UWE Bristol Engineering showcase 2015

SAMUEL OLAKOYEJO AGORO
MENG Mechanical Engineering
ANALYSIS, MANUFACTURING STRATEGY AND DESIGN OF SEED’S
MANUFACTURING PROCESS
PROJECT SUPERVISOR
DR TUSHAR DHAVALE & MR SAM MILLINGTON
INTRODUCTION
This project is in collaboration with Seed
Developments Ltd. Seed produces biodegradable
seed tapes and pre-sown associated products, to
help their customers’ plant crops quick, fun and
easily. The seed tape is sandwiched with
biodegradable paper with a line of seed in the
middle, with an easy detachable cross section that
separate the seed tape into a straight line. The tape
biodegrades after it has been buried in soil, leaving
the seed to grown as the user laid it out. Seed
Development supplies seeds to large companies
and distributors across the globe, and also
specialises in supplying bespoke promotional seed
products for brands such as McDonalds and much
more.
This project continues from the initial problem (Part
A), which was to develop the Thumper (pressing
machine) by making it work efficient and removing
unnecessary change up time and extending
manufacturing process. The previous problem has
been solved but the ‘thumper’ is unsafe and runs
inefficient. Therefore, the objective of this
continued project (Part B) is obtained. This project
designs a new press machine and implement it in
the manufacturing process; indicating the benefits
the new design has to offer and the reconfiguration
of the manufacturing system (via VSM).
The system of a trolley is developed to attach the
blades and place product to be pressed, as shown
in figure above. The cutting pad is attached onto
the press head to stop the press head from
scratches and preventing the blades from being
damage on impact; therefore the polyethylene
board is mounted to the press head as a sacrificial
bored. The seed tape is placed on the trolley, then
rolled under the press head. As indicated in the
photo above, the black sponge fabric is placed to
cover the blade. The set of blades cuts through the
fabric as specified, and is replaced over time. The
set up of the thumper can be seen on the image
below below.
Extensive amount of pressure it enforced on the
trolley which presses/cut the product but also
damages the polyethylene board which is attached
to the press head. The polyethylene board is
damaged by the high pressure from the blade after
the product has been cut through, damaging the
board. With continuous production and indentation
onto the polyethylene board, it results to being
replaced after 2-3 days of usage.
FINAL PRESS DESIGN
Figure 4.5 shows the 3D model of the press
machine. The appearance takes from a simple
shape of a press with the pneumatic
cylinders. The total height of the press
machine is at 175cm and the height of the
press table is at the waist (of the operator) for
ease of use. The pneumatic cylinders are
nearer to the frame to have less deflection
effect to the structure. The ‘ON’ and ‘OFF’
switch are just under shoulders level for clear
ability to be read by the operator. The safety
guards are transparent to enable the operator
to see the work piece.
In this design, a press table will is used as a safe
stop figure in the event where excessive pressure
is being applied to the work piece. This table
design embodies a load cell and 2 belleville
washers (figure below). The load cell is to
calculate the amount of force in the table while
the belleville washers enables compression to a
degree stopping that load cell from getting
damaged.
PROJECT SUMMARY
Increased production will result in an increase in
profit which needs to be taken into account when
calculating the payback period. The new press
machine operates safer and fast than that of the
‘Thumper’, it requires less space in the factory and
requires less power. Investing on the new press
machine will not only increase productivity but
protects the operator and the machine from injuries
or destroying its self. The implementation of lean
manufacturing results in a continuous production and
eliminating non-value adding activity such as storing
the seed tape while it has not completed production.
By eliminating inventories or buffers, the factory runs
smoothly and also possesses the ability to shear
operators and machines within the factory. No
inventory or buffers also result to a clear factory as
there is no product left at a production process for
hours.
The reduction of operators also saves the company
money; if the manufacturing modification is
approved. However this reduction doesn’t mean the
workers are laid off due to the implementation of this
new concept but productivity can be maximized if the
extra hand is used including the investment of more
machines. At the end of this project, the analysis of
manufacturing process and the implementation of
the new press machine, productivity will increase by
18.5% and the reduction of operators and down by 3.
The new value stream map can be seen on Appendix
B.
PROJECT CONCLUSION
The aims of the investigation are to design a press
machine and implement the design on to the
manufacturing process. To do this, the required force
is investigated and experimented. Then the press
machine is designed to this specification also
including a safe system. At the end of the project, the
manufacturing productivity has been increased by
18.5%; better than that of the present factory.