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At INDEX AccuSentry, Inc., a leader in automated inspection solutions for the absorbent hygiene industry released its Centerlining Package to enable realtime process control for absorbent hygiene manufacturers. Available on AccuSentry’s Sentry 9000 platform with version 9 software, the Centerlining Package provides an effective means for manufacturers to take control of their process consistency by standardizing production setup across shifts, operators, and product styles.

The Centerlining Package elevates quality inspection to process control by delivering realtime graphs on an operator dashboard. This Centerlining dashboard places critical product measures front and center to allow the operator to quickly monitor the status of the process at all times, and give them objective control over production variations during start up and changeover. Standardizing control of the production process in this way, simplifies operator training, improves production consistency and offers significant cost savings. For instance, by simply reducing the process of “dialing in” at start up and changeover by 20 minutes, using a per diaper cost of 20 cents at 500 diapers per minute, a diaper manufacturer could save approximately $2000 per case.

Each graph on the Centerlining dashboard correlates to a specific process on the machine. The operator runs the production line based on a set of established targets, presented as “centerlines” on the graphs. While the line is in operation, they adjust the natural process variations to fluctuate around those centerlines, keeping key product parameters within a tolerance range. The dashboard alerts the operator when a parameter is sliding out of specification. The operator then adjusts the machine based on the data presented.

Centerlining effectively removes the inefficient cycle of sample retrieval, measurement, and feedback for machine adjustment. Tolerances can be set and then micro-adjusted by monitoring the process as a whole instead of constantly sampling individual products. Operators constantly hone equipment performance and proactively marshal support resources to achieve maximum production efficiency.

Mining valuable control data from the Centerlining Dashboard not only removes production variability, but also helps plant management translate and monitor organizational production goals directly to line operators. Successful implementation of this package requires proper training and a commitment from the plant management to the line operators. Centerlining delivers significant improvements across operations, thereby enabling the manufacturers to achieve unparalleled performance levels.