Released on: June 9, 2008, 5:59 am

Press Release Author: Thomas R. Cutler

Industry: Software

Press Release Summary: Plastics Business Looks at Statistical Process Control

Press Release Body: Ken Welchman is the director of quality for Golf Ball Operations
at the Acushnet Company (makers of Titleist golf balls.) Welchman believes that
Titleist is like many other plastics manufacturing organizations: "I think the main
challenge of any high-volume industry is to reduce variation of the products and to
monitor your process real-time to ensure that any variation is minimized and
corrected as quickly as possible. There also is a lot of competition for business
from overseas manufacturers." In searching for an SPC solution, Titleist had
specific challenges they were looking to meet. According to Welchman, "We were
growing very quickly and our data collection system was not able to give us
real-time data. The system that we had could only run overnight and only one
associate knew how to access the data. We also were experiencing data entry errors.
We needed a system that was operator/user friendly and that could interact between
multiple facilities." In the current issue of Plastics Business manufacturing
journalist Thomas R. Cutler, contributed an important feature
article titled, "Real-time Data Drives a Hole-in-one."


According to Cutler, "Plastics manufacturers are facing unprecedented increases in
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) because of the increases in the cost of oil - the building
block of plastic resin. Real-time production knowledge helps manufacturers control
these costs in several ways."

Evan Miller, CEO of Hertzler Systems and maker of GainSeeker, contributed "By using
real-time statistical process control (SPC), plastics manufacturers can immediately
know when a process shifts and when they need to make adjustments. This real-time
knowledge can reduce or even eliminate the amount of scrap that is produced - which
reduces the total COGS."

By reducing the amount of scrap, manufacturers can reduce the 'overages' scheduled
to compensate for the anticipated scrap levels, again reducing the COGS. Another
benefit of reduced scrap is that equipment is freed to do productive work. A shop
with a 5 percent scrap rate and 20 molding machines has one machine dedicated to
making scrap. Using real-time production data to eliminate scrap is the equivalent
of buying a new machine.


Hertzler Systems (www.hertzler.com) provides seamless, accurate data acquisition
solutions that drive business transformation. The company provides the leading
real-time data acquisition and analytics software, the GainSeeker Suite. This
powerful and flexible system is best used by lean and progressive companies.
Gainseeker Suite allows companies to connect with devices and other information
systems, collecting data and alarming key personnel when problems arise; this
technology allows organizations to analyze data for root cause problems, converting
data into knowledge.



Hertzler Systems Inc.
www.hertzler.com
Adrienne DePew
Communications Manager
info@hertzler.com
800.958.2709


Web Site: http://www.hertzler.com

Contact Details: Hertzler Systems
2312 Eisenhower Dr. N.
Goshen, IN 46526
800-958-2709