The canning filler, from about 24% effective to 42% in six months
A contract canning plant filling to order for many brand owners. Every hour the filler lost was lost for the whole plant. We set the pace at the canning line.
The numbers
Barrels a day: the November to February average before; the first two weeks of August after.
Where it started
The canning line was built when the plant ran far fewer products for far fewer customers. Changeovers were frequent, and whether every material was there was checked on the day of the run, often during the changeover itself. Runs started late and needed adjusting while running, and the plant was expanding at the same time.
What we did
Set the pace at the canning line: every hour lost there is lost for the whole plant.
One team from engineering, maintenance, quality and every shift made the line reliable, machine by machine: written procedures, operator training, preventive maintenance.
Full kit before every changeover: a list of every material and setting for each machine, and one owner who checks tanks and materials are ready before the line stops.
Started building the schedule around the canning line: product families, a lead time for each, and work released from what ships.
Why it held. Each fix went into a written procedure, the training and the maintenance plan, and one person owns the kit for every changeover.
Start with one value stream.
A one-week Diagnostic: where to pace the line and a go or no-go, or you don’t pay.