Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

INFORMATION YOO NEED TO KNO PLANT NO. 2 PILOT OF ACTION TEAM WORKING TO REDUCE YARN VARIATION Left to right: John Grant, Sissy Eustace, Ann Moore, Ken neth Bull, Larry Lawson and team leader John Samples hold a package of card sliver used in its team project. The Plant No. 2 Pilot Quality First Action Team presented the results of their efforts to identify the causes of variation in the size of blend yarn, and made a number of recommendations to help reduce the size variations. The team members were team leader John Samples, Ann Moore, Kenneth Bull, Tommy Grant, Larry Lawson, and Sissy Eustace. Utilizing basic statistical tools and methods, data col lections and trial and error procedures, the team members collected information from a series of doffs and subsequent tests. After a number of studies, team members concluded that the starting and stoppping of the chute feed system had a direct effect on the fiber matt delivered to the cards and the size of the sliver produced. The team identified causes and made recom mendations that two modifications be made at the card ing process. This resulted in a more uniform stock flow which in turn reduced sliver weight variation. These modifications also will improve the life of the chute feed drive motors. In the spinning room, the team reduced yarn varia tion by changing the older metal creel hangers to one made of plastic. Other improvements included the in stallation of new front rollers, improved cleaning under and around the aprons, and precise setting of top roller and roller weights. Left to right: John Grant, John Samples, Ann Moore and Kenneth Bull collect card sliver for use in their Plant No. 2 team project. QUALITY FIRST IN GENEVA The QF process in the Geneva plants continues to function with participants responding enthusiastically. A tremendous amount of training, experimentation and analysis are taking place. These activities are resulting in favorable changes and improvements. QF holds promise for remarkable transformations in our business. Below are brief descriptions of some of the activities of the Geneva teams. Autoconer Quality Upgrade — Plant #2 The Autoconer Quality Upgrade Team consists of (7) members. Bobby Fleming, team leader, is a spinning and preparation department supervisor. Team members James Goram and Hubert Yell are autoconer technicians. Jack Jordan is a spinning technician. Lillie Mae Clay is an autoconer operator. James Cowart is yarn manufacturing superintendent. Pam Armstrong, secretary, is a weaver from Plant #1. The main emphasis and effort for im provement are currently oriented toward building proper tails on cones going to the weave room and also to the warper. The idea and its importance were initiated by Pam Armstrong, weaver, an internal customer of the cones produced on the winders. Measurable improvements have been made, but much is yet to be done. Selvage Quality Improvement The Selvage Quality Improvement Team consists of (4) sulzer technicians (Clyde William son, Bobby Brackin, Terry Dixon and Don Gainey), (2) weavers (Debbie Smith and Joann Littlefield, and (1) cloth room supervisor (Lucille Thomas). This team is presently involved in a test project on 13 looms in which emphasis is shifted from detecting cloth seconds in the cloth room to detecting conditions that contribute to cloth defects in the weave room. A key point of the experiment is to use a cloth inspector from the cloth room to perform some on-loom checking. This focuses on Deming’s 3rd point which states, “Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for inspection on a mass basis by building quality into the product in the first place.” Card Sliver Weight Variation — Plant #2 The Card Sliver Weight Variation project is a long-running project which counts as its main accomplishment the development of a trouble-shooting log for pre-card processes. The primary contributors to weight variation on the Continental/Moss-Gordin chute feed cards are the systems that supply stock and affect air flow and include air baffles, waste house &nw filters, electronic and pneumatic controls, etc. The team, consists of Carl Spears, card room supervisor and team leader; Jim Penuel, Jason Blakeney, Donald Austin, and Tim Hill, card department technicians; Tommy Dunn, assistant yarn manufacturing superintendent; Brad Hendrix, card/drawing operator. The team maintains SPC charts on sliver weights and other key measures. Seconds Caused By Oil In Cloth Team members of the Seconds Caused By Oil In Cloth consist of Ken Ellis, weave room supervisor and team leader; Martha Jones, secretary; Johnny Mathis, cloth room super visor; Leonard Thomas, maintenance technician - shop-weekend; Wylie Brannen, depart ment superintendent - weaving; Eddie F. Glover, slasher operator; and J. C. Walker and Gerald Danley, Sulzer technicians. Practices resulting from the team’s efforts include use of supply issue “blow bag” used by loom technicians when blowing off oily loom parts. Parts are held inside a cloth bag when blown off to prevent contaminating yarn and cloth on looms nearby. Cover cloths covering exposed yarn and cloth are also used by technicians when they perform routine PM. Both these practices are simple and are little inconvenience to technicians. Technicians are also focusing attention on oil seals on SWM which contribute to oil con tamination when they leak. A jig was built by the shop according to Sulzer specifications which will enable a preci sion hole to be drilled in cover over shuttle chain on SWM. The hole will serve as a chain blow-off point, which will prevent dark oil from being blown onto yarn and cloth when chain is blown off. This project will take 2-3 years to complete since holes can only be drilled when harnesses are removed from looms (at pattern changes). Bobbin Build In Spinning — Plant #2 The Bobbin Build Team consists of “Buddy” Butts, Earl Mims, Steve Simon and Bobby Tillery - spinning technicians; Junior Holland - spinning supervisor and team leader; Bob bie Jean Shiver and Martha Mock - spinners; and Pam Goram - autoconer operator. This team is developing a uniform “Setting Bobbin Build” procedure for setting spinning frames. The procedure will be experimented with and was determined to be of primary importance as a result of findings from data generated from “Acceptable Bobbin” checks previously developed by Autoconer Upgrade Team. Cut Cots The Cut Cots Team initially investigated the magnitude of cut cots situation in Plant #1 and found Sussen frames contributing significantly more cut cots than Magnadraft frames. Armstrong sales and technical representative, Stacy Lanier, was brought in to teach some fundamentals about cots and rolls. He is to make another presentation later. Data are being collected and charted on sources, causes and cost of cut cots. This information will give the team direction for system improvements. The team consists of Bennie Yancey - department supervisor and team leader; Pam Nichols - spinner and secretary; Mary Mathis and Sybil Phillips - spinners; Tim Griffin and Marvin Hendrix - doffers; and Jimmy Brock - technician. LYDIA PLANT’S QUALITY FIRST ACTION TEAM #3 Lydia has formed a Quality First Action Team to determine the source for oil in fabric and to provide recommendations and procedures for reducing total years of “off-quality due to oil in cloth." Seated left to right are team members Jimmy Wrenn and Micky Dover. Standing left to right are team leader Mike Smith, Willie Pitts, George Cato, Albert Gary and Jackie Bragg. LYDIA PLANT QUALITY FIRST ACTION TEAM #2 “SLUB REDUCTION TEAM” Team members: Seated L to R: Harry Patterson, lone Wrigley, Mitchell Revis; Standing* L to R: Kim Murphy, Curtis Todd, Alvin Satterfield, Robert Smith, Leroy McGee, Barry Templeton. The Lydia Slub Reduction Team is working on a project to reduce slubs in yarn. Using skills learned in their high performance training, they are collecting data and investigating the processes involved in yarn manufacturing. Through experiments and statistical performance data, the team will be able to make recommendations to the plant steering committee for specific process improvements. At the present time, the team is monitoring the types of slubs being removed during the spooling process. CLOTHMAKER STAFF EDITOR: Toby Chaffin ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Mack Parsons Kim Doss REPORTERS ON STAFF: Shirley Weeks, EFA Bob Dettmar, Clinton Mills (Geneva) Russell Vance, Clinton Mills Sales Co. MS PEGGY GILMER 2G5 GCRDCN ST CLINTCh, SC 2S325 BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 293 Columbia, S.C.