I — Datum

II — Conditions

Demand increased through M&A activity and organic growth. The plant maintained a schedule of procuring the newest Heidelberg presses. A shift toward smaller jobs increased changeover demand on the Polar AutoCut finishing lines.

III — Measured

The 12 min measurement included an unrecorded downstream packing constraint.

IV — Diagnosis

The cutting lines included the downstream packers’ 12–14 min changeovers in cutter internal time. The wait was not recorded as a queue and was excluded from cutter time studies. The 12 min measurement represented packing setup within cutter internal time.

A painted Mylar block on a bull clip indicated 20 minutes remaining on a job. Packers made boxes and set up sortation lines before the stop. The first setup after externalization measured 4.8 seconds of internal time. The blocks were completed 2 January 2020.

Tooling and motion changes reduced changeover from 27 min to 12. A Mylar scheduling signal attached with a bull clip externalized the remaining setup time.

V — Result

With finishing no longer the constraint, the Polar lines matched the press production rate. The Speedmaster sustained 18,000 sheets per hour. The plant absorbed over 30% demand growth with no added labor: zero temporary staff, zero new hires. The press set the world impression record for the Speedmaster XL 106 in 2020, at nearly 82 million impressions and 53.85% OEE. For reference, 80% availability, 80% performance and 80% quality multiply to 51.2%. The industry averages are 32 million and 25% (Heidelberg, 12 April 2021).

VI — Valuation

Basis: one line, four to five setups per shift, two shifts, seven days. The labor calculation excludes released throughput.