Emplas has developed a new handling strategy, adding new corner protectors to all frames earlier in the manufacturing cycle, as part of a commitment to drive improved product quality.
Having trialled a number of different solutions and options Emplas has now changed its production process to add corner protection to all four corners as soon as windows and doors come off the welder.
It’s also added new lock and hinge protectors, alongside corner protection to deliver better defence against product damage in transit.
Jody Vincent, National Sales Manager, said: “Fitting corner protectors to windows and doors as soon as they come off the welder is a comparatively small change but one which delivers a real benefit because they’re protected throughout the rest of the manufacturing process.
“We also tested a number of different products, before selecting a corner protector which delivered a high level of protection but which also supported easy transit through the factory. It is unusual for a fabricator to apply protectors to all four corners but that is evident of our total commitment to quality.
“We believe product quality can always be improved, however good it may be and this and the additional checks and controls we’re putting in as part of dispatch and delivery, are supporting us in driving it further forward.”
Emplas announced last month, that it had added rear facing cameras to its trucks to check the loading and unloading of product. This footage is then transmitted back to Emplas operational hub for review to make sure that windows and doors are being dispatched and handled correctly.
It follows a wider investment by Emplas in its manufacturing and logistics operation. This has included the extension of its factory production bar-coding system to its dispatch and delivery operation.
As part of a rigorously controlled process, individual elements of each order are automatically checked as they are prepared in the loading bays. They are then re-scanned onto the lorry, eliminating the shipping of incomplete orders.
Each product is also inspected at the point at which it’s offloaded. On the rare occasion that any damage has occurred in transit, the product is scanned by the driver, the damaged part is photographed and its replacement is automatically generated in the factory production schedule.
Jody added: “We have always had a strong focus on product quality. It’s one of the reasons why we have always removed the system company tape at final QC, thoroughly check and clean every frame, then re-applied our customers’ own branded protective tape.
“We’re looking at everything to see and understand where there is room for improvement, from how we pack products to how they’re then handled and loaded. Even the way that our trucks are driven is being looked at and monitored because that allows us to be better at what we do and deliver more quality to our customers.”
For more information on Emplas visit www.emplas.co.uk, email [email protected] or call 01933 674880.
