HRSflow finishing expansion of Italy manufacturing plant
Canadian Plastics
Plastics ProcessesThe expansion was designed according to lean manufacturing criteria to make the company's hot runner assembly process more efficient.
The 3,000-square-meter expansion was designed according to lean manufacturing principles. Photo Credit: HRSflow
Hot runner systems maker HRSflow is nearing the completion of a 3,000-square-meter expansion of its facility in San Polo di Piave, Italy.
The expansion was designed according to lean manufacturing criteria to make the hot-runner assembly process more efficient, the company said in an Oct. 21 statement, with the goal being an increase in the production capacity and more flexibility for clients in the European market.
In collaboration with Festo Consulting, HRSflow’s business team configured the expansion to accommodate the production layout and process to the new assembly line. A priority was to reduce, where possible, any bottlenecks that might cause delays.
According to HRSflow, being geographically close to its customers has always been a key factor. That is why it chose to invest in Europe to streamline logistics and reduce delivery times for systems and spare parts. This is made possible by the use of automation and an effective data exchange. Thanks to faster, optimized corporate flows, every request can be processed in an efficient manner to maximize performance and service levels.
“We started down the lean management path in 2017 with a significant increase in the quality and performance of key measurables — production expressed in man-hours has improved from 20 per cent to 50 per cent,” said Umberto Santin, HRSflow’s chief operating officer. “The involvement of all the personnel proved to be a key factor in improving performance in a continuous and structured way.”
HRSflow is a division of INglass S.p.A. The company’s North American operation, HRSflow – INglass USA, is headquartered in Byron Center, Mich.
