The Opportunity
Experiencing package performance issues related to volume expansions, the company turned to PTI to help understand and correct the issue.
The Innovation
Several variables were identified as contributing to the expansion problem. Changes were made to the number of lamps being used to produce the package and the profile was changed to maintain section weights for proper package performance. Additional time was spent adjusting the start-up parameters so that the preform came up at the correct temperature and did not exceed that temperature by more than three degrees, ensuring the first bottles were the same as the others produced.
The Outcome
The package expansion performance improved to meet the container specifications. Fewer problems were encountered on the labeler because the bottles were not growing as much and overall, the line performance increased. These improvements resulted in a 15% increase in line efficiency and reduced the scrap generated in lost labels and full goods. In addition, the plant saw a reduction in the WHPB (Watt Hours per Bottle) used to produce this package and energy usage dropped from 4.2 to 3.42. Results of these efforts were applied to other lines in the plant, improving the performance of all affected packages and lines.