Start with the visible production symptom, record what changes and use the matching answer to compare process, machinery and support options.
Each answer provides a direct response, likely causes, checks to make and a relevant solution route.
Industries and operating modelsVariation usually begins with changing product or packaging conditions, unstable presentation, unsuitable settings or wear in the process.
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Industries and operating modelsIncrease sustained good output by identifying the actual constraint, separating machine cycle time from handling time and removing the first recurring cause of waiting.
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Industries and operating modelsFind the first point where control is lost. A downstream alarm is often only the final symptom of poor feeding, transfer, detection or format control.
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Industries and operating modelsMeasure product loss, rejected packaging, rework and start-up waste separately, then remove the largest repeatable cause.
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Industries and operating modelsCleaning must suit the product, materials, contamination risk and machine design. Use an approved method that reaches product-contact and trap points safely.
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Industries and operating modelsSeparate internal tasks that require a stopped machine from external preparation, standardise settings and prove the first good pack after changeover.
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Industries and operating modelsCompatibility must be proven across product contact, storage, temperature, pressure, sealing, labelling, handling and the normal range of supplier variation.
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Industries and operating modelsChoose the operating principle from the product, pack and measurable result before comparing models, headline speeds or prices.
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Industries and operating modelsAutomate when the current constraint, labour requirement, quality risk or capacity need can be measured and the automated process can be supported reliably.
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Industries and operating modelsInspect the characteristics that define a good pack, use measurable limits and ensure failed packs are identified, rejected and recorded.
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Industries and operating modelsAssess the actual installation, product and task. Safeguards, isolation, chemical or hygiene controls and operator procedures must work together.
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Industries and operating modelsRecord the initiating fault, not only the final alarm, and convert recurring failures into controlled inspection, replacement and setup standards.
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Industries and operating modelsAgree product flow, heights, rates, buffers, controls, rejects, guarding and recovery as one system rather than connecting machines mechanically at the end.
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Industries and operating modelsScale the dominant constraint first and retain enough flexibility for normal product, pack and demand variation.
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Industries and operating modelsDefine the finished result, measure the defect pattern and control the process condition that creates it instead of relying on final inspection alone.
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Industries and operating modelsStable production needs controlled orientation, spacing, buffering and handover to the next machine at a rate above normal demand.
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Industries and operating modelsRecord the condition at the machine. Temperature, humidity, air quality, pressure, voltage and extraction can change product behaviour and equipment repeatability.
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Industries and operating modelsA useful specification defines the product, pack, range, sustained output, measurable acceptance, utilities, site constraints and evidence required before delivery.
See the checks →Use the questions below to prepare the information needed for a useful recommendation.