts washer is turned on.•Add water & soap if necessary

Dirty parts are placed in

machine

Parts are run•Parts Clean – Move On

•Parts Dirty – Check water

Is water dirty?•Yes – Water is emptied

•No – Parts re-ran

WP, Inc.

Performance Measures

Morning Midday Evening0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Number of Cloggs

Number of Cloggs

WP, Inc.

Developed Plan• Frequency of Clogging increased as day progressed and

machine was in service• Inspections were performed and white, flaky particles were

discovered as the source of the problem • Uncertainty of what the white and flaky particles are from?

WP, Inc.

Cause-Effect Diagram

Environment

People

Material Equipment

Methods

Clogged Nozzles

Soap Buildup Debris from Washer

Water Temperature Capability

Airborne Dust

Other Machine Debris

Airborne Chemicals

Add soapy water after evaporation

Water Temperature Maintenance

Hard Water Buildup

Improper Soap Usage

Machine Misuse/Abuse

Water PressurePart Material

WP, Inc.

Brainstorming Results• Soap scum buildup

• Debris from washer component• Filter• Pump• Hoses/Piping

• Foreign material entering washer• Protective operator clothing• Debris from other machines• Airborne dust or chemicals• Flakes from container lining• Flakes from part-holder• Cleaned debris from parts• Material from employees washing

personal items in the machine• Soap buildup• Hard water minerals• Inadequate water pressure• Improper soap usage

WP, Inc.

Force-Field Analysis• Driving Forces• Free up maintenance

time to work on other machines

• Increase overall throughput

• Increase quality of products produced

• Restraining Forces• Time available for

investigation• Operator resistance to

change• No filter for protection of

clogging• Limited soap supply• Need for a specialized

filter• Lack of money to replace

all affected parts on the machine

WP, Inc.

Corrective Action Plan• Regulate water temperature with thermostat controlled automatic

modulated heater• Thorough cleaning of tank at each end of day• Add water & soap at beginning of each day and only add water as

make-up throughout the day• Add filter to prevent soap particles from clogging nozzles• Re-evaluate success after thirty days• Number of times the nozzles clogged• How the regulated water temperature contributed to maintaining a clean parts

washer• How a consistent cleaning schedule contributed to maintaining a clean parts

washer• The number of parts that needed to be rewashed

WP, Inc.

Summary• Frequent shutdowns of automatic parts washer due to small particles clogging spray nozzles cause

production slowdowns due to the forced re-cleaning of parts and maintenance/cleaning to the automatic parts washer.

• Problem could be caused by soap scum buildup, debris from washer component and foreign material entering washer such as debris from other machines, airborne dust or chemicals, soap buildup and hard water minerals.

• Driving forces to make changes and improvements to the parts washer include freeing up maintenance time to work on other machines, increase the overall throughput of parts, and increase the quality of products produced by WP, Inc.

• Possible corrective action plans to help improve the parts washer include regulating the water temperature with a thermostat controlled by an automatic modulated heater, thorough cleaning of the tank at the end of each day, adding a filter to prevent the nozzles from clogging and only adding water and soap at the beginning of each day.

• After thirty days the progress will be evaluated by examining the number of times the nozzles clogged, how regulated water temperature and a consistent cleaning schedule contributed to maintaining a clean parts washer, and examining the number of parts that needed to be rewashed.