Mixing Part Numbers during Changeovers

Question

Mixing Part Numbers during Changeovers

jeremyray25 (Industrial)

(OP)

10 Nov 06 09:43

I work in the manufacturing industry and we have just ran into a situation where we mistakenly shipped mixed parts to a customer. This happened during a changeover from one part number to another and somehow the parts before the changeover took place got shipped with the parts after the changeover. I need some good advice on how to prevent this from happening. Maybe someone has some sort of procedure they could share with me. Also I will have to submit a corrective action and would like some input on ways to prevent this from happening again. Your help and time is much appreciated.

tomwalz (Materials) · Answer 1 · 2006-11-10 09:59:43

We went through this 5 years ago.  A supplier switched their WS designation parts to a WF and their WF to a WG.  However the changeover took months and we had to measure the parts to see whether they were the old WF (3/8”) or the new WF (1/2”).

We ended up inspecting received parts and generating internal labels that said either WF (3/8”) xxxx or WF (1/2”) xxxx.    These were a separate label for temporary, internal use only and did not require change to any programs.

The only solution is to put one good, detail, oriented person in charge and give them authority and a budget.  Do it like inventory where everyone roots out everything all at once starting at a time, either before or after normal hours, where they will not be interrupted and there will be no inventory movement.

Thomas J. Walz
Carbide Processors, Inc.
www.carbideprocessors.com

dingy2 (Mechanical) · Answer 2 · 2006-11-14 17:33:47

The answer is quite simple. Just make sure that when a run is over, the bin is taken out before the next job is set up. Whenever there is a first off, the container for the new parrt number must be empty.

Dave D.

JohnNabors (Mechanical) · Answer 3 · 2007-01-04 15:19:30

In an auto industry plant where we had an extensive in-process inspection crew, we had a changeover procedure for the CNC machinery that prevented that kind of mixing. The person performing the changeover first removed everything specific to the previous setup - fixturing, gaging etc. and especially any leftover parts. He or she then had to have an inspector sign off that the clearaway had been done properly before the tool crib would release the materials needed to perform the next setup.

We also ran a lot of our parts through a vision system that would among other things kick out any mixed parts.

John Nabors

"Against stupidity the very gods themselves contend in vain." - Friedrich von Schiller

MadMango (Mechanical) · Answer 4 · 2007-01-04 16:08:32

If the new parts are backwards compatible, there shouldn't be much of an issue. If the parts aren't compatible, then a line clearance should be performed to clear all the old parts from the warehouses to be quarantined.

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Mixing Part Numbers during Changeovers