Optimization of machine downtime in the plastic manufacturing

Reduction of downtime has a considerable effect in improving productiv- ity and is a prerequisite for a profitable and flexible production. This study estimated the total production downtime for each production line per shift and developed an algorithm for an uptime maximization. A case study was conducted on one of the leading Nigerian plastic manufacturing firms experiencing a decline in its production efficiency. Robust interview sessions supplemented with well structured question- naire were used for data gathering. The data on machine maintenance effective- ness and process pit-stop were evaluated followed by self-criticism of shortcomings of the results. Also, a factory layout of the company was obtained to highlight some issues involving material movement to the plant floor. A multiple regression analysis \ud was also used to compare downtime and other variables such as cycle time, capac- ity, weight, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). From the optimization model, up- time was maximised by 332 min per shift operation thereby reducing the downtime. This result showed remarkable increment in production rate for different categories of product, which increased by 140, 120, 120, 240 and 90 pieces, respectively, after optimization. The developed algorithm can be used to optimize production in any manufacturing concern and for reducing capacity losses