Page 43 - Plastics News January 2026
P. 43
BUSINESS NEWS
operators have validated the relevant raw mate- Proactive process monitoring can prevent is-
rial lot numbers. In cases of non-compliance, the sues before they escalate. Meanwhile, if defec-
software can alert management, preventing po- tive parts are discovered during post-production
tential production errors. Moreover, the system quality assurance inspections, historical process
maintains comprehensive records that can be data can be analyzed using statistical process
presented to customers as evidence of compli- control (SPC) techniques to identify equipment-
ance with tracing procedures. related root causes. Furthermore, parts passed
onto customers as having passed quality inspec-
Establishing and enforcing traceability is founda- tions can be accompanied by digital records
tional to providing full transparency. A vital result showing that the equipment functioned correct-
is the ability to trace items accurately through ly during production. Providing customers with a
the production and product lifecycle. This “track- digital history of production in this way sets an
and-trace” functionality lets manufacturers use outstanding manufacturer apart from the com-
unique identifiers, such as part numbers, pro- petition.
duction dates, lot numbers or serial numbers, to
navigate backward through the production cycle 4. Enforce Quality Control Procedures
to determine the materials used, machinery and
operators involved, inspections conducted and A key competitive advantage lies in differentiat-
even process parameters during production. ing between documenting production process-
es and effectively executing them. For instance,
3. Record and Report Manufacturing Process are inspections taking place at the scheduled
Data times, or are they being postponed? Manual re-
cording and enforcement of inspections remain
Many tasks within plastics processing are heav- commonplace, but this often leads to inconsist-
ily influenced by management policies and op- encies.
erational procedures. However, the production
equipment’s performance and capabilities also By contrast, automated inspection procedures
play a significant role. For example, are the ma- facilitated by an ERP system ensure that inspec-
chines operating at optimal speeds, pressures tions occur as scheduled, enhancing reliability
and cycle times? Attempting to monitor these and oversight. The software can alert manage-
parameters manually can be overwhelming. ment to any missed inspections and automati-
cally flag entries that deviate so significantly
A manufacturing ERP system’s real-time pro- from expected values as to be suspected data
cess monitoring functionality can capture data entry mistakes. It also digitally records and files
streams from sensors and smart machines to inspection outcomes for future reference, mak-
help track process variables in real time. Moni- ing it easier to provide proof of quality control.
toring equipment’s performance during produc- With automation, manufacturers can focus on
tion can yield substantial benefits. For instance, consistently maintaining high-quality standards
it can offer early warnings if the equipment ap- to foster customers’ confidence in product reli-
proaches critical operating parameters – such as ability and safety.
high barrel temperatures or short cushion times.
January 2026 PLASTICS NEWS 43
