Constraint Based Manufacturing - Molded Fiber Glass Manpower Optimization
Molded Fiber Glass had a modest beginning in 1948 in Ashtabula, Ohio, near the shores of Lake Erie. Robert S. Morrison, our founder, and a handful of dedicated men and women worked diligently together to mass-produce the first commercial products using polyester resins and fiberglass reinforcements. The watershed event in the composites industry took place in 1953. MFG was chosen to produce all FRP parts for the Corvette. This led to the FRP boats, which MFG commercialized in 1955. Since those early days, MFG has grown substantially, sometimes with great difficulty.
"We've had our share of successes; we've also had experiences that didn't turn out as we had hoped. We have learned from those challenges and have grown stronger..."
-Robert Morrison, founder of Molded Fiber Glass
As the company product line grew, manufacturing complexity and the ability to produce products effectively increased. Another major challenge was producing high quality products at a reduced cost. Moreover, faced with some normal equipment failures, changes in the downtime and recovery operation, and changeover time due to product mix, it became apparent that simulation software with extensive list of capabilities and features was required to capture the intricate details of the production environment.
Molded Fiber Glass Companies used Simcad Pro Process Simulator to model the current state of one of their composites manufacturing plants. The model required tracking of multiple variables including cycle times, labor costs, and manpower utilization. The simulation goal was to detect and identify bottlenecks as well as reduce overall production costs. Using Simcad Pro's graphical interface, MFG built the model representation of the manufacturing line then added manpower allocation and cost detail. The main aspect of the model was the ability to handle multiple product mixes and to analyze the effects of different product flow and changeover times.
Using Simcad Pro's powerful analysis, reporting, and animation tools, MFG was able to run analysis on the line and detect bottlenecks and potential efficiency improvements. Armed with the analysis results, MFG performed line change analysis and came up with a solution that saved "One man hour" per part. In addition, the new process flow maintained current production rates while decreasing the number of manpower required at the plant.
Simcad Pro has helped process-oriented users maximize productivity and control costs across every industry including manufacturing, automation, banking, and healthcare. Created by efficiency engineering experts, Simcad Pro makes a small but powerful replica of a business that behaves like a real-world model. Combining advanced data analysis, virtual modeling, Value Stream Mapping and the best in simulation technology; Simcad Pro delivers detailed statistical results of every operation within the model. And while traditional process simulation software focuses on the plant floor, Simcad Pro can be scaled to improve efficiencies in every part of the enterprise. An open architecture and intuitive user interface make Simcad Pro the ideal process re-engineering and optimization tool.