Ask Steve
March 20, 2024
Question from Rudy: Our people measure force-to-load, but the numbers are always the same. Is that possible? If they are not accurately reporting load containment, then are we at risk of load failure during shipment?
Hi Rudy, thank you for submitting your question.
I have been asked this question by quite a few Plant Managers who have the same concern. Load containment is a fine balance among the number of wraps, film weight, applied stretch, load configuration, and so on. What you are trying to identify with your audits are the changes that will affect your stretch film cost per pallet and/or load containment so that balance can be corrected, and you can maintain your standards.
The quick answer to the first part of your question is NO, statistically, it is not possible for the numbers to be the same all, or even most, of the time. It may be close (and should be close) but exact, is not realistic. In other words, you would have a much better chance of winning the lottery. There is science behind my statement. In process control, there is something we call GAGE R&R. This is a way to quantify how effective and accurate a test method is. The first “R” is Gage Repeatability - meaning that the results are consistent with the same person measuring the same thing the same way multiple times. The second “R” is Gage Reproducibility – meaning that the results are consistent with numerous people measuring the same thing the same way. With the number of variables in the method of measuring, Gage R&R does not support having the same FTL measurements, even if the same person measures the same pallet multiple times!
So why do reports show the same numbers? I have found that in many cases, the people who typically measure FTL (Force-to-Load) are also responsible for the quality of the product, activity which receives the majority of their time and effort because defective product is a much greater problem than worrying about whether a pallet has consistent force to load; after all, it looks fine and the film feels tight (so what could go wrong). Measuring FTL on a wrapped pallet is often considered a nuisance because load containment is not widely understood. I could spend all day discussing the elements of load containment, but you already understand their importance. So, what is the answer: do you force your personnel to measure FTL and then look over their shoulder to see what they report? What if they do periodic load containment audits, and if they find and report an issue, how many pallets were wrapped out of spec? What if the FTL numbers are a little higher, is that a good thing or has significant cost been added by putting on more film than is necessary? You see there is more to consider than just numbers on a report.
These are real-world challenges that we have applied technology to solve. Since we know specifically what elements in the stretch wrap process directly affect cost per pallet and load containment, we developed proprietary sensor technology to measure each of them. We then developed a controller, Rapid IQ, that takes input from these sensors and wirelessly sends data to a remote display, mounted on the control cabinet, that provides information on the last wrap cycle. We also wirelessly connect to our proprietary cellular network so data can be sent securely to the Cloud. We install our Rapid IQ on existing stretch machines, without the need to interface to the machine operation, we only need +24vdc and ground. We do not connect to your IT infrastructure. You access a portal which provides real-time telemetry, as well as historical data. If a limit is violated, you receive a text or email, so corrective actions can be taken immediately. We provide a troubleshooting guide, so in the event of an alert, you know exactly what to do. While there is plenty of information available on the portal, you don’t have to spend time reviewing what is working fine- you have a lot on your plate- and reviewing a bunch of detailed reports just adds to your workload without giving you any real value. When something needs your attention, the system will notify you. There are no limits to the number of alerts we can create, which enables us to tailor them to trigger at different levels to escalate notifications to the appropriate person or group.
Our customers have found that the Rapid IQ really does provide value for them by immediately identifying machine wear, or changes to settings the operator may make, or even if the operators are changing rolls with too much film left. Literally anything that will impact your stretch film cost per pallet or load containment is instantly identified so it can be corrected before it affects your business. It is like having your best QA people perform a thorough and accurate load containment audit on every single pallet you produce.
Our objective is to take the worry about your stretch film spend and concerns over the load containment off your plate so you can concentrate on running your business.
Thanks for asking!
