Make Ready Time

[Sfdp2300]

Originally Posted by Albert Noel

i'm on a roland 300 5 colour. i dont have the luxury of preset ink keys or any kind of automated closed-loop ink control. however we do have remote ink and running register with plate cocking and semi-auto plate changes. i have to set ink keys manually and use a densitometer (lots of times, i just eyeball it, we have an outstanding well calibrated proofing system, so going by eye is sometimes easier)

if you include the very start of getting a docket from the job box, getting paper to press, unwrapping paper/piling , setting up the feeder and all the little things in between, we are closer to 30mins. but from start of plate hang to run, we are 15-20 mins..
do you have a feeder or "2nd pressman" working with you? if so, you need to both be on the same page and know your jobs well and have a good routine, thats the key to a quick makeready. (that and well maintained rollers/press) if you are alone, theres not much you can do especially if your press is less automated. i'm not too familiar with the 102F and 102Sp. what size are they?


edit: nevermind, 102's .i know them lol. 28x40. never ran one, but i know what they are. jeeze

Sounds like you have a good crew with you. I miss those days sometimes. We run 2 man crews on press, But sounds like we might have a small problem with team work . We do, do alot of size changes but I dont think that should be a major issue. Most of our runs are small 2500 or less so you can see my delema on M/R times. Not sure if I should post another thread in another catagory about coaching and trianing on the importance of team work...

You all have given me insight on how things are elsewhere.

Thank you all,

Rob

[Internal_R&D_Analyst]

On 3 Heidelberg 840 perfectors we used to get 2 jobs an hour on each press with average runs of 2000-3000 using the same stock with one operator and feeder helper. We finally implemented the technology to preset the ink keys and do full sheet scanning with CPC 24 and closed loop color. Today we can get close to 4 an hour or almost 30 in 8 hours.

If you can do presetting and closed loop color it makes all the difference in the world.

I remember at 2007 graph expo where Komori ran 21 jobs in 90 minutes on a 1/2 size press. While surely preplanned and calculated to prevent any wasted time it goes to show what automation, good scheduling, and being lucky that jobs have so much in common can produce in such a short time. Must be why 4over purchased another 6 at this years graph expo.

[Albert Noel]

Originally Posted by Internal_R&D_Analyst

On 3 Heidelberg 840 perfectors we used to get 2 jobs an hour on each press with average runs of 2000-3000 using the same stock with one operator and feeder helper. We finally implemented the technology to preset the ink keys and do full sheet scanning with CPC 24 and closed loop color. Today we can get close to 4 an hour or almost 30 in 8 hours.

If you can do presetting and closed loop color it makes all the difference in the world.

I remember at 2007 graph expo where Komori ran 21 jobs in 90 minutes on a 1/2 size press. While surely preplanned and calculated to prevent any wasted time it goes to show what automation, good scheduling, and being lucky that jobs have so much in common can produce in such a short time. Must be why 4over purchased another 6 at this years graph expo.

thats pretty impressive. cci and pecom were an option on our 300 when installed but weren't purchased. id be interested to see what kind of throughput we could achieve with those in place.


Rob, part of the problem i think, is turn over for feeder/helpers. for a starting position, the pay is lousy unless you are in a major metro, or most of them learn a little and then move to either dupe or take off all together because it's too hard for them to wrap thier heads around. i'm currently training a guy for feeder/helper. going over the same things as all the others though this time i've put even more emphasis on timing and time management not just the skill building. teamwork is very important and time is money. more jobs printed = more money for the company = job stability = possibilities for advancement and so on. teamwork also needs motivation. if the operator isnt on top of the feeder then things just wont ever be as efficient as they could be.


ive trained literally 10 feeder/helpers in the last 2 years because they either cant grasp the time management or teamwork aspect or they just arent motivated and are let go. i think training is very important.

perhaps you should make that thread after all!

[Sfdp2300]

Once again I thank everyone for their input.
The Funny thing is I have been trying to get my crews onboard with cutting our M/R times down for the last month and just the other day there was a plant wide meeting with the #1 man (CEO) who was trying to express the same thing. Specialy since our customers are asking for smaller orders and with quicker turn around times.

Albert, I dont only think but I know you are right on: Timing and time management major keys to success..

[Albert Noel]

multitasking is also very important in my opinion.

i try to make sure my feeder/helper is doing as much is as reasonably possibly at the same time.
for example, don't wait for me to set ink key profiles for a plate and then take each plate one by one to each unit. do something productive, like getting stock prepped for the next job while i'm setting plates, then come back and do all 4 at once. or dont leave the feed end for the del/console end unless you have at least 2 or 3 things to do. it's a waste of time to run back and forth. if you do need to cmoe to the delivery, check the ink fountains for fullness or take a glance at the blankets and see if any strips of paper tore off or anything else while you are walking from one end of the other. (unless of course, theres really only one thing to do or it's very important)

but what it all boils down to, is that if the operator or the feeder just don't care, you will never get them in the right zone for faster make readies. if they don't believe they can do it or they don't think there is anything wrong with the way things are going currently, it will never happen.

Originally Posted by Sfdp2300

Once again I thank everyone for their input.
The Funny thing is I have been trying to get my crews onboard with cutting our M/R times down for the last month and just the other day there was a plant wide meeting with the #1 man (CEO) who was trying to express the same thing. Specialy since our customers are asking for smaller orders and with quicker turn around times.

Albert, I dont only think but I know you are right on: Timing and time management major keys to success..