PETpla.net Insider 07+08 / 2019

INSPECTION 31 PET planet Insider Vol. 19 No. 07+08/19 www.petpla.net they needed to measure. The result of the analysis showed that the system could measure most of those attrib- utes but possibly not all. “Essentially, Agr told us what we could and could not measure. They were very honest about capabili- ties,” she explained. “In the end, we found that the Gawis would meet the majority of our measurement needs.” As this device was a major invest- ment and would be central to their quality program, Agr made arrange- ments for the Acti Pack team to visit a local company that was using the Gawis as part of their quality pro- gram. It was helpful to talk to actual users and get the benefit of their hands-on experience. The feedback was that programming might take time but the results were worth it – near perfect, every time. After the visit, Sandra approached Acti Pack’s CEO with the recommendation to purchase. The business case was ultimately made, successfully. The arrival of the Gawis system was quite timely, as Acti Pack was just starting work with one of the world’s largest cosmetic companies. This equipment supported the jobs at hand and offered an advantage when soliciting future business. Big cosmetic companies demand very high quality packaging, which must present a premier appearance, have correct and consistent colour, and exact physical dimensions, every time, to ensure proper closure fit. A different approach to manage production Integrating the Gawis system prompted Acti Pack to totally change their approach to first article and new bottle production. Originally, the com- pany prepared a control range prior to production, using bottle drawings only, and then managed production accord- ingly. Following the Gawis purchase, the process was changed to first create a “temporary or draft control range”, produce the first bottle, and then program the Gawis for creating the final control range to manage pro- duction bottles. Measurement of the actual bottle is critical to this process as the drawings are not enough. Gawis is then used continuously to verify dimensional and thickness distribution specifications. Samples are taken at regular intervals of each production run. Each bottle is meas- ured for key dimensional and thick- ness attributes, including up to 15 levels for thickness, bottle height and a range of critical neck/finish dimen- sions. A final test report, documenting dimensional and thickness conform- ity, is provided with each customer shipment. Testing takes approximately 1.5 minutes per bottle; manual testing would take a lot longer and be less accurate. In addition to the Gawis system, the Acti Pack lab includes a number of other essential devices for managing quality, including a topload tester, vacuum chamber, test ovens, viscosity and colour measurement equipment. Agility Acti Pack, which has under 100 employees and over 500 SKUs in its catalogue, runs a very lean opera- tion with a level of agility that other producers cannot match. On average, the plants change the production mix at least 700 times per year. Changes often include mould and colour. “Agility means spending minimal time in meetings and making deci- sions quickly,” according to Sandra Maillet. “Having the same kind of machines in each of our three plants means we can interchange moulds and adjust production to meet the needs of a particular customer or market.” All plants have the ability to provide back-up. In the event of capacity or other issues, critical pro- duction can be scheduled at another facility, or even moved within a day or two. This flexibility is very important for safety and continuous production. Acti Pack recently placed an order for two additional Gawis systems, destined for the Czech and German plants. Matching quality Acti Pack, along with the entire Groupe Axium, maintains a perma- nent drive for improvement, quality and customer satisfaction. The Gawis system is used to aid in manag- ing production, qualifications of new designs and the verification of con- tainer specifications. www.agrintl.com With less than 100 employees, Acti Pack runs a very lean operation. The Agr Gawis dimensional and thick- ness measurement system is used continuously to verify that production runs meet dimensional and thickness distribution specifications. Agr’s Gawis all-in-one measurement station plays a vital role in Acti Pack’s strive for quality excellence.