Site: Plastic Package, Inc

“Searching For A Tool Or Die Has Gone From A 30 To 45 Minute Search To A Push Of A Button”

Application: Tool and die storage for thin gauge thermo forming operations.

Equipment: One Shuttle™ Vertical Lift Module (VLM) 20 foot tall with 92 trays.

Summary: Shuttle VLM eliminates tooling damage, saves 75% floor space and provides cost effective, ergonomic tool and die storage.

When Plastic Package, Inc. needed to increase tool and die storage efficiency, it looked to KardexRemstar International’s Shuttle® VLM (Vertical Lift Module) to maximize unused overhead space within its 30-foot ceiling height production facility.

Plastic Package, Inc. is a leader in supplying thin gauge thermo formed plastic packaging to food, electronics, and retail gift packaging companies, and to school lunch programs. From candy to electronic circuitry to gift packages, these strong, thin gauge plastics help protect and beautify products on their journey through the supply chain.

“When we moved into this building I thought we would have enough room to last forever, but as the business grew it became obvious that we needed to maximize floor space and personnel efficiency while eliminating costly damage to our tools and dies,” said Jennifer Kaye, Plastic Package, Inc. President.

Prior to the installation of the Shuttle VLM, tools and dies were stored on shelving. Employees often had to search more than 20 rows of shelving for 30 to 45 minutes looking for a specific tool or die, holding up production. Many of the items look alike. On occasion, the production manager had to be called in the middle of the night to describe the correct die, or worse yet, come in and help search for the proper item.

When employees lifted these items from shelves they sometimes bumped them into each other, causing damage. Repairs took up to two weeks and often cost as much as 33 percent of the original cost of the die.

“Watching our employees lifting dies that weigh 25 to 100 pounds from the top or bottom shelves was like looking at an injury waiting to happen,” Kaye said.

The Shuttle VLM is an enclosed system of vertically arranged trays, an ergonomically designed extraction platform, and computerized controls. It can store up to 2,200 lb. per tray with a total maximum payload of up to 110,000 lbs. Its modular design allows it to be configured to meet varying ceiling heights. Small footprint and stand alone design make the Shuttle VLM especially suitable for point-of-use storage.

The Shuttle VLM system installed at Plastic Package, Inc. is equipped with 92 trays and holds more than 400 tools, dies and inserts in support of the company’s production lines. Tools and dies are stored a minimum of 3 across in a tray. They don’t hit or touch each other. To retrieve a specific item, the operator simply enters the part or tray number on the control system keypad, and the correct tray is delivered at waist height by an extraction platform.

The ergonomically correct access opening makes it easy to transfer the tools and dies right on to a waiting cart. In operation, a cart is wheeled to the Shuttle VLM and the master tool number is entered and the tray is delivered to the workstation. The operator places the tool on his cart and looks for any inserts, if needed, off the adjacent shelving found within the secure tool room area. The operator then wheels the cart to the production line. The old tool is taken out of the production machine and placed on the cart. The new tool is inserted in the production machine. The cart is then wheeled back to the Shuttle VLM and the operator types in the part number to retrieve the correct tray. The tool or die is then placed on the tray and stored in the Shuttle VLM for the next pick.

For slightly heavier dies, a wedge is placed between the die and the internal edge of the tray. The die can then be easily slid up and out of the tray and on to the cart.

For extra heavy dies, an external table was installed making it easier to move the dies ergonomically. If the dies were to get larger or heavier, due to changing technologies or business requirements, an ergonomic vacuum lift or hoist can be installed and used to lift the dies off the tray and on to an awaiting cart.

The old shelving units are used to store the inserts, outdated and obsolete tools and dies.

“The Shuttle VLM not only increases employee productivity by locating the tools and dies with a push of a button, but also keeps the items clean. This dramatically reduces the time needed to dust and clean a tool which has been sitting on the shelving, and helps get us into production faster,” said Steve VanWaardenberg, Director of Tooling and Design.

Plastic Package management first saw a Shuttle VLM in operation at one of their supplier’s facilities. “We knew it was the right solution for us,” said Kaye. “Our only concern was that it was within our budget.”

The Shuttle VLM at Plastic Package easily paid for itself within two years. “Between saving at least 75 percent of our floor space, keeping the tools and dies from damage, and creating a better ergonomic work environment for our employees, the Shuttle VLM has been a good investment,” said Kaye.