If you read our last post that gave a sneak peek at Think Patented, host of the of the 2015 Automation Solutions Network Meeting, February 25–26, in Miamisburg, Ohio, you’ll probably want to know that there’s an additional second tour as part of this ASN Meeting. Kodak Inkjet Printing Solutions, a sizeable component of Kodak’s worldwide operations, is headquartered in Dayton and will host this Special Evening Event. It’s an opportunity to network and discover how and why inkjet printing is transforming the industry. After a dinner reception, your tour guides will lead you through their impressive facility where you’ll take part in print demonstrations while discussing the technologies with your peers. You’ll not only witness Kodak’s inkjet presses and imprinting systems in action, but learn about the science and unique capabilities of inkjet systems. The Dayton facility is where Kodak designs and manufactures its equipment, ink, and print heads.   High-speed inkjet technologies are having a significant impact on the printing industry since they offer cost-effective solution for variable, short and medium run printing. They give printers new capabilities and market opportunities and can shift work from higher-cost production methods. The growing array of equipment (now 15 suppliers with more than 60 models) targets various markets—transactional, trans-promotional, books, direct mail, newspapers, catalogs, brochures, newsletters, and packaging. You can find detailed information on the different solutions at www.printing.org/inkjetproducts, including the Kodak PROSPER presses featured on the tour. It is an exciting time of transition in the communications industry, and production inkjet is going to be an important facilitator for many of the changes occurring. Staying aware of inkjet developments is crucial for printing companies planning for the future. The February 25 tour to Kodak Inkjet Printing Solutions is a great way to do that.   You can experience the Kodak Inkjet Printing Solutions tour as part of the 2015 Automation Solutions Network Meeting, February 25–2, in Miamisburg, Ohio, hosted by Think...

If you read our last post that gave a sneak peek at Think Patented, host of the of the 2015 Automation Solutions Network Meeting, February 25–26, in Miamisburg, Ohio, you’ll probably want to know that there’s an additional second tour as part of this ASN Meeting. Kodak Inkjet Printing Solutions, a sizeable component of Kodak’s worldwide operations, is headquartered in Dayton and will host this Special Evening Event. It’s an opportunity to network and discover how and why inkjet printing is transforming the industry. After a dinner reception, your tour guides will lead you through their impressive facility where you’ll take part in print demonstrations while discussing the technologies with your peers. You’ll not only witness Kodak’s inkjet presses and imprinting systems in action, but learn about the science and unique capabilities of inkjet systems. The Dayton facility is where Kodak designs and manufactures its equipment, ink, and print heads.   High-speed inkjet technologies are having a significant impact on the printing industry since they offer cost-effective solution for variable, short and medium run printing. They give printers new capabilities and market opportunities and can shift work from higher-cost production methods. The growing array of equipment (now 15 suppliers with more than 60 models) targets various markets—transactional, trans-promotional, books, direct mail, newspapers, catalogs, brochures, newsletters, and packaging. You can find detailed information on the different solutions at www.printing.org/inkjetproducts, including the Kodak PROSPER presses featured on the tour. It is an exciting time of transition in the communications industry, and production inkjet is going to be an important facilitator for many of the changes occurring. Staying aware of inkjet developments is crucial for printing companies planning for the future. The February 25 tour to Kodak Inkjet Printing Solutions is a great way to do that.   You can experience the Kodak Inkjet Printing Solutions tour as part of the 2015 Automation Solutions Network Meeting, February 25–2, in Miamisburg, Ohio, hosted by Think...

Time. No matter what, it seems like there’s never enough, right? One way to save time is to make your workplace more visual, infusing it with information that answers the critical and recurrent questions of people working there. With a glance people can get the information they need without having to waste time searching for it. Visual Management systems “enable anyone to immediately assess the current status of an operation or process at a glance, regardless of their knowledge of the process. Visual displays relate information and data to employees in an area through the use of charts, graphs, and process documentation.” (Continuous Improvement Glossary) In the article “Visual Management,” authors Phuong Nguyen, and Jim Mullen, Nosco, Inc., give the 15,000-ft view of how to immediately spot areas to improve and apply this system to an operation. Examples from the pressroom You notice that the preproduction team was overproducing for some presses and underproducing for others. Now staging orders for the presses has become disorganized, causing frustration across departments. What do you do? Call a cross-functional team meeting to decide how to improve the staging order of the presses. Have them create makeready carts with a preflight checklist to visually communicate when a cart is ready. Tape off and label areas around each press for completed staged carts to reside until your press operator needs them. Your results: Reduced downtime—everyone knows when staged orders are ready. A visual management method for the process of staging orders. A sustained process—front-line leads and managers use a Kamishibai audit board (uses a red/green card system along with standardized questions to ask various team members how the process is working. Red means the audit was not done. If the card is green, this means the audit was completed. Any corrective actions are written on the green side.) How to get started Implement the 5S system (Sort, Set-in-order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain). Use visual tools to create a Lean environment, including signage, labeling, location markers, color coding, standard work visuals, and metric boards. With these visuals you will have a clean plant and can better manage your processes. We also recommend studying other successful Lean organizations with a proven track record of recognizing and leading change. Some managers, like Managing for Improvement Award recipients William Denzen, general manager of rollfed and Red Rock Technologies business units for Smyth Companies, and Timothy Keran, CEO and owner of Western Graphics, have found winning recipes for creating real and lasting improvement for their companies! Think of it like this The bottom line for visual management is staying tuned in to what’s happening in your operation. As a parallel example, say you’re at home watching the Super Bowl....

Time. No matter what, it seems like there’s never enough, right? One way to save time is to make your workplace more visual, infusing it with information that answers the critical and recurrent questions of people working there. With a glance people can get the information they need without having to waste time searching for it. Visual Management systems “enable anyone to immediately assess the current status of an operation or process at a glance, regardless of their knowledge of the process. Visual displays relate information and data to employees in an area through the use of charts, graphs, and process documentation.” (Continuous Improvement Glossary) In the article “Visual Management,” authors Phuong Nguyen, and Jim Mullen, Nosco, Inc., give the 15,000-ft view of how to immediately spot areas to improve and apply this system to an operation. Examples from the pressroom You notice that the preproduction team was overproducing for some presses and underproducing for others. Now staging orders for the presses has become disorganized, causing frustration across departments. What do you do? Call a cross-functional team meeting to decide how to improve the staging order of the presses. Have them create makeready carts with a preflight checklist to visually communicate when a cart is ready. Tape off and label areas around each press for completed staged carts to reside until your press operator needs them. Your results: Reduced downtime—everyone knows when staged orders are ready. A visual management method for the process of staging orders. A sustained process—front-line leads and managers use a Kamishibai audit board (uses a red/green card system along with standardized questions to ask various team members how the process is working. Red means the audit was not done. If the card is green, this means the audit was completed. Any corrective actions are written on the green side.) How to get started Implement the 5S system (Sort, Set-in-order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain). Use visual tools to create a Lean environment, including signage, labeling, location markers, color coding, standard work visuals, and metric boards. With these visuals you will have a clean plant and can better manage your processes. We also recommend studying other successful Lean organizations with a proven track record of recognizing and leading change. Some managers, like Managing for Improvement Award recipients William Denzen, general manager of rollfed and Red Rock Technologies business units for Smyth Companies, and Timothy Keran, CEO and owner of Western Graphics, have found winning recipes for creating real and lasting improvement for their companies! Think of it like this The bottom line for visual management is staying tuned in to what’s happening in your operation. As a parallel example, say you’re at home watching the Super Bowl....

Efficiency lies in the details. Delivering jobs with reduced turn times and fewer resources requires being intensely focused on the details. As more companies realize the benefits of automation, they’re looking closer at each piece of equipment and each process to find out how to maximize efficiency. And one of the standout industry players in automation today is Think Patented. This is the site for the 2015 Automation Solutions Network Meeting, February 25–26, in Miamisburg, Ohio. What makes this facility so impressive? Every square inch of Think Patented is designed for automation.  Before you go, we wanted to give you a preview of Think Patented’s facility, what makes them successful, and what you’ll see on the tour! How They Got Here A “marketing execution company,” Think Patented thinks beyond ink on paper. Founded more than 35 years ago, they recently moved their operation into a new facility created to meet their customers’ every need. With keen attention to detail, it is designed top to bottom from an automation and lean manufacturing perspective. They’ve incorporated optimized delivery and material flow with a just-in-time mindset. Designed also with an eye to the future, Think Patented has allowed room for expansion in this already massive facility. Any aspects that should be automated are automated. Not one detail was spared within the entire operation, and cleanliness and efficiency is evident in every corner of the facility. How They Work While some operations may look at a job as an order-in/order-out process, Think Patented looks at it from the perspective of both a printer and a marketer—the whole process. From Web development services to fulfillment, their goal is to create custom solutions for their clients. Therefore, as the customer moves, the jobs—and the profits—stay with them! What You Will Experience Go inside the Think Patented facility and get a full sense of this meticulously designed plant built to maximize throughput and minimize transportation and motion waste. They’ve invested millions of dollars in software and equipment to enhance every automation aspect. Equipment—The facility houses an impressive collection of some of the most efficient technologies in digital and offset printing equipment. Attendees get to see these giants in action, including Sheetfed Offset presses, digital presses, wide-format printing and finishing. Think Patented employs software to measure metrics and monitor performance on all of their jobs. Value-added Services—Integrated, full-service solutions add greater value for Think Patented’s customers, like marketing portals, campaign tracking and reporting, and augmented reality. One particular service they’ve perfected is automated marketing. By working with their customers to improve their marketing efforts, they allow them to easily contact and analyze responses to mail, email, websites, social media, and other channels saving them time and money....