Page 30 - Plastics News January 2026
P. 30
COMPANY NEWS
INSTRON UPGRADES ITS IN-LINE
PRODUCTION PROCESS
the drop tower lines accounting for 336 of the
plant’s 800 square meters, increasing space for
products from 10 to 25 per cent.
In the traditional cellular process, each drop tow-
er was built from start to finish within a single
production cell, requiring operators to move ma-
terials and tools frequently and switch between
complex tasks quickly. The new in-line model
transports products through defined stages, al-
lowing operators to remain in specific tasks and
limits material movement. This helps guarantee
operator safety, together with enhanced eco-
nomics. The new line has been created thanks to
joint work between engineering and operation,
providing a much more people-oriented line.
This change allows operators to pre-assemble
and test 80 per cent of each system before re-
ceiving customer orders. While comprehensive
evaluations will be completed at the end of the
nstron has announced a major upgrade to the year, early results suggest customer lead times
manufacturing process for its drop tower im- has strongly decreased for standard drop tow-
Ipact testing systems, delivering shorter lead ers.
times and increasing production efficiency. The
upgrade switches a cellular production system “We have already recorded a significant de-
to an in-line model, encouraging a simpler step- crease – around 50 per cent – for the stand-
by-step process to manage operation workload ard drop tower,” explains engineering manager
and tools more effectively. Leonardo Petrelli. “Instron strives to continu-
ously improve the manufacturing process by en-
The switch to an in-line production model forms couraging feedback from its operators. In devel-
a part of Instron’s broader Operational Excel- oping the production line further, customer lead
lence program, aiming to streamline operations, times will continue to decrease.”
enhance product quality, and reduce customer Source - https://interplasinsights.com
lead times. Plant layout and production line re-
arrangement are also key to the program, with
30 PLASTICS NEWS January 2026
