Plastics Technology

FEB 2013

Plastics Technology - Dedicated to improving Plastics Processing.

Issue link: http://pty.epubxp.com/i/105397

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 39 of 59

on-site From This... To This... Formed Solutions moved to a larger, custom-built plant in 2003. From ground breaking to completion took six months. Designing a thermoforming Plant for efficiency and Productivity By Matthew H. Naitove, Executive Editor building a new plant in 2003 gave lyle schut a clean slate. formed solutions, inc. (fsi), the company he had founded in 1998, had outgrown its facility in Holland, Mich. It was also limited by an ineffcient layout in a former machine shop that had low ceilings, divided production into separate rooms, and required excessive handling to move product in and out of different operations. Schut acquired six acres of land just a few miles away, more than enough to accommodate his growing custom heavy-gauge thermoforming business. But just as important, here was an opportunity to create from scratch the clean, modern manufacturing and working environment he envisioned. START WITH A PLAN Schut is not the sort to jump into a project like this haphazardly. His motto is, "Have a goal with a well thought-out plan." He made a list of these goals for the new plant: 1) Modern and up to date; 2) Easy to organize and maintain; 3) Easy to keep clean; 4) Productive layout with effcient product fow; 5) Organized work cells with fexibility; 6) Safe and comfortable workplace; 7) Ability to expand for future growth 38 february 2013 Plastics technology 8) Affordable budget. His next step was to list the basic requirements for the new plant and draw up a preliminary layout. Those basic requirements were as follows: •Square footage required: 25,000. •Power required: 2000 amps. •Compressed air: 50 hp compressor, 2-in. loop, and 1-in. drops to the machines. •Vacuum: two 15-hp pumps, 2-in. loop, and 1-in. drops. •Water: 1-in. delivery. •Ofàce requirements: 6 ofàce staff. In addition, he resolved to research three possible sites, obtain budgetary quotations from three contractors, pursue fnancial planning with his current bank; and explore possible tax abatements with local agencies. In the end, his "affordable budget" (goal #8) comprised $240,000 for real estate and $1 million for building construction. During the planning stages, manufacturing foorspace for the new facility was expanded by 12,500 sq ft. This allowed room for a new 4 x 6 ft rotary former in addition to the existing pair, plus replacing a smaller (2 x 3 ft) one of the three single-station formers with a larger size (4 x 6 ft), and adding two more 5-axis CNC trimmers to the existing pair. Schut says the project took six months from breaking ground until move-in. Production was maintained during the transition by moving the machines singly or in small groups and getting them up and running in the new plant while other machines were still running back at the old facility. A forming press can be disassembled, moved, reassembled, and back in production with-

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Plastics Technology - FEB 2013