Tag: Operation

Big Relationships

Written on by frain-sales

While we fully support the fact that technology and data are exploding – we still favor big relationships over big data.

The Internet, Mobile Web, Uber, Amazon, Google, Facebook, etc. are all powerful forces leading the charge to amass data, disrupt every industry, and create new ones.

Frain, of course, embraces technology to upgrade our capabilities and communications with our customers.

But, to an even greater extent – we value people.

Today’s technology focus sometimes lacks or leaves behind the human element of meeting face to face, shaking hands, etc.

Frain bucks this trend by reaching out thru visits to our customer’s plants on a daily basis and inviting customers to visit us at Frain.

We’ve actually baked in-person visits into our process – namely the in-person factory acceptance test.

Some machinery and equipment sellers, renters will show you that the machine runs – the wheels go round and around.  For us, that’s not enough.

Not only do we fully restore each machine that ships and back it with parts warranty and our guarantee – We want you to personally visit us to sign off on your machine or complete line to your complete satisfaction.

We test each machine with your product samples before you visit and then invite you to see the same once we’re finished fine tuning each machine to your application.

To us, you’re more than a digit, data point, or piece of the pie chart – you are our number one focus and reason for our success.  You are Frain’s big relationship.

Some Call it Juggling

Written on by John Henry

Driving down the expressway my wife commented on a woman putting on makeup next to us. (Guys, I’m looking at you too. I’ve caught you shaving.) That’s a bad example of parallel processing. Don’t do it!

It’s different in the plant. Here, parallel processing is generally a good thing, particularly in changeover. There are 3 ways that parallel processing can help changeover:

Multiple simultaneous operations – In changeover, while we should eliminate labor hours where possible, the focus must always be on downtime rather than labor hours. An hour of downtime costs thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. An hour of labor, fully costed, is twenty to thirty dollars in most plants. If throwing more people at the line will reduce the changeover downtime between products, by all means throw more people at the line.

In this same vein, make sure that people are waiting on the changeover rather than vice versa. Some plants require a quality inspection to release the line for production. In my experience, too many plants wait till changeover is finished before calling the inspector. I once waited 4 hours for an inspector. That was 72,000 products not produced that day.

The inspector must to be on the line waiting for changeover to finish. The line must never be waiting for a person.

External operations – Wherever possible, changeover tasks should be done with the line running. All cleaning materials and change parts should be staged before the line stops. All materials should be issued by the warehouse before the line stops.

Additional sets of parts should be purchased where necessary. There is no reason for a line to be stopped while machine parts are cleaned. Yes, an additional set of parts might cost $50,000. That’s cheap if it saves you a couple thousand dollars in daily downtime. They’ll pay for themselves in less than a month of changeovers.

Start before stopping – Don’t wait for the entire line to finish the run before starting changeover. As soon as the last bottle leaves the orienter, start changeover. As soon as the last bottle exits the filler, start working on it. And so on down the line.

Don’t parallel process while driving, anyway.

Do parallel process in your plant.

It means more product out the door and more money.

Price, Deal, or Cost

Written on by frain-sales

With the holiday season wrapping up, shoppers are still hitting stores – aiming to get the best deal available. Likewise, finding the best deal in packaging and processing equipment can be a game played in overtime, when you don’t have a second to spare, especially when considering all expenses incurred in finding the right machine for your project.

Equipment buyers don’t always consider the extra expenses that go into purchasing machinery. Getting individual machines or complete packaging lines late, without replacement parts / support staff, or getting the wrong machine altogether can affect:

  • Market share
  • Productivity
  • Downtime Costs
  • Net Revenue

Equipment buyers must clearly understand and equate value, not price, to the operation. Getting the proper machine, quickly, and fully supported will mean more to the bottom line than “saving” on the initial price of the unsupported, incorrect, or machine that arrives late.  Get an inside viewpoint on price from Katie Frain in our latest video:  The Question of Price

5 Tips for a Successful Factory Acceptance Test (FAT)

Written on by frain-sales

At Frain, every project, machine or complete line of equipment is thoroughly inspected and put through Factory Acceptance Testing or FAT before it leaves our building.  Not only is this the customers opportunity to sign off on the equipment or machine that they purchased – it’s an opportunity for the customer to fine tune the machinery and learn any operating nuances before they take on the machinery themselves.

After successfully integrating over 25,000 packaging and processing equipment projects, Frain has developed the following tips to help ensure you get the most of your equipment with a successful Factory Acceptance Test.

  1. Bring the Right People
    The person paying for the machine is usually the person coming in for the FAT.  However, ask yourself – Who will install, operate and maintain the machine or packaging line?  It’s best to have all of those involved with the machinery to be present for a full day of training, fine tuning and hand off.  The devil is in the details as they say and this is a critical point to get sign off from all angles and people involved.
  2. Come Prepared and In Person 
    There’s a big difference between buying a running machine and one that you see running in person.  As important is seeing your machine running in person with your product. Make a plan to visit Frain to see your machine running with your product.  Take your time to validate that all your specifications and operational efficiency is addressed 100%.
  3. Plan for a Full Day
    Getting your machine to run the way you want it to run with your product is the ultimate goal.  The last thing you want to do is to waste time and resources at your facility in fine tuning the machine.  Fine tuning and ensuring every nuance of your operation is addressed prior to installation is key to successful machine installation, integration, and transition.
  4. Ask Questions
    Asking good questions is an art form and many times the difference between success and failure.  Take time to review your punch list, questions, specifications and ask the questions now, instead of later when it’s too late, bogging down your schedule, or putting the project or your career in jeopardy.
  5. Move Ahead with Confidence
    By default, Frain replaces all damaged, distressed, or worn machine parts and backs them with a 6-month replacement part warranty.  We also provide a two-week right of return to give you additional confidence in working with us.  If you’ve been due diligent in discussing the equipment with our engineers, all involved people from your company or client company, and dedicated a full day to the FAT – you can move forward with your project confidently.

Click here to see why the FAT is the most important step in the equipment purchase process or read more tips for a successful FAT.