Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers: Events

Engineering & Quality Forum

April 20–21, 2023 📅 Add to calendar

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This two-day virtual event will bring together industry leaders to educate attendees on many different subjects.

Attendees will have access to new ideas, expand their professional network, and have an opportunity to explore new methods of improvement.

Tentative Agenda - Additional Sessions Are Being Confirmed

Thursday, April 20th, 2023
11:00 AM	Eliminating Waste Using Effective Project Management Richard Broo, True North PMP Consulting, Inc. According to a Gallup Poll, only 2.5 percent of companies successfully complete 100 percent of their projects. This means that companies are consistently losing time and money on each project that is not completed on time. During this session, attendees will learn key skills and ideas necessary for effective project management – and leave with new ideas on how to make sure their projects are completed 100 percent and on-time. From company leadership and goals to metric-driven results and clear project management plans, actionable items and resources will be delivered during this unique breakout.

12:00 PM	Why Computer Vision Systems Beat Human-Based Inspection Every Time Ed Chan, Mandy Dwight and Nick Keyes, Rapid Robotics Human brains are great at broad pattern recognition, but terrible at details. When you add in the intense concentration required for an effective visual inspection of a part, you've got a perfect recipe for a super high scrap rate. Modern computer vision systems are designed to swiftly conduct quality inspections, with an overall accuracy rate above 99%. When paired with a robotic arm, vision systems can conduct complex visual inspection processes far faster than a person. These inspection processes do more than reduce scrap. They can help identify consistent patterns of quality issues, help you optimize other parts of your process, and improve overall operational efficiency. Especially for manufacturers with a need for exceptional accuracy or quality in end products, an automated inspection system is an indispensable part of effective business operations.

1:00 PM	Master Class - 2 Second Lean Journey Shawn Gross, Viking Plastics Over ten years ago, Viking Plastics embarked on a journey of continuous improvement and culture transformation, implementing the “2-Second Lean” model across the entire company. All employees — in all job descriptions — were educated on the “eight wastes” targeted for elimination by lean manufacturing organizations. The Viking Plastics culture empowers every employee to “fix what bugs us” and make their jobs as waste-free, streamlined, and efficient as possible. Their goal is to minimize the non-value-added processes and eliminate the “papercuts” from delivering higher quality and better efficiency. During this presentation, Shawn Gross will share how this shift has impacted Viking Plastics and led it to become a strong and growing organization year after year.

1:15 PM	Break

1:30 PM	Leveraging System Reports & Analytics Technology for Data-Driven Decisions Stefanie Krause and Stewart Zellars, Plante Moran This presentation will highlight how our manufacturing clients have successfully utilized ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) reports to make data-driven decisions that are aligned with overall organizational strategy and vision. If your ERP lacks strong analytics functions and there is no appetite for investing in a new one, there are additional technologies available to enhance your data capabilities. This presentation will also cover the feasibility and benefits of integrating enterprise analytics technology into your existing infrastructure, highlighting real-world use cases where business intelligence tools have provided valuable insights and democratized data access while upholding data integrity.

2:30 PM	Medical Device Supply Chain Resiliency and Sustainability Bruce Howell, MedAccred Within a 10-year period, supply and demand disruption can cost manufacturers up to 38% of one year’s earnings, according to one 2020 study by McKinsey. During this presentation, MedAccred, a medical device industry-managed supply chain oversight program which identifies and verifies compliance to critical manufacturing process requirements leverages its considerable collective experience in this field. They will share how their industry experts have collaborated to create a deep-dive technical audit process that provides exceptional supply chain oversight across many critical manufacturing processes including Plastics Injection Molding, Plastics Extrusion and Plastics Mechanical Assembly.

2:30 PM	The Benefits of IATF 16949 Certification for the Automotive Industry Marty Willem, Smithers Joining standards from across the globe, the IATF 16949 quality management system standard outlines how to achieve best practices when developing, manufacturing, installing, or servicing automotive products. It is recognized as the foundation for automotive suppliers to create a system that provides continuous improvement and customer satisfaction. However, the standard is more than just a baseline requirement for suppliers to the automotive industry - it can offer major benefits to certified companies. What are some of these benefits? Join Marty Willem, Automotive Sector Manager with Smithers Quality Assessments to learn how IATF 16949 can help your organization improve its processes, attract new customers, and grow.

3:30 PM	Understanding Part Sensitivity to Process Parameters Changes Deepika Gaddam, Sigma This presentation will explore the variability of the key quality characteristics of any given plastics part subject to alterations in the process parameters, and the relation between each parameter in relation to the part and material constraints. Finally, it will define the process to carry over such analysis to determine the appropriate molding window.

4:30 PM	Day 1 Programming Ends

Friday, April 21st, 2023
11:00 AM	Best Practices for Data Utilization with IoT 4/0 Lauren Dunford & Weston McBride, Guidewheel This presentation will review specifics of ways visibility can drive fast impact on the factory floor through real manufacturer examples. We will share actionable use cases showing a range of ways manufacturers have used IOT data to reduce downtime, prevent failures, improve consistency of performance, and save money by reducing waste. Specifically, for example, we will offer examples of how customers set up and manage escalating alerts and run regular Pareto analyses to increase the productivity of their teams. Lastly, we will reveal a number of new and upcoming best practices for data utilization with IOT 4.0, including predicting and preventing costly failures.

12:00 PM	Ask Me Anything: Sustainable Polymers Debbie Prenatt, M. Holland Sustainability is a word used to signal an industry shift to intentionally reducing our impact on the environment, thoughtfully designing plastic products, and becoming better corporate citizens. Adopting sustainable practices into our business models is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but a ‘must have’ to ensure our success. In this second presentation, of a three part series, you’ll understand the features/benefits of Sustainable polymers that are commercially available today including bioplastics, recycled-content polymers, and specialty additives.

1:00 PM	Master Class – Mobile Clean Room Rob Zimmerman, Westec Plastics The ISO 8 Clean Rooms at Westec Plastics allow for flexibility in meeting customers’ unique challenges. Mobile clean rooms can help companies adapt to rapidly changing requirements. In many cases, it might be a more reasonable decision to invest in a mobile cleanroom than to build a traditional clean room. During this presentation, Rob Zimmerman will delve into how this 99-square-foot clean room has impacted Westec Plastics.

1:15 PM	Break

1:30 PM	Overcoming Labor Challenges in the Injection Molding Industry with 3D Printing Ethan Rejto & Scott Kraemer, Mantle 3D A significant challenge in the molding and toolmaking industry today is the shortage of skilled toolmakers and general labor. 3D printing offers a solution to this issue by streamlining shop workflows, enabling businesses to boost their capacity without hiring additional toolmakers. Moreover, this advanced technology attracts a new generation of toolmakers eager to work with the latest innovations in their field. Discover how companies like yours leverage 3D printing to address labor shortages and enhance overall operational efficiency.

2:30 PM	What role does Technology play in Best Practice Injection Molding Rick Dunne, CyFrame International Enterprises As technology continues to evolve, the role it plays in achieving best practice standards in molding cannot be overstated. However, it's not just about using the latest machines or software - integration is key in order to achieving true efficiency and profitability gains. Real-time, accurate information must be readily shared and communicated to affect measurable change to downtime, on time time delivery, material utilization, customer service and the bottom line. Join us as we delve into the importance of total integration of technology in molding and learn how it can help you achieve the best practice standards necessary to stay ahead in today's competitive market.

3:30 PM	Event Ends

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