PMMI, Reston, Va., will host its first edition of Pack Expo East, which will take place Feb. 16-19 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. At the event, exhibitors will display machines with advanced efficiency, data collection, and line integration and control capabilities; automated productivity monitoring systems; and services for assisting food and beverage customers with overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) projects.
Many companies have embraced OEE as a best practice for evaluating line performance and identifying areas for improvement, according to PMMI. Using OEE performance metrics, manufacturers can identify opportunities to enhance efficiency throughout the production supply chain, often reducing costs and advancing sustainability goals in the process, it says.
OEE productivity can be lost or gained in three areas:
- Availability — events such as equipment failures and product setup and changeovers that lead to downtime
- Performance — short stops, material shortages, operator lapses, and the factors that inhibit production speed
- Quality — produced pieces falling short of quality standards
In improving OEE scores, manufacturers might identify opportunities to upgrade machine functions, optimize material flow on a line, fine tune production scheduling, improve operator training, upgrade materials and redesign packaging, all in the name of increasing quality output, PMMI says. Along the way, manufacturing improvements implemented as a result of these OEE evaluations can translate to waste reduction and energy savings, it adds.
To register for the show and learn more about the latest advances in OEE, including those through software, robotics, automation and other new efficiencies, visit www.packexpoeast.com. Registration is $30 prior to Jan. 21 and $60 thereafter.
