Assignment 4 Re-Submission
I have re-done the analysis of the results.
The changes are in red.
Introduction and Objective
Process Failure Risk Analysis (PFRA) is a Team Oriented Problem Solving (TOPS) method designed to analyze and identify failure risks inherent in any new process whether it is design, manufacturing, warehousing, ETC. In this assignment we will be using the PFRA failure risk analysis tool analyze an old process that will be replaced by a new process Singh Inc. will be implementing alongside with Goff’s Enterprises. The PFRA method will help identify all risks associated with the old unsustainable process.
The new process and corrective actions will be put in place to minimize the failure risk. Singh Inc. with help of the supporting companies Datex, Lenze and Interlake Mecalux will reduce the risks. The old process that we will be analyzing is the making of the climate curtains from non-recycled unsustainable materials. This will be replaced with the new process that Singh Inc. is implementing in collaboration with Goff’s, the process of utilizing more recycled materials to make the climate curtains consisting of 100% Recycled Vinyl and recycled newsprint and fiber glass for the insulation. Also there are risks associated with the new process we will be implementing those will be analyzed and discussed as well.
Methodology
PFRA is designed to be applied during the initial planning stages of process to identify any failure risks that could hinder the process ones it is in place. This tool helps us mitigate failures and risks before they even exist.
1. Define Scope Function and Purpose: Define the systems and subsystems that need to be analyzed.
2. Identify Potential Risks and Failure Modes and their Effects: In this step, the PFRA techniques are applied. Also, Bill of Materials, BOM, are created, analyzed and potential failures at the earliest possible stage are located
3. Prioritize Potential Failures: Here, the faults are ranked and a rating system is applied for occurrence, severity and detection. After multiplying the variables, the Risk Priority Number (RPN) can be determined allowing cross-function team to prioritize item that requires additional quality planning.
4. Select and Manage Subsequent Actions: The potential failures are recognized. Therefore, control plans are created to control the situation.
5. Observe and Learn: Data or information that is kept up-to-data-for the future products.
6. Document the Process: In this step the data obtained from the PFRA is stored to keep track of the problems and their solutions that were encountered.
7. Enter the Values into PFRA Spreadsheet on a Relative Scale: In this step, after the data is inserted in the PFRA spreadsheet, three main values are identified. They are:
Severity
Detection
Occurrence
Severity is the seriousness of the effects of the potential failure. The range of the severity, detection and occurrence is defined between 1 and 10. 1 indicating that there is no effect for the severity, process control can detect the potential failure modes for the dangerous effect on the process for the severity.
Detection is the rating that shows how likely the failure mode will be detected using the current process. This rating also assigned a number from 1 to 10. 1 being that the current detection system is really good and will find the problem and 10 being it is bad and will not detect the failure.
occurrence in terms of process failure risks analysis is the rating to show how likely it that the first level cause and failure mode will occur due to the current process that is in place. 1 being the least likely to occur and 10 being the most likely to occur.
Main Body
For this assignment we will be using the PFRA Method to analyze the process of integrating recycled material into the curtain and window insulator kit manufacturing, mainly the processing of raw materials, the recycled vinyl, and recycled paper and fiber glass. Goff’s current process relies on fresh newly formed stock of vinyl pellets that are melted down to create the Climate Curtains. When Singh Inc. got involved they wanted to green up the process and used recycled material to make the product more environmentally friendly. To achieve this goal they wanted to utilize recycled material and lowering its carbon foot print by employing fully automated, highly efficient manufacturing process. This is to help lower the overall embodied energy needed to make the product and improve the LCA numbers.
The current process for melting the vinyl is simple and straight forward because the raw material is new very consistent so there is less need for quality control systems. When the decision was made to used recycled vinyl from post industrial waste this process needed to be analyzed and any failure risks needed to be identified and corrected before recycled material could be introduced into the manufacturing process. Shown below is the current process flow diagram of preparing the raw material for the forming line and manufacturing.
The process is very simple the raw vinyl stock is visually inspected and loaded into the melting tank. Once the desired viscosity and temperature is achieved it is then pumped to the head box for the forming line.
Next the PFRA analysis was done on the existing process line using the recycled vinyl material. Click on the link below for PFRA Analysis on Existing Process Line.
As you can see from the PFRA analysis the old process can cannot handle the new stream of recycled material. The accumulated RPN for process 2, 3, and 4 is very high due to the nature of the recycled material coming in. Their is a lot of metal and other debris that comes in with bailed recycled post industrial and consumer product. we need adequate equipment and screens in place to remove the debris. So we have come up with a new process for recycled material prep. The flow diagram for the new process can be seen below.
The new process now includes several stages of screening out unwanted debris in the raw material and insures insures quality vinyl stock for the production and forming line.
Next the PFRA Analysis was conducted again for the new process. The resulta can be seen below in the PFRA Spread Sheet.
Analysis of the PFRA Spreadsheet
The analysis of the old process revealed that the old process of prepping raw material for production is in adequate. The 4 step process and the equipment associated with will not be able to handle the recycled material we are trying to introduce into the process. The RPN Numbers were very high for process 2, 3, and 4. The RPN numbers were 720, 1125, and 576 respectively. This indicates that the current processes are not adequate to handle recycled post industrial vinyl. If we were to put baled recycled vinyl through the current process the equipment would not be able to clean out the raw material properly leading to bad raw material stock and ultimately defective product. The metal and other debris present in the recycled vinyl would also cause equipment malfunctions and undesirable vinyl properties. This would to financial loss and product loss due to shut downs and schedule delays related with the bad vinyl stock. The current process needs to be changed in order to accommodate recycled vinyl scrim. Currently there are no screening stages in the process to spate the undesirables from the desirable because there is no need for it since the raw material if high grade. But when you introduce post industrial and consumer recycled vinyl screens need to be put in place to remove the undesirables such as metal, organic waste, and other debris.
So we will be changing the old process in order to utilize recycled vinyl as shown above in the NEW PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM. The new process has several new steps to screen out metal debris, organic waste and other debris in order to insure that only vinyl plastic is going to the melting tank and the forming line. This will help make to process much more reliable and efficient while allowing us to utilize 100% recycled vinyl. This will also make the product GREEN and ECO Friendly. The new steps in the process have helped greatly to reduce the RPN numbers and the failure risks of the process. Now the highest RPN number is 60. Compare this to 1125 for the highest RPN number of the old process. The failures associated with recycled vinyl materials have been reduced greatly thanks to the new process. There still are risks associated with the new process but not as much as it was before with the old process. the new process will allow the production line to run smoothly and consistently without any stoppages related to raw material preparation. This will help the company be more efficient and profitable.
Collaboration
Singh Inc. will be collaborating with Goff's Enterprises on a joint venture to produce insulation for the Window Insulator kits in house from 100% Recycled materials. we will uses Lenze's smart energy efficient space saving motors and gear drives to fully automate the production process.
We will also utilize Interlake Mecalux's fully automated warehousing solutions to maximize warehousing space and eliminate unnecessary labor costs. Since the entire process from warehousing to shipping will be automated using robotic lift trucks it will be much safer free from human error.
Most importantly we will use Datex and their 3PL supply chain software and hardware to make the ordering, selling, and shipping process streamlined. They supply chain software will also enable us to utilize the JIT manufacturing process to eliminate unnecessary inventory and maximize profits.
Further Work Needed
Along with using recycled vinyl we are also introducing a new process of utilizing recycled paper and fiber glass to make the insulation material for the climate curtain and window insulator kit. This is an entirely new process that needs to be thoroughly analyzed and any failure risks identified and mitigated before the process can be put in place. This is will replace Goff’s current process of simply purchasing insulation material from 3M and placing it in their product. The old process is very simple since they are buying the insulation ready to go and just assembling it at their plant. There are no quality control systems in place that the new process can utilize. PFRA analysis should be completed on the new process that will be put in place.
Summary
IN this assignment we used the PFRA method to analyze the old process of preparing raw material for production and found out that the old process cannot handle recycled vinyl material. Next we put in place a new improved process for handling and prepping raw materials for the forming and production line. We lowered all the risk calculated with the old process drastically which will make the process more reliable and GREEN.
Risk Analysis of Videos
Peter Rayson Interview
The process of working on and collaborating on large projects on a global scale is extremely tough, especially in the early days before the internet and email. The communication process definitely suffered due to the lack of technology available. The person working on designing the engine is one place but the engine prototyping headquarters is in another. Also the time it took to finish the project from start to finish was extremely long and costly making the process unsustainable.
RAMPF-Robotic Sealing
The chemicals used to make the seals are reactive and solidify when coming into contact with each other. If the robotic arm malfunctions it could inject the wrong amount of one chemical or the other making a bad seal. Also the reactive chemicals could be harmful to operators in case they leak. They could have negative health effects.
Proc Model – Japan Cake
The video of the food market from japan had a lot of good automated process for making the food such as the automatic omelet maker. The auto omelet maker has no quality check process. The machine cannot judge quality. It also had some questionable one such as the cabbage slicing done by the girls. It is very unsafe the way they were slicing the cabbage and no safety equipment to prevent. Also there is a health risk involved with the girls smoking while working, contamination risk.
Sam Scott – Interview
The ecotourism business that Sam owns is indeed very green they try to do a lot to keep the environment clean. They still need boats to get out to the diving sites which involves using gasoline or fossil fuels, which pollute the air and water and are unsustainable. Also there is an inherent risk involved with diving, especially for beginners, which I assume makes up a lot of their business. This is a big risk for Sam and his business.
Vision Guided Robot
The vision guided robot picks up the product by seeing where it is and using vacuum suction. The eye could fail and the robotic arm will be unable to pick up the product. The robotic eye could also malfunction and not know where to put the product when it switches between conveyors.
US-Mobile Research-Robotic Vehicles
Panoramic Navigation Map
The Panoramic navigation maps could be used in conjunction with the PFRA method to complete the process analysis. After the PFRA analysis is done a panoramic navigation map could made of the manufacturing process as whole, showing all the related equipment and various areas of the plant in one single 360 degree photo. Next a description can be entered into the photo of the process from start to finish and all the equipment related to the process including conveyor systems, sensors, motors, heaters, ETC. Then the purpose of each piece of equipment could be described and its importance to the process, and the risks associated with it. Also the effects a particular failure in one step of the process could have on another. This can be shown as whole in one place the Panoramic Navigation Map of the process.
This tool would be particular helpful to operators in their training and diagnosing of failures on a day to day basis. If the equipment is in failure mode the operator could simply pull up the navigation map and go to the malfunctioning equipment in the map and see what could be the causes of the failure and what effects it will have on the rest of the production process. It could also show what had been done in the past when this type of problem occurred and the down time associated with it. This technology could be very beneficial in the Failure analysis process.
Refrences
http://www.interlakemecalux.com/
http://www.goffscurtainwalls.com/
Ranky, P G: TQM System Modeling e-Textbook: eLearning Pack ID: IE673-Spring2012-95-35
Discussions Executive Summary 4/22/2012
During this week’s discussion several articles were discussed including Aviation Mechanics: A High Flying Job, Apple’s Oregon Data Center, 2 Years Later Fish Sick near BP Oil Spill Site. I discussed these articles with my fellow classmates.
The aviation article was very interesting it shows how the job market is growing and there is a demand for the aircraft maintenance technicians not just in America but all over the world. This is due to demand increase is air travel and the need for well-maintained aircrafts but also because of the retiring old work force such as the baby boomers. This isn’t just true in the aviation industry but all industries, manufacturing, refining, ETC. The manufacturing company I work for is hiring new young engineers to keep up with the growing capital work and the retiring of the older employees.
The article about the fish was particularly interesting to me because I was just on the Gulf coast this past week and all I did was eat fish, oysters and other sea food that came out of the Gulf. I did not notice anything wrong with the fish personally and also there was a lot of choice in the fish so it doesn’t seem like there is a shortage of fresh healthy fish on the gulf. This is alarming and more research needs to be done to get to the bottom of this issue. Perhaps some new regulations need to put in place to minimize pollution in the Gulf and the people responsible need to be held accountable.
http://njit.mrooms.net/mod/forum/view.php?id=189354
Self Grading
I would give my self a 10 out of 10. Everything is included in the assignment.