Containers that Carry More of a Load

Continuous improvement programs are designed to improve quality, productivity and profitability. They require investigation and review of all sectors of the business. But, as time goes on and the more obvious areas for improvement are identified and modified, the challenge to discover additional room for improvement becomes more daunting. Sometimes results are modes -- shaving 0.0001 inches from a process' standard deviation isn't as impressive as a 0.001 inches reduction, but it's still important. One aspect of business that may often be near the bottom of the agenda in the quest for continuous improvement is shipping and handling, and, in particular, the containers used to move parts and components within a facility, between plants, to outside sources or final shipping to customers. Using the correct container, designed around specific application requirements, has more often than not achieved improvements in quality and productivity. These improvements translate into cost savings and higher levels of customer satisfaction. For many such applications the right container is being provided by Molded Materials, Inc. of Plymouth, MI, specialists in the design, engineering and fabrication of material handling solutions. The company provides custom-made injection molded plastic trays, dunnage, totes, and dividers that can protect parts from part-to-part contact during transport, and can help improve work flow and ergonomics through efficient part orientation and presentation during in-process operations. Two recent examples demonstrate how material handling containers can make a big difference in quality improvements and productivity gains. First, an area of quality that especially concerns manufacturers of gears, sprockets and other types of gear-like parts are the nicks and scratches that are imparted on the finished parts when proper care and handling are not observed. Molded Materials has been working closely with many manufacturers to alleviate these problems. As a result, Molded Materials is producing special cylindrical shipping containers that not only provide excellent protection for the fine detail of the precision gear teeth, but also afford the capability to simultaneously orient a number of parts to enhance loading on machines or into manufacturing/assembly systems. "In these types of shipping applications, we recommend that special gear containers be used in combination with larger collapsible four-sided bulk returnable containers that use foam shipping media between the containers for additional containment," said Mark Marra, Molded Materials' application engineer. "When hundreds of hours of labor and machining time have been spent to produce a gear, the last thing anyone wants is to scrap the part because of negligence or sloppy part handling. Because we've designed and produced hundreds of these types of containers, our learning curve has stabilized and we've recognized several successful, production-proven designs." Ergonomically, the containers are designed for a maximum load weight of no more than 25 lbs. Typically nylon is the material of choice for these containers because of its durability characteristics. In some gear applications, however, the gear teeth are very sharp and, to prevent part contamination from shavings of container material, harder thermoplastic urethane (TPU) inserts are applied. A wide range of fastening clips, clamps and different types of hinges are available for the cylindrical containers, depending on the application. "Although containment is the primary concern, some users require the gears or parts to be oriented in a specific manner, so a stack of parts can be easily loaded by an operator over a mandrel or onto a fixture," said Marra. "When this is the case, we create a design that incorporates orientation tabs or slots that insure proper part location." In the second example, a process improvement change impacted the way a component had to be subsequently handled and transported during processing. It involved 2 and 3-valve V-8 engine cylinder heads where all the manifold studs were assembled in place prior to shipping to final assembly. Though reducing the chance of improper stud assembly later in the process, the fasteners protruded 1-1/2 inches from the manifold face. A shipping tray was needed that would maximizes interior space, accurately locate the individual cylinder heads and yet protect the critical sealing surfaces from the studs. The solution was a split tray design with load carrying capacity to provide stacking of four layers of parts, with four heads per tray, two trays per layer and eight cylinder heads per layer. The total weight of a stack of trays is 1620 or 1940 lbs., depending upon head type. "This tray concept is a lot more complicated than it looks," Marra said. "First, for easy identification, the trays were color-coded to distinguish right and left hand cylinder heads. Each tray is 56.5 inches long, 23.75 inches wide and 12.625 inches high. The trays fit on a modified 5 inches x 48 inches x 57 inches pallet equipped with Data Logic R/F tags. Four tie downs are used to hold the lids in place. Total stack height with lid is 49 inches."


Molded Materials, Inc.,

44650 Helm Court, Plymouth, MI 48170

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