Incremental improvement: A worked example

Increasing productivity and quality is often about small changes in adhesives, sealants and masking applications. Here, Peter Swanson, Founder and Executive Chair of adhesives and dispensing equipment specialist Intertronics, shares a hypothetical worked example of a dispense progression from simple manual dispensing to semi-automated bulk dispensing.

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Intertronics

For this example, I am the founder and Managing Director of a small electronics business. After a year of research and development, I am happy with how my product looks so I take it to market.  

The process involves temporarily masking a PCB before a conformal coating process. I contact an adhesives supplier to help me choose a suitable liquid mask. I don't know if the product will take off, so they support me in devising an affordable process that involves dispensing a maskant using a Quantx syringe and manual plunger.

My initial product launch goes well and soon gathers many small customers. I start getting very busy so decide to hire an operator, Mary, to help me run the business. As it continues to grow, my hands-on process begins to struggle. The dispense rates are inconsistent, and squeezing the plunger all day causes Mary a sore thumb. We’re also accidentally dispensing excess material, causing spillages and wastage. 

Here's what I decide to do. 

• Step 1: Semi-manual dispensing

I speak to my trusted advisor again, who suggested a semi-manual dispensing method to improve productivity. It helps that I already have a little compressor that is used for spraying. 

Thanks to the DC50 dispensing controller with a foot pedal, Mary can dispense material at a far more consistent rate, and the more ergonomic process relieves the strain on our thumbs. Product throughput has increased, and results are far more uniform than when production started. 

Mary is very adept at the process, but I worry that when she is away on leave, or sick, I won’t be able to produce to the same standard. I decide to deskill the process so that if Mary is unavailable, production can continue to the same standard.

• Step 2: Controlled, semi-manual dispensing

To improve accuracy, my advisor recommends that I purchase a dispensing robot to control the material placement. I also invest in a 3D printed jig, so I can process multiple parts at once, improving throughput. 

The new robot allows me to produce identical products. Anyone can load them and press the button with little training. Thanks to a valve, materials don’t run during dispensing, creating cleaner, more professional-looking final products, with less wastage.

After featuring in a prestigious magazine, I am contacted by a multinational customer who wishes to resell my products, meaning I need to quickly increase production volume. However, I notice that Mary spends a lot of time changing syringes during production. I contact my supplier to see if it is possible to supply material to my new robot system in bulk.

Step 3: Semi-automated dispensing

My supplier recommends a pressure pot to help dispense my adhesive to reduce the time required to change depleted material syringes. I can now purchase materials in bulk, increasing economies of scale and saving money. This also frees Mary’s time up, meaning she can now carry out multiple tasks at once. As demand grows and material is used quickly, I wish the system could operate much more independently. 

Step 4: Semi-automated bulk dispensing

I raise this with my advisor, who suggests I progress to a fully incorporated custom system to speed up my process. They build an Archytas series enclosure, which integrates all my dispensing and application technology to simplify and consolidate operations. My adhesives partner trained my team on it too, so operations can keep running smoothly.

This process has helped me improve productivity and quality with many small changes, so I could generate a quick return on my investments and avoid redundancy.