The Problem:
An existing customer came to AMS in desperate need of an update for their old and outdated equipment. They currently have a twelve year old Semi-Automatic Auger Filler , with a scale, for a complete fill by weight system [A-110]. Over time random tooling selection by the customer along with an outdated control package rendered their filler unprofitable. The customer is currently filling fire suppression canisters with around seven pounds of their product. Their current fill method includes filling the canister to about five pounds, letting it settle, and then filling the additional two pounds. Total fill time for one canister was around five minutes. With the combination of the product flow characteristics and the need for product settling the customer faced a difficult application. Also, due to the incorrect tooling selection by the customer, excess product spillage created a situation during production that was both wasteful and dangerous to employees.
The Solution:
During product testing we were able to determine that the existing filler had incorrect tooling and had an outdated control packaging for that type of application. The solution that we arrived at was to update the original scale for the filler along with providing the proper tooling and controls. By providing a custom upgrade the customer no longer needed to purchase an entirely new filler. With reduced labor costs and decrease product waste, the customer was able to save a substantial amount of money.
The Results:
We received an email stating “I just wanted to let you know that the new machine is going above and beyond what we were expecting. It has shaved serious time and mess out of our daily manufacturing process. At this point I couldn’t see getting any work done without it”. The custom filling system improved their overall efficiency and increased their fire suppression canister production. They are now filling one canister per minute and their overall waste has been reduced by 99%. The customer’s ROI, as a result of the custom solution, was realized in a few weeks’ time.