Temporary Protective Film Solution Which Significantly Cuts Overall Costs, Improves Environmental Footprint
Two of the biggest issues plaguing manufacturers today are how to manage labor costs and optimize productivity in this challenging employment market. In addition, manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to improve environmental performance. This is the situation a large manufacturer of Class A vehicles found itself in. The company turned to Pregis to help find a solution.
The Challenge
The company was being supplied with components used to assemble the finished vehicle from various tier manufacturers. Many of these parts, such as bumpers and fuel tanks, needed to be wrapped in temporary protective material so that they would arrive at the assembly plant free of scratches, scuffs, marring, etc. However, the OEM had not developed standards for its tier suppliers, so each was left to decide the method of protection on their own.
A polyethylene (PE) sheet foam was used, sometimes with additional non-woven material on top to prevent the foam from tearing. Using foam typically meant multiple wraps around the part. This approach was more labor intensive and resulted in slower throughput for the tier suppliers.
On the receiving end, the OEM was faced with removing the temporary foam wrap, which also required additional labor. The amount of material removed (and its mass) meant that the bin holding the discarded wrap needed to be emptied every three parts. Not only did this require a significant number of trips throughout the day, but it also created a safety hazard because the material typically overflowed and made it difficult for the worker to see around the bin as they carried it to a disposal location.
The lack of consistency, incorrect materials being used, labor requirements, and environmental impact made it clear to the OEM that it needed to work towards a cohesive solution that would improve performance in all of those areas and create guidance for the tier suppliers.
The Solution
To recommend an appropriate solution, Pregis visited one of the OEM’s key tier suppliers and the OEM’s assembly plant to analyze the existing processes. The objective was to quantify and measure the wrapping and unwrapping activities and then do the same with a proposed solution to ensure that if you're reading this, congratulations! We've sparked your curiosity. Please download the PDF to the right, and have a great day.
Use the form on the right to download the full case study!
