WP, Inc. Automatic Parts Washer Brought to you by Candace Hunt, Drew Siebert, Laura Anstine MGMT 580-Quality Management & Statistical Analysis October 25, 2012 Connie 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

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 MaterialEquipment 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 Pressure Part 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.