Situation
A manufacturer for protein bar packaging recently moved relocated from a 50,000 square foot operation facility to a new 350,000-square-foot operation facility. This resulted in an assembly line production change where stand-up assembly packaging lines were converted to brand new automated packaging lines. In addition, there was a folding carton redesign where the Straight Tuck End folding cartons were replaced by new Top Kliklok folding cartons. The manufacturer also transitioned to and needed to integrate a new international packaging equipment supplier. Finally, the company needed a new documentation system for more accurate data collection and organization from start to finish.
The manufacturing company hired MetaExpert Kier-Monti, a packaging engineering expert with ample experience to design, measure, analyze, improve, and control the entire packaging process from location A to location B.
Actions
Over the course of an 18-month contract, Kier-Monti took the following actions and strategies to evaluate and retool the packaging manufacturer’s processes:
- Voice of the Customer
- Data Collection
- Product + PKG Collection
- Scope
- Manage a PKG Timeline
- Designs (via CAD)
- Designs (via Samples)
- Develop a Test Plan
- Testing & Reporting
- Calculate Cost Savings
- Develop New Specs
Results
Thanks to MetaExpert Kier-Monti’s acumen of packaging engineering and process improvement, the manufacturing company saw immediate and measurable results.
- Organized 50 new top-load bar orientations for the new top load cartons
- Set-up and designed over 100 new packaging material specifications
- Managed and organized 50 new tray formers
- Managed and organized 50 new case packing grippers
- Re-designed all packaging pallet patterns in TOPS for the new automated palletizers
- Managed and organized all international package testing and reporting
- Created one centralized organized, interim spreadsheet for all packaging information and pre-documentation system implementation
ROI
A skillful evaluation and overhaul of the packaging process by MetaExpert Kier-Monti yielded a massive increase in packaging speed from 30 bars/minute to 300 bars/minute. That’s a 900% increase in just 18 months!