SPRING 2024

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108 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK ROBERT FOOTLIK TWICE THE OUTPUT FROM HALF THE WORKERS from page 42 A second IOTTMCO problem was that the workstations were located parallel to and 4’ from the conveyor. This added miles of walking and hundreds of unnecessary 180 degree turns per day. The benches should be perpendicular to the take away conveyor and immediately adjacent to it. Far fewer steps will be required, repetitive motion reduced and the people can observe what is going on around them. For this reason, the benches are frequently oriented so that the workers can see the output on the conveyor and facilitate the workflow. Equipment There are three general types of conveyors used for moving goods from packing to a shipping area. The most expensive have powered rollers and provide a dynamic surface that moves the cartons in a controlled fashion. For a fixed production line, the expense is easily justified by reliability and continuous motion. A “pop-up” production line to serve a time limited need might use full width non-powered roller conveyors to provide greater support for heavier cartons. This makes sense for a Fastener Distributor with cartons weighing over 40 pounds, but for short orders with carton weights averaging less than 20 pounds roller conveyor is overkill. In this context skate wheel conveyor is far superior because it is less expensive, lighter to set up for a temporary operation and will keep the cartons flowing in a straight line unlike roller conveyors where cartons slide sideways. The IOTTMCO here is that the take away conveyor was set up flat, at the height of the benches. As the finished cartons accumulate, they must be manually pushed to the far end. One worker was assigned to doing this part time and resupplied the packers with cartons for the rest of the day. Using a skate wheel conveyor set 36” high at the far end and 24” at the staging area would have provided enough gravity power to eliminate all the walking and pushing to move the finished orders to shipping. Along the way, an automatic carton-taping machine mounted on wheels as part of the take-away conveyor line would have saved the packers hours every day. Even a pop-up production line can be automated with relatively simple equipment. Packing Materials Every packing station was equipped with paper tape glue machines that had to be constantly refilled with water (more wasted steps) and the pre-printed, expensive tape was reinforced for higher strength and security. Paper tape has been around for years, but plastic high security, imprinted tapes are far superior when it comes to strength, durability and with the right adhesive, security. Even an inexpensive hand dispenser is more reliable and faster than a hand crank “tape shooter.” IOTTMCO a review of the carton sealing method is overdue. In any operation a standard “Regular Slotted Carton” (RSC) with top and bottom flaps can be used for packing less than carton orders. This shipping carton required the packers (or another part-time employee) to set up every carton, fold the flaps and tape the bottoms before packing the order. IOTTMCO using a “pop-bottom carton” that sets up simply by pulling opposite corners is faster, more secure and a better choice, especially if introduced earlier in the process. Pickers who pick the orders directly into these cartons will eliminate much of the order finishing and packing. In essence, the packers can devote more time to add promotional literature, insert dunnage for product protection and process far more orders per hour. Overstuffing the cartons adds little protection, but more weight and shipping expense. If the vendor pays for shipping, any saving accrue directly to them. IOTTMCO, training the packers to add dunnage in a more efficient manner is sensible and a high ROI benefit. Continually reviewing the alternatives for carton filling materials is especially beneficial to Fastener Distributors where product weight and sometimes fragility are factors. Picking Layout The operation I viewed had three aisles, with the goods stocked in SKU number sequence regardless of quantity or product movement (hits). This looked sloppy initially, was difficult to restock and guaranteed a higher error rate because of product number misreads. IOTTMCO, the three aisles also guaranteed an inefficient pick path where the pickers had to dead head back to their starting position. Up one aisle, down the next and then a wasted walk. CONTINUED ON PAGE 148
UC COMPONENTS, INC. 18700 Adams Court, Morgan Hill, CA 95037 TEL 408-782-1929 EMAIL sales@uccomponents.com THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 109 WEB www.uccomponents.com CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF UNPARALLELED SERVICE & PARTS QUALITY You are important to us at UC Components, Inc., and we truly take service to the extreme. Your partnership is not just a transaction; it’s a relationship built on trust, and we are committed to ensuring that your voice is not only heard but deeply valued. We offer live fastener specialists by phone, email, and live chat on our website for your convenience. We also maintain a network of worldwide distribution partners to meet your needs wherever you are or in what industry you work. We specialize in vented and non-vented fasteners and O-rings for the Semiconductor, Cleanroom, Vacuum Processing, Optics, Research, BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE Education, Aerospace, Food Processing, and Medical industries. We offer numerous finish options, specialized venting designs, complete custom product development, and Class 100/ISO Class 5 Cleanroom cleaning & packaging, and more. Have a question? Not quite sure what you need for your application? Looking for a quote? A live UC expert is waiting to hear from you and will help you find the perfect part and finish. From student to scientist, no UC customer is ever too small - and no job too big. For 50 years now: We say what we do, and do what we say, RediVac® counted, cleaned, consistent. UC COMPONENTS, INC.
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In the Spring 2024 issue of 6 DISTR
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6 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK E&T Fast
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10 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK Eric Du
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The Pacific-West Fastener Associati
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Page 136 and 137: fastenerlinks THE DEFINITIVE WEB DI
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AFC Industries has acquired West Ch
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advertisers index E E & T FASTENERS
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advertisers index R ROTOR CLIP 31 T
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