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Eleven tips for a successful packaging line start-up

Here are some useful tips for line installation and start-up.

1. Involve operators and production personnel from the get-go. While engineering and purchasing may seem to know everything about a project, production personnel have to live with the equipment on a daily basis. Get the production manager, line operators, and maintenance personnel involved as close as possible to the beginning of the project. (In the healthcare industries, it’s also vitally important to involve quality and regulatory/compliance personnel early on as well.) Production people don’t need to be at every meeting, but they should be at the critical ones. The more familiar they are with the equipment when it reaches the floor, the more likely the installation will go smoothly.

2. Don’t be penny-wise and pound-foolish about the install. Engineers often think they can save the company money by installing the equipment themselves. However, having the supplier install its own equipment—or at the least, oversee installation according to its standards—will save you time now and money down the road. The supplier’s technicians really should be present for the whole ramp-up curve; it’s better to pay for three weeks of their time than to have them there for a day and then have the line go down for three weeks.

3. Use your best production people. Don’t choose mediocre or unenthusiastic operators for something as important as a line start-up. Staff it with your best and brightest who can then teach the others. While the oldest staff members are likely to have the most experience, younger personnel may be more open to new technologies and more readily learn how to properly run and change over the equipment. This is especially important if the machines are brand-new technology for the plant, or are considered critical to ongoing operations.

4. Document what you learn from suppliers. Depending on the complexity of the equipment, it may be worthwhile to keep a supplier technician or technicians in your factory an extra few days. During that time, follow the technicians and learn everything you can to fill in any knowledge gaps among operators. Use all the tools at your disposal to capture this information, from shooting video to taking digital snapshots to simply writing notes. This information may prove invaluable over time.

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