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Departments: Quality Applications
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SPC Collection Software Saves Time and Reduces Waste

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Midwest Machining Company Implements Real-Time Process Control

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Height Gage Helps Pennsylvania Shop Raise Quality Levels

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Golf Club Manufacturer Implements Quality Management System

SPC Collection Software Saves Time and Reduces Waste
Hertzler's GainSeeker SPC

HyTech Spring and Machine, founded in 1984, was recognized as an outstanding business in Allegan County, Michigan, and one of the fastest-growing private companies in the state. The Plainwell-based corporation was collecting statistical process control data by hand and realized the unnecessary amount of time this wasted. The company began looking for a product that would replace its current SPC collection method.

HyTech wanted to find a software product that would not only collect, manage, analyze and report information, but would also be flexible enough to fit the company's particular needs and be compatible with its existing ERP system. After researching products from a number of companies, HyTech chose Hertzler Systems' GainSeeker SPC.

GainSeeker SPC software is a comprehensive tool for managing quality data that provides seamless communication at all levels in an organization and interconnectivity to other critical information systems.

Hertzler Systems Inc. has been providing software and consulting services to manufacturers and businesses throughout the world to help collect, manage, analyze and report quality information for 20 years. The company was founded in 1982 as Paul Hertzler & Co. Inc., specializing in information systems for manufacturers and products for quality departments of parts suppliers in the automotive industry.

HyTech chose GainSeeker software because it integrates with many other software systems. The company wanted the system to integrate with Made2Manage, its job shop ERP system. None of the other systems HyTech considered would have been able to do so.

"The integration with Made2Manage was very easy," says Charles Smith, quality assurance manager at HyTech. "We wanted to be able to use the bar code information on our floor travelers and paperwork that accompanies each job. We set up the Hertzler system so that our personnel can scan the job using a bar code scanner. The Hertzler system then uses the scanned job number to query the Made2Manage data tables and acquire the part number. Once the part number is returned, GainSeeker allows us to automatically pull up and display the appropriate standard and template needed for that particular job."

The GainSeeker interface with Made2Manage was an original requirement. However, HyTech discovered that target-nominal charting was not in the original specification. In short-run SPC using the target-nominal method, the data is normalized for display. The data is plotted after subtracting the target-nominal value and dividing by the variance factor. This allows HyTech to compare one characteristic to another and observe long-range trends for a given machine or process. The Hertzler system also has the ability to display multiple capability data on one graph.

Automating these necessary and crucial tasks allows operators and quality control officers to respond immediately to quality issues. Load cells are interfaced to personal computers connected to a local area network. Operators check spring loads, and with a push of a button the result is entered into a database. Operators, supervisors and quality managers instantly monitor and analyze the database. Furthermore, many trigger events are programmed into the system, alerting operators and quality managers in real time. HyTech installed the Hertzler software on an older NT server, allowing the system to remain available to personnel on the floor if the main network server goes down.

HyTech staff began to look at Cpk and Ppk results over time, and on one of their highest producing jobs, they found they were consistently above 2.0 Cpk. They needed to maintain a 1.33 Cpk, so they opened up the machine tolerance, reducing the amount of scrap they were generating and increasing their yield.

"It's been quite a labor saver," adds Smith. "Many of our quality control operations are now automated, and as we continue to roll out the implementation, we expect to dramatically decrease rejects, narrow control limits and increase production levels. Although resistant at first, those on the shop floor are now demanding that all jobs running SPC utilize the Hertzler system. We are well on our way to accomplishing this goal."

HyTech Spring has saved 38 hours of data entry per week and has had a 20-percent time reduction at inspection stations on the shop floor. Upgrading to a real-time enterprise quality data system that is tightly integrated with its ERP system has enabled HyTech to save time, improve product quality, and reduce waste and rework.

 

Hertzler's GainSeeker SPC

Benefits

  • Multi-user network system with complete ODBC support
  • Real-time charting, feedback and alarms
  • Comprehensive reporting tools and automatic data acquisition
  • Root-cause analytical tools

www.hertzler.com