We’ve shared quite a bit with you recently about our Lean Manufacturing efforts. What you may not know is that these efforts have resulted in some real improvements in waste reduction.
We’ve all got a responsibility to reduce the amount of stuff we throw away, but in the manufacturing world, a lot of this is related to scheduling and forecasting. For example, when we mix the ingredients to build a core for a new 15# high performance ball, that mixture becomes a liquid that could make 30 cores. If our forecast says we need 40 balls, then we would have to make enough liquid for 60 balls in order to cover the demand. Then what happens to that extra material? Waste.
In addition, the amount of time it takes to change from one product to another on the line greatly affects our efficiency. We don’t use the same formulas to make a 10# core as we do in a 15# core, so we have to make sure we clean out the lines and holding tanks after we run a product. Being able to run the same product all day means less down-time waiting for lines to be cleaned. In addition, the amount of time it takes to change the product mixture sometimes depends on what we’re running, so we have to be aware of what comes next.
Inventory planning is key. Strategic planning of raw material, work in process, and finished goods inventories are a large part of waste reduction efforts. We don’t want to make too many more than we need, and we don’t want to waste too much material. What is the right number of cores to make, that will maximize the inventory and time it takes to make them, while reducing the amount of waste when we’re finished? That’s the question our schedulers have to ask themselves every day.
Sometimes it’s just impossible to make the numbers work, but we do try. Efficiency isn’t the only reason we watch our waste. That liquid that’s left over when we finish making a run of cores is flammable, so it’s designated a hazardous material by the government. We have to pay an environmental services company to come and dispose of the drums holding leftover material, if we didn’t have a great alternative… stepping stones.
You probably have something similar in your backyard garden or around your barbecue grill. The liquid material we have left gets poured into octagonal molds. Once the material hardens, it’s no longer a flammable material. We sell the stones for 10¢ each on a first-come, first-served basis, and the money is donated to our local United Way chapter. You can see our stepping stones all over the county, used by many landscapers in town.
There are other things we do here to reduce waste, such as the cardboard and computer recycling program we have with the City of Hopkinsville/Christian County. We’re fortunate to have great relationships with our vendors, and we’re working closely with them to minimize air pollutants and hazards when we change raw materials.
The next time you visit Hopkinsville, stop by the plant and pick up a stepping stone. It’ll be a great story to share with your friends at your next backyard barbecue – when you tell them they’re standing on the best stepping stones in bowling!
“DRIVEN TO REMAIN THE WORLD’S BEST BOWLING COMPANY.”
© Copyright 2011. Ebonite International. All Rights Reserved.