Inside Rubber - Issue 4 2021

S T R AT E G I E S F O R F U T U R E S U C C E S S

2021 IIssue 4

Assessing and Responding to Maintenance Needs  Lessons Learned from the Benchmarking Conference  Safety First: Best Practices for Mill Safety  Retaining Manufacturing Plant Employees

The Official Publication of the Association of Rubber Products Manufacturers

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CONTENTS 2021 ISSUE 4

FEATURES 6

10

We Are Back!

Benchmarking Conference Brings the Industry Together in Indianapolis Safety

Best Practices for Mill Safety Equipment

12

Strategies

17

Benchmarking

20

Talent

22

Outlook

26

View From 30

30

10

Responding to Maintenance Needs: Internal or External Technicians?

Third-Quarter Reality Falls Short of Expectations for Processors How to Retain Manufacturing Plant Employees

12

Assessing the Risk for Common Business Disasters Reducing Uncertainty with Engineering Information Sheets

Focus

Foundational Lean Tools Drive Value and Savings

30

Departments 4 19 29 33 34 34

From the President Industry Technical Standards Update Member News Calendar Ad Index

www.arpminc.com 3

FROM THE PRESIDENT

I

t’s the first day of fall as I put these thoughts together, and many people around the world and in our industry would wish for the complexity of 2021 to be in the rearview mirror and more “normal” business days ahead as we enter the fourth quarter.

Opinions we see in the media vary as to when all industries will see reduced challenges to raw material supply, shipping and logistics. Our industry has been broadly impacted, like others. The ARPM board discusses these issues as we can. The uplifting part of this is the gritty resilience these industry members show as we find creative ways to persevere and serve our customers.

Chris Buhlmann Gates Corporation

Not one of my ARPM board colleagues represents an organization that has “thrown in the towel.” There is something about this association that represents the heartbeat and soul of manufacturing in America. Long hours… check.

Finding ways to deliver …check. Looking out for employees, their safety and their communities… check, check, check.

ARPM is comprised of company sizes that range from onefacility, family-owned members to internationally expanded public companies with multiple facilities. All of us have commonality in that where we do our work is not in the financial downtowns of New York City or Los Angeles. Our facilities, like many manufacturing companies in America, were built in towns where the population is in tens of

7321 Shadeland Station Way, Suite 285 Indianapolis, IN 46256 Phone: 317.863.4072 | Fax: 317.913.2445 info@arpminc.org | www.arpminc.com © Copyright 2021 ARPM Officers and Board of Directors President Chris Buhlmann, Gates Corporation Past President Steve Nieto, Tahoma Rubber and Plastics Vice President Travis Turek, Bruckman Rubber Corporation Treasurer Marel Riley-Ryman, Southern Michigan Rubber Secretary Joe Keglewitsch, Ice Miller LLP

4 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 4

“

THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THIS ASSOCIATION THAT REPRESENTS THE HEARTBEAT AND SOUL OF

”

MANUFACTURING...

thousands or less, not millions. One of our board’s founding companies, Custom Rubber Corp, and its owner, Charlie Braun, was featured in the Wall Street Journal on how he went above and beyond to keep his people employed and taken care of during the long, uncertain year of 2020.

Your association is working strategically to raise the opportunities for our respective employees and organizations with programs like 180 Skills training and the EHS Summit. ARPM’s standards teams ensure that we bring collaborative knowledge to addresses the market needs of the future, reducing specification uncertainties and cost for all companies.

If your company is not currently a member, the Association would like to welcome you as one. We are a community of like-minded manufacturers that work together where we stand for enabling workforce skills, materials science and business efficiencies. Contact the association to get started at www.arpminc.com. 

Managing Editor: Dianna Brodine Assistant Editor: Nicole Mitchell Art Director: Becky Arensdorf Published by: 2150 SW Westport Dr., Suite 101 Topeka, KS 66614 Phone: 785.271.5801

ARPM Board of Directors

ARPM Team

Kirk Bowman, The Timken Group Charlie Braun, Custom Rubber Corporation Russ Burgert, MAPLAN USA Joe Colletti, Marsh Bellofram Randy Dobbs, Sperry & Rice LLC Doug Gilg, Continental ContiTech Dave Jentzsch, Blair Rubber Donovan Lonsway, BRP Mike Rainey, HBD Industries Inc. Mike Recchio, Zeon Chemicals L.P. Mike Smith, Basic Rubber and Plastics John Stourac, Zochem Joe Walker, Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies James Wideman, MBL (USA) Corporation

Executive Director Troy Nix – tnix@arpminc.org Managing Director Letha Keslar – lkeslar@arpminc.org Marketing Director Marcella Kates – mkates@arpminc.org Analytics Tony Robinson – trobinson@arpminc.org Director of Publications Susan Denzio – sdenzio@arpminc.org Project Manager Kaitlyn Krol – kkrol@arpminc.org

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ust a few minutes into the opening of the 2021 Benchmarking & Best Practices Conference, a shout interrupted ARPM Executive Director Troy Nix. “We are back!”

The source was Tim Capps, president of Par 4 Plastics, and the sentiment was echoed by the attendees who gathered in person for the first time since October 2019. Energy and excitement filled the room as 475 rubber and plastics industry professionals shook hands and hugged, catching up with old friends and new while sharing

the struggles and the triumphs experienced throughout the pandemic.

Two common themes emerged in many of the sessions: labor challenges and supply chain issues. Conference attendees – both processing professionals and suppliers – combined their knowledge in breakout discussions and on panels to provide strategies and best practices to address those issues and many more.

For approximately 36 hours, Indianapolis was the site of a processing industry reunion. We are back.

!

With his usual passion, Nix honed in on the slight dissatisfaction that has set in as we near the 24-month benchmark of the pandemic, pointing out that those in the audience may be feeling out of rhythm. The list of “I Shoulds” – I should eat better, I should start exercising, I should read more books, I should engage more at work, etc. – has grown significantly. Nix said that for many of attendees, their “I Should” list has been on hold for the last two years, and it’s time to look at why they are in neutral.

According to Nix, now is the time to convert an “I Should” into an accomplishment.

To succeed in turning an “I Should” into an accomplishment, a reason – a purpose – must be identified. Nix suggested the following steps:  Identify the goal (write it down)  Outline the purpose behind the goal  Plan the execution  Ensure accountability Nix ended by encouraging attendees to finish the year strong, saying, “Commit to one.

Let’s check it off. Let’s start moving forward.”

6 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 4

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In this keynote, Kelly reminded attendees that people don’t come to work because they love to work or they love to work for the company in which they are employed. Instead, they come to work because they have dreams for their lives and their families, and they believe their employment can help them achieve those dreams.

Kelly said that too often, human beings lose sight of their dreams – they are overwhelmed by work or family or illness or any of a variety of common challenges. When dreams are lost, so are energy and engagement. As an employer or manager, he explained, “The reality is if you want people to engage, you have to get people to think about their future. When they think about their future, they engage in their life. When they’re engaged in their life, they’re engaged in their work. When we’re engaged in one aspect of our life, we’re more engaged in every aspect of our life.”

And, to encourage that engagement and energy, it’s imperative to avoid the danger to every dream: excuses. Kelly dismissed the ease with which humans sometimes lose sight of their dreams, saying, “We come up with excuses all the time. Most people put their excuses into two buckets: I’m too young for that stuff or I’m too old for that stuff. But there are always challenges in the world. There are always challenges in our lives. Don’t say you’re too young. Don’t say you’re too old.

Now is our time.”

“In the world we’re living in, in the economy we’re in, how people experience you and how people experience themselves when they’re with you matters,” said Pulver. In a highly energized closing keynote that featured Pulver’s incredible skills on a drum set, he reminded the audience that moments matter and that the moments that happen at work provide the opportunity to ensure that the people who are employed in any environment don’t just love the job but actually love who they are when they are at the job.

The number one driving factor in whether or not people stay or people leave, according to Pulver, is management. In each organization, there are four types of managers, and they are defined by how they identify with Standards – the tangible things that are measured, the protocols – and Connection – the empathy and relatability for the people in the workplace.

Which are influencing employees to stay… and which are encouraging employees to leave?

The Removed Manager: Low on Standards, low on Connection. In the organization but not into it. Creates disengagement in the employee experience.

The Buddy Manager: Low on Standards, high on Connection.

Wants to be everyone’s friend. Wants to be liked more than respected. Creates entitlement in the workplace.

The Controller Manager: High on Standards, low on Connection. Chooses to command and control. Creates rebellion and constant pushback. Does get results – but the results never last.

The Mentor Manager: High on Standards, high on Connection.

Understands there’s a job to be done but also a person doing the job who should be respected and admired. Creates respect in the employee experience.

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Photo credit: Cliff Ritchey, cliffritcheyart.com

www.arpminc.com 7

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Four representatives from industry resin suppliers took the stage with moderator Tim Capps to discuss the current supply chain issues. The overall message was that relief shouldn’t be expected until summer of 2022.

Grant John, PolySource: Logistics are completely out of balance.

There are too many containers in one region, and not enough in another. And, there’s not enough equipment to unload it.

Trucking companies are frustrated with terminal companies and vice versa. Demand is high throughout the value chain – for glass fiber, flame retardant and other additives – it’s not just resins.

Alan Arduini, Chase Plastics: We need imports to meet demand, but the logistics are a complete mess. What used to be an exact science is a complete mystery now, and I think it will be at least the second half of next year before we see an improvement. Take advantage of this time to have difficult discussions with suppliers and customers about pricing and supply.

Marc Fern, M. Holland: Some aspects of the business look better, but we have a long row to hoe. Polypropylene prices are starting to come down a little bit, but polyethelyne is a different animal. In calendar year 2022, there’s supposed to be new supply coming on board. When these plants are built, the plan was that 40% of production would leave the country. We’ll see.

Bruce Flannery, AMCO Polymers: It comes down to product family. Supply for polyethylene should be good and should see some downward pricing pressure. With polypropylene, I’m a little afraid the bullwhip approach hits next year. And there’s no relief on the ABS side until the second half of next year.

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Leadership is a journey of self-study, formal learning and experience, and Cucolo wanted to provoke self-reflection for those in the audience, specifically asking, “Are you connecting with those whom you lead?”

Connection, he said, is a mutual feeling of being open, available and aligned. And, for leaders to connect with employees, they must embrace empathy and vulnerability as the sources of a leader’s strength. When a leader leads with empathy and communicates with empathy, the leader first thinks, “What are they thinking of right now? Let me address what they’re thinking about right now in the context of what I’m trying to communicate.”

It tells everyone that the leader is not the most important room, said Cucolo. To embrace empathy and vulnerability as leadership traits, the following steps should be taken: Listen well, confirm what was heard; and act based on what was heard. It takes courage to be vulnerable in order to connect, but employees need that connection before they will follow a leader.

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Harbour shared data from a recent processing industry study to provide a framework for how manufacturing companies responded to the COVID-19 crisis and what the priorities are now as the pandemic’s effects continue to be felt.

The number one concern is access to labor, with 55% saying they can’t find good talent, but the challenge is that most are not actually doing everything they can to mitigate the problem. Use a marketing team to do innovative, creative things to find those people. Address the lack of diversity. Most shops do not have the ability to communicate in a different language to their workforce.

And, there aren’t many women in manufacturing. “We’re missing a huge portion of the population,” Harbour said.

Of the owners surveyed, only 33% have a succession plan. What does that say about the ability to create the next generation of leadership? If ownership doesn’t have a plan, it’s likely there isn’t a plan for teaching the younger people in the organization.

The study also showed that those companies without a structured onboarding process have 94% turnover in the first three months, while those with a formal process reported turnover at 21%.

Retaining people means investing in people and giving them follow up and focus from the leadership perspective.

And, shops need to continue investing in robotics and automation. In 2020, 26% of EBIDTA was reinvested by the those who contributed to the survey.

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The 2021 ARPM Innovation Awards honorees were announced on Friday, November 5. This is the seventh year for the ARPM Innovation Award, which was established to recognize innovative solutions to common issues. Processors were asked to share their successful methods and procedures in developing and retaining employees in their organizations, which then were sent to industry peers for voting.

2021 ARPM Innovation Award Honorees:  Custom Rubber  Blachford, Inc.

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www.arpminc.com 9

SAFETY

Best Practices for Mill Safety Equipment

By Liz Stevens, writer, Inside Rubber

S

afety first is and should be a constant mantra at rubber product manufacturing plants since there are many aspects to the industry’s machinery and processes that can be dangerous without proper precautions. In this article, four members of the rubber processing industry highlight some best practices in mill safety equipment and procedures. Randy Cooke, engineering manager, Chardon Custom Polymers; Jason Bockmuller, production manager, Eagle Elastomer; Greg Vassmer, technical coordinator for dynamic seals, ARPM; and Gregg Reinmann, plant manager, Blair Rubber, shared their knowledge and experience to help other plant operators stay on top of safety issues.

Environment In any production environment, the first step in promoting safety is to provide a clean, bright, ventilated environment.

Clean floors and clear walkways reduce the potential for slips and falls near equipment. Good ventilation removes chemical and rubber dust from the air that workers breathe, and fresh air helps employees stay alert. A lighting system with complete plant floor coverage and correct wattage makes for a safer setting.

Emergency stop devices There are several types of emergency stop safety devices that can be installed on plant equipment as methods for workers to shut down processes in case of emergencies. Pressuresensitive body bars (aka belly bars) are installed at a specific height and distance from the mills to keep workers away from the danger zones; if a worker leans in too far and/or depresses the bar, the mill will stop automatically. These devices should regularly be checked and maintained for proper functioning. Adjusting the body bar’s distance from the mill for each mill operator is key to keeping workers on every shift safe.

10 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 4

It is important to have additional “emergency stop” devices on equipment so that operators can reach a shut-off method from any position. Overhead safety ropes and cables, pressure-sensitive floor mats and stop bars at ground level are good options to accompany body bars.

There also are emergency stop systems that do more than just cut power to the machinery. Vassmer explained that these systems can be retrofitted to mills and configured so that “when you press the E-stop, both rolls stop and open at the same time automatically.” The E-stop doesn’t first cut the power; it first stops the roll rotation and separates the rolls. “For that to happen,” he continued, “you have to maintain power to the mill, and that procedure has not been commented on by OSHA. But quite a few plants are putting these on mills as a much faster way to disengage a person from a mill, saying that they will take the discussion with OSHA if needed.” Vassmer explained that, in the past, OSHA has ruled on changes considered to be improvements or to provide better safety by putting out a special bulletin okaying the change, but OSHA has not addressed these E-stop devices yet.

An additional type of safety device is the safety PLC (programmable logic controller), as described by Cooke.

“These are dedicated to the safety circuit in the engineering of the mill’s safety system,” he explained. “You run all of your interlocks, stop circuit and alarms into a central PLC that has all the redundant circuitry to provide protection to the mill operator and also tie in the emergency stop circuit.

The safety PLC is a big advantage if it is used properly on a mill.”

Bockmuller noted that light curtains are an option for mill safety but that “the problem with the light curtains is that the dust and dirt from the rubber mixing can affect the light curtains and make them go off prematurely.” Light curtains are presence detection devices (a transmitter and a receiver) that transmit an array or curtain of light beams across an area and that shut down equipment if the light beam is broken.

Reinmann shared his company’s experience with light curtains. “We have used light curtains in many ancillary equipment operations,” he said, “not so much focusing on a mill, but for many other areas such as the cooling festoon and the takeoff conveyors. We check them every day, every shift, every change of operators to make sure that they are active.”

corners of our sites, so in the daytime it is not a problem, but we run the mill at night, too. It is something that people don’t necessarily think about, but I share it for the safety of anyone who might be positioned in the street to help the emergency responders get to where you need them quickly.”

OSHA requirements Vassmer wrapped up the suggestions with a reminder that there are some states that have specific safety requirements that are different from OSHA. “I know that Ohio, Michigan and California each have taken the OSHA code,” he said, “incorporated it at the state level and then made some adjustments. For better or worse, plants have to know the codes for their state.”

Vassmer said that most states take the OSHA standards and create their state standard by referring to the OSHA standard as the one to follow. “Just be aware that there might be state level guidelines to follow as well as those at the federal level,” he added.  ARPM has developed an updated mill safety training video.

It can be access at www.arpminc.com.

Personal protective equipment As for PPE in use to protect workers, several best practices were offered. Cooke stated that at Chardon Custom Polymers, “everyone wears what we normally call a hot mill glove; that is our primary glove. The mill operators cut the palm away so that the gloves would slide off their hands easily if they were to get caught in the rubber. The gloves are good protection against the heated surface of the hot rubber.”

Reinmann suggested some other types of protection. “We have been using Kevlar gloves,” he said, “and relieving the wrist area so that the glove is removed easily and won’t pull the worker into the equipment. Another thing we have added are sleeves for the operator’s non-working hand.” Reinmann said that Blair Rubber had found that cutting rubber across the forearm is a risk area, “so we now require all of our mill operators to cover both arms with sleeves of very cutresistant, puncture-resistant material to guard against the inevitable risk if they have a fixed blade in their hand.”

Reinmann also brought up his company’s use of safety vests as a component of the company’s mill rescue equipment.

Reinmann explained that for emergency situations, when a rescue team member goes out to the street to direct the EMTs and emergency equipment to the plant, the team member wears a safety vest. “Something that we have added to our safety locker for mill extractions are three safety vests that are reflective,” he said. “We do have lighting at the exterior www.arpminc.com 11

STRATEGIES

Responding to Maintenance Needs: Internal or External Technicians?

By Nicole Mitchell, writer, Inside Rubber

A

s manufacturing equipment ages, energy efficiency decreases and safety concerns rise. When a machine goes down, productivity stops, employees are idle and delivery dates are in jeopardy. These factors combine to emphasize the importance of proactive maintenance strategies.

However, choosing how to perform maintenance at a plant can be complicated.

Current employment conditions mean there is stiff competition for experienced skilled workers. Relying on external companies can be costly and risks further production delays while waiting for repair teams to arrive. In the rubber processing industry, it’s more common for companies to use internal maintenance staff, with occasional help from outside.

Preventive maintenance is an inside job When it comes to keeping up with equipment repairs, there always will be a reactive component – not every breakdown can be anticipated. However, the number of issues that occur can be reduced with a proactive maintenance schedule.

By scheduling preventive maintenance on a regular and predictable basis, future emergency issues can be prevented or caught early enough to schedule downtime for fixes.

At Southern Michigan Rubber, maintenance checklists for daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual tasks ensure operators know what to do to keep equipment running efficiently. “We determine the need in each department and then make a To Do list that is checked and initialed by the employees in that department,” said President Marel RileyRyman. Some examples of scheduled maintenance processes on the checklists include oiling machines, cleaning out dust collectors or recalibrating measuring devices, snap gauges and calipers. “Each department has its own list,” she continued, “because I’d prefer that each department knows what it takes to keep their machines running.”

12 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 4

John Stone, engineering manager for The Rubber Group, added, “there’s always a reactive component to maintenance.

Equipment goes down unexpectedly all the time – it’s just the nature of manufacturing. But we also have a pretty solid preventive maintenance program where we’re doing things that help reduce the longer-term breakdowns, including scheduled tasks that are monthly, quarterly or yearly. Those tasks are developed based on experience and just knowing the equipment.”

Most maintenance processes at The Rubber Group are performed internally, except for major electrical work or complicated PLC adjustments on newer injection molding machines. “The main reason we keep repairs in-house is that we do have the skill set, which is not always the easiest thing to find,” said Stone. “But also, it helps us control our own timelines and keeps our projects on track.”

He added, “Of course, it’s been dependent on the skillsets that we’ve had in the maintenance department over the years. In cases where we didn’t have licensed technicians on staff, we’ve used outside resources for those bigger facility projects.” page 14 

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STRATEGIES  page 12

At Eagle Elastomer, Inc., “Production operators are trained on the proper operation of their equipment and to perform routine lubrication and inspections,” said Regan McHale, president. The company performs preventive maintenance on a regular frequency, often using outside contractors for more detailed maintenance, including electrical, plumbing and HVAC, as well as emergency repairs.

McHale strategically has chosen his company’s external repair resources with an emphasis on building a relationship with someone who can commit to learning what’s needed at Eagle Elastomer. “We’ve picked partners that are smaller and locally owned, such as our electrical partner, who understands all of our equipment and has been with us for a long time,” he said. “We do the same with IT and phone systems. As things are getting more technology-driven, we don’t have the internal capacity to take that on, so it has worked for our business to utilize outside experts. We have one manager within our company who manages the relationships and monitors their performance.”

Not only does a scheduled maintenance program reduce the amount of outside service intervention that is needed, it also can lower the risk of a potential disaster. When the Southern Michigan Rubber building caught on fire in 2013, RileyRyman had to make some tough changes. She believed that a lack of housekeeping and maintenance standards was the root cause. At the time, her company used a higher number of external companies for its maintenance and repair needs, and that outsourcing may have resulted in a lower attention to detail by internal team members since the responsibility for maintenance lay elsewhere. “Having a better housekeeping/ maintenance program has made us much safer,” she said.

Complicating factors: Equipment age and employee skillsets Knowing maintenance is important and having the resources to perform maintenance are two different things. And, complicating the process is the mix of equipment types and ages that most manufacturing plants have on the shop floor. It can be difficult to find the right person to conduct maintenance when needed, especially when the manufacturer of the machine is no longer in business, or there aren’t any outside companies that specialize in the equipment.

“What’s very difficult for someone coming in to work on equipment is the machinery that I have,” Riley-Ryman said.

“Some of our machines are old cast-steel relics that just work like a dream, but you have to have people who can work on those things.”

In-house maintenance workers can be trained to work on most of the machines in the company, and The Rubber Group has an internal expert on staff who knows the machines inside 14 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 4

and out. However, Stone noted, “It is getting harder to hire someone to maintain the equipment with the required skill set, and it’s not always easy to hire someone from outside either, especially when you start talking about molding equipment, because it’s not like just any contractor can come in and fix it.”

The same lack of equipment knowledge hampers hiring when looking for internal staff members, too. Southern Michigan Rubber has tried to keep a pipeline of maintenance staff, typically hiring interns or entry-level employees who can begin with basic maintenance jobs and learn the equipment as they go. Riley-Ryman said, “It’s really hard these days to find a jack-of-all-trades. In my age group – the 50+ workers – their skills have been ‘home grown’ as they worked their way up the ranks. As they’ve worked on a machine, they’ve discovered what needs to be done to keep it running without formal training. Right now, only one of our maintenance employees had rubber knowledge before coming to us.

Everyone else had mechanical abilities, common sense and a willingness to learn.”

At The Rubber Group, maintenance skills aren’t the only point of emphasis for its employees. “On the technical side, we’ve found that having someone who’s really strong electrically is the biggest thing,” Stone said. “However, our

As recommended by the Department of Energy’s “Operations & Maintenance Best Practices, A Guide to Achieving Operational Efficiency1,” the following steps can be taken to create an effective preventive maintenance program: 1. Develop a master equipment list identifying the equipment in your facility.

2. Prioritize the listed components based on importance or criticality to operation, process or mission.

3. Assign components into logical groupings.

4. Determine the type and number of maintenance activities required and periodicity using manufacturer technical manuals, machinery history, root cause analysis findings (why did it fail in the past) and good engineering judgment.

5. Assess the size of maintenance staff.

6. Identify tasks that may be performed by operations maintenance personnel.

7. Analyze equipment failure modes and impacts on components and systems.

8. Identify effective maintenance tasks or mitigation strategies.

maintenance staff interacts on a daily basis with operators and supervisors, so their people skills are sometimes just as important as the technical skills. If you get the right people in those positions, morale on the shop floor improves, because the supervisors feel supported and the operators do, too. We hire people for their attitude and their willingness to work.”

He continued, pointing out the advantages that today’s technologies can add. “We have a pretty wide range of equipment ages – from the 1960s to brand new less than a year ago,” he said. “All the older machines have been updated to PLC controls, and with the newer equipment, which is pc-based, the company can log into the machine, see what we’re seeing and modify the program without having to have a technician come out.”

Securing outside help In today’s tight labor market and with increased levels of machine technology integration, finding the right employees for internal maintenance may not be possible. When selecting an outside vendor – whether for a specific task or type of equipment or for general maintenance – it’s important to define the type of relationship needed and the cost factors.

Some of the questions to be answered when sourcing maintenance resources include the following: • Is all equipment in a facility covered, or only certain types?

• Does the contract provide coverage for preventive maintenance or only emergency services?

• Are labor, parts and materials covered in the agreement, or are those costs billed per incidence?

• Are after-hours calls billed at a higher rate?

• Is service guaranteed to arrive within a certain time period?

• If preventive maintenance is included, who is responsible for the cost of belts and other frequently replaced items? And, how often will preventive maintenance be performed?

Final thoughts A document published by the US Department of Energy1 provided metrics that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of an operations and maintenance program. These include the following: page 16 

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STRATEGIES  page 15

1. Capacity factor – Relates actual plant or equipment operation to the full-capacity operation of the plant or equipment. This is a measure of actual operation compared to full-utilization operation.

2. Work orders generated/closed out – Tracking of work orders generated and completed (closed out) over time allows the manager to better understand workloads and better schedule staff.

3. Backlog of corrective maintenance – An indicator of workload issues and effectiveness of preventive/ predictive maintenance programs.

4. Safety record – Commonly tracked either by number of loss-of-time incidents or total number of reportable incidents. Useful in getting an overall safety picture.

5. Energy use – A key indicator of equipment performance, level of efficiency achieved and possible degradation.

6. Inventory control – An accurate accounting of spare parts can be an important element in controlling costs.

A monthly reconciliation of inventory “on the books” and “on the shelves” can provide a good measure of cost control practices.

7. Overtime worked – Weekly or monthly hours of overtime worked has workload, scheduling and economic implications.

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16 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 4

8. Staff turnover – High turnover rates also are a sign of low worker morale. Significant costs are incurred in the hiring and training of new staff. Other costs include those associated with errors made by newly hired personnel that normally would not have been made by experienced staff.

Rubber manufacturers should evaluate the needs of their facilities and the efficiency of their current maintenance programs through a careful assessment of those eight factors.

In addition to cost savings related to repair, downtime and energy use, well-maintained equipment likely is safer and has a longer useful life expectancy.

Still, when the plant is busy, it can be difficult to prioritize maintenance. As Stone said, “It’s been more of a challenge this year because our equipment is running quite a bit to keep up with current demand.”  References 1. US Department of Energy, “Operations & Maintenance Best Practices, A Guide to Achieving Operational Efficiency,” https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/10/f3/omguide_ complete.pdf

BENCHMARKING

Third-Quarter Reality Falls Short of Expectations for Processors

By Tony Robinson, analytics director, ARPM

W

hile expectations for the third quarter were high for rubber processors across the country, reality proved to be disappointing, according to the most recent business benchmarks summarized in the Association of Rubber Products Manufacturers’ (ARPM) quarterly Pulse Report. Capacity utilization in the third quarter decreased from the second quarter, and issues continue to plague the supply chain and raw materials market (see Chart 1). To add fuel to the fire, high employee turnover and the number of unfilled positions continue to strain order completion.

While there were steady increases in overall production throughout last year, processors are living a different story in 2021 despite the lessening of restrictions and mandates directed toward the pandemic. In ARPM’s July Pulse Report, approximately 50% of its respondents expected to be at or near full capacity for the remainder of the third quarter.

However, the results of October’s Pulse Report show only 23% of respondents reported at or near full capacity. There also was a significant increase in the number of respondents operating between 50% and 74% capacity and below 50% capacity (see Chart 2).

Impact of Raw Materials on Production 100% 50%

43% 19%

58%

9%

24%

7%

14%

26%

0% No impact

Slight impact July

Moderate impact Extreme impact October

Chart 1. Impact of Raw Materials on Production

Nearly every company (98%) that submitted data in the third-quarter survey indicated price increases for raw materials and another 82% reported increases in lead times. Rubber processors also reported significant difficulty finding containers for shipping; getting freight transported; and sourcing steel, machine components and raw material components. Additionally, the percentage of processors that have been extremely impacted by the raw materials supply chain rose by 12% compared to July. On-time deliveries were reported to be decreasing by over half of respondents; one could assume that the decrease in this performance is heavily connected to these supply chain disruptions.

Third-Quarter Production: Expectations vs. Reality 60%

48% 35%

40% 20%

2%

9%

19%

31% 33%

23%

0% <50%

50-74% July Expectations

75-90%

>90%

October Reality

Chart 2. Third-Quarter Production: Expectations vs. Reality

When forecasting the remainder of the year, rubber processors reported a bleak outlook on the supply chain’s recovery. No respondents foresee any return to normalcy by the beginning of 2022, and about 45% of respondents don’t expect a return to normalcy until late 2022 or even 2023.

Finding and keeping employees continue to be major sources of stress, not only in manufacturing but across all major industries in the country. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the overall US unemployment rate in September was 4.8%, which still is about 1.2% higher than pre-pandemic levels. October’s Pulse Report uncovers the fact that 76% of respondents have an increasing number of open positions – not surprising, since 58% also reported rising turnover. To combat this human-resources dilemma, the majority (74%) of processors raised wages. ARPM’s 2021 Wage and Salary Report, released earlier this year, shared a similar story. On average, jobs analyzed within the report rose by 6% – double the increase between 2019 and 2020 – and some wages rose by over 10%.

Despite the enormous challenges facing rubber processors, there is reason to be optimistic as many positive business indicators were reported by respondents in the October Pulse Report. Quoting volume, sales trends and backlogs are all increasing for most respondents in the October Pulse Report. More importantly, expectations for hitting annual revenue targets are strong, with over a third of participants expecting to meet their revenue goal and another one third of respondents projecting annual revenue even greater than their original 2021 revenue forecasts.  For more information or for ARPM’s full 2021 October Pulse Report, visit www.arpminc.com. www.arpminc.com 17

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INDUSTRY Smithers Achieves Nadcap Accreditation for Non-Metallic Materials Testing Smithers, Akron, Ohio, a provider of testing, consulting, information and compliance services, announced that its chemical and physical testing laboratories now are accredited with National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (Nadcap) for non-metallic materials testing. Nadcap conducts quality assessments of industry suppliers to ensure conformity throughout the global aerospace supply chain. Smithers’s scope of accreditation for non-metallic materials testing includes mechanical testing, physical testing, chemical testing and composites. For more information, visit www.smithers.com.

customized medicalgrade silicone products located in Hsinchu, Taiwan, has introduced a new silicone rubber film with antiviral and antibacterial properties as a simple solution for adding protection to exposed surfaces in healthcare.

Surfaces with active ingredients are a tool of growing importance to help suppress the spread of increasingly resistant and dangerous microbes, as even the most frequent cleaning regimen cannot prevent contamination. The film adds protection against viruses, bacteria and fungi on hightouch surfaces in hospitals and healthcare facilities. For more information, visit www.generalsilicones.com.

Beacon Manufacturing Group Acquires Acromatic Plastics Beacon Manufacturing Group, Alexandria, Minnesota, announced the acquisition of Acromatic Plastics, Leominster, Massachusetts, a provider of highly engineered, precision molded products, components and services. The acquisition provides Beacon Manufacturing Group with a 110,000-square-foot, state-of the-art manufacturing facility that will be available to its Beacon MedTech Solutions business, including the addition of cleanroom capacity and a build-out of Beacon’s tooling and liquid silicone rubber (LSR) molding capabilities for single-use technologies, Class II medical devices, and other medical, bio-pharma and life sciences end-use applications. For more information, visit www.beaconmfggroup.com.

Orion Partners with RISE Research Orion Engineered Carbons S.A., Senningerberg, Luxenbourg, has partnered with RISE Research Institutes of Sweden in a project to develop and produce renewable carbon black. This collaboration represents an important step toward more climate-neutral carbon black production by replacing traditional carbon black feedstock with pyrolysis oil from biomass oil. Orion plans to convert the biomass oil into carbon black using its small-scale furnace reactor in Kalscheuren, Germany, and will explore ways to upscale the process to match market demands. RISE already has shown that it could be economically feasible to produce carbon black using pyrolysis oil from wood-derived feedstock.

Orion’s project goal is to validate commercial production based on this research. For more information, visit www.orioncarbons.com.

General Silicones Creates New Film for Antimicrobial Surface Protection General Silicones, a silicone rubber solution provider for O-rings, gaskets and sealing, extrusion products and

Minnesota Rubber and Plastics Announces Plans for Innovation Center Quadion LLC, d.b.a. Minnesota Rubber & Plastics, Minneapolis, Minnesota, a provider of highly engineered elastomer and thermoplastic solutions, announced it is building a state-of-the-art innovation center adjacent to the company’s corporate headquarters in Plymouth, Minnesota.

The new 9,000 sq. ft. innovation center will provide customers with direct access to some of the industry’s foremost materials scientists and engineers in an immersive designprototype-build-test process. The new center will offer an engineer-to-engineer collaboration experience that helps to bring innovations to life faster. For more information, visit www.mnrubber.com.

ACG Chemicals Offers Fluon+™ EA-200 for Electronics Applications Fluoropolymers play a crucial role in the electronics industry due to their superior chemical resistance and inherent high purity, enabling improvements in functionality and reliability. AGC Chemicals, with headquarters in the United Kingdom, has developed Fluon+™ EA-2000 resin to aid the development of 5G-capable, high-frequency printed circuit boards. Fluon+™ EA-2000 is a variant of PFA (perfluoro alkoxy) that has been functionalized to include an adhesive group within the polymer backbone, allowing for superior adhesion to other materials. The rich carbon-fluorine chemistry of the polymer gives the material excellent electrical characteristics, heat and chemical resistance. EA2000 can be applied in a single-step process without the need for surface treatment or a separate adhesive layer. For more information, visit www.agcce.com.  www.arpminc.com 19

TALENT

How to Retain Manufacturing Plant Employees

By Joe Kitterman, CEO, 180 Skills

E

mployee retention is a top business challenge for most manufacturers. A recent survey conducted by the National Association of Manufacturers said as much. Of the employers surveyed, 77% cited attracting and retaining a quality workforce as a prominent concern.

In today’s tight labor market, manufacturers must view skills training as a valuable employee retention tool. After all, one of the most common reasons employees quit their jobs is the lack of development and advancement opportunities within their companies.

When you think about it, employee development programs are comparable to vehicle maintenance schedules. When you invest in the care of your vehicle, it will perform well for years and years. Failing to provide your vehicle with the care it needs to thrive, it will fall apart sooner, and you will end up spending more money on replacing it than you would have on routine maintenance.

When companies do not see the value of skills training, they essentially are throwing good money out the window.

Training is an investment, not an expense. Think of it this way: The cost to upskill an employee is substantially cheaper than having to find, hire and onboard a replacement.

According to a retention report published by Work Institute, it can cost as much as 33% of a worker’s annual salary to hire a replacement. In other words, if an employee making $45,000 a year leaves a company, it costs nearly $15,000 to replace that employee.

“

...WHEN SKILLS TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE TO EMPLOYEES, COMPANIES BENEFIT FROM HIGHER MORALE, PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY.

”

20 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 4

Even when employees have no intention of quitting, companies still face financial losses by failing to make skills training a priority. Untrained employees, for example, might spend considerable time looking for help to perform their jobs, contributing to low production rates. If unavailable, employees could incorrectly complete a task that yields product errors and creates rework.

According to OSHA, untrained employees also are more susceptible to injuries because they lack the necessary skills to operate machinery, handle materials and use supplies safely. Manufacturers must train their employees on company policies and proper work procedures.

On the other hand, when skills training opportunities are available to employees, companies benefit from higher morale, productivity and quality. These employees become better at their jobs and can begin a path toward advancement within the company. Essentially, when companies invest in their employees, employees invest in the company.

Furthermore, manufacturers that provide skills training to their workforce tend to attract the best talent. Job candidates see these companies as having a good reputation and a forward-thinking organizational culture. Companies that offer employee training are proactive in wanting their workplace on top of industry changes and trends.

When companies fail to develop their employees, they often see a mass exodus of talent, which potential candidates see as a red flag. According to Corporate Responsibility Magazine, 69% of job seekers would not take a job at a company with a bad reputation, even if they were unemployed.

Employee retention tips Employee retention is something every manufacturer needs to care about and take seriously. Here are some strategies that can be used to tackle turnover.

Develop Strong Managers According to Gallup, 75% of voluntary employee turnovers link back to poor management behaviors. To effectively lead a team, managers need to know how to motivate employees, enforce accountability and make decisions on productivity.

Many companies promote employees who perform well in their current jobs into management. While this is a good thing, it tends to turn bad when those individuals do not have proper leadership training. In other words, just because someone can machine parts like nobody’s business does not mean that person can effectively manage a team of employees with different personalities.

Create a Mentorship Program Entry-level employees often seek out mentors to help them grow in their careers. According to a Deloitte survey, over 75% of millennials want their managers to be mentors or coaches. A mentor can be a manager or respected peer who is able to provide a mentee with positive guidance, constructive feedback and challenges that foster career development.

Keep the Conversation Going Ongoing communication between managers and employees often leads to better work collaboration and productivity.

Managers should have monthly check-ins with employees and have growth-based conversations with them every quarter.

Keep in mind that managers must provide feedback in a way that aligns with an employee’s personality. When giving feedback, managers need to deliver it with authenticity and provide actionable insight. This helps to keep the feedback as positive as possible.

technical or non-technical training, it must align with their long-term career goals and the current and future company objectives.

Conclusion In the end, people want to work for companies that have a good reputation, pay competitive wages, foster a positive work environment, and provide growth and advancement opportunities. When employers fail to meet the needs of employees, those employees will lose motivation and seek employment elsewhere – and the sentiment that every employee is replaceable no longer exists in the manufacturing sector.  Joe Kitterman is the CEO for 180 Skills, which provides a turnkey skills training system that empowers manufacturers to create, grow and retain their workforce. The organization’s library offers nearly 800 skills courses, including a variety of courses on rubber manufacturing processes that are exclusively available to ARPM members. Additionally, ARPM members receive a 50% discount on set-up fees and 10% user discount on the 180 Skills training system.

For more information, visit www.180skills.com or email joek@180skills.com.

Promote From Within Companies that promote from within tend to experience better retention levels than those that recruit externally. After all, when employees have opportunities for advancement, they are more apt to stay with a company. Not to mention, internal candidates have a better understanding of the organization and its core values, so there’s less of a learning curve.

But that’s not to say companies should promote inexperienced employees to fill job openings. According to a 2019 CareerBuilder Survey, in an attempt to fill vacant roles, an increasing number of companies are training workers who may not have the skills needed but do have the potential for higher-skill jobs.

advantage

Establish a Learning Culture One effective way to retain employees is by cultivating a learning culture that puts them on the path to advancement within the company. In doing so, companies have the means to capitalize on the potential of their employees and grow the business. After all, learning opportunities enlighten and empower employees, allowing them to rise to professional challenges and excel in a dynamic environment.

Practice Advice for the Rubber Industry

Keep in mind that learning opportunities must be personalized and relevant for each employee. Whether employees need

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OUTLOOK

Assessing the Risk for Common Business Disasters In early 2020, the world felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many businesses ground to a halt, at least temporarily. Manufacturers that had been urged to stress test their businesses in preparation for unexpected economic or sales conditions suddenly found themselves in a real-life stress test. Now, 18 months later, supply chain restrictions and heavy demand for durable goods are placing pressures of another type on rubber processors.

Lessons learned during the pandemic should carry over as manufacturers prepare for the next disaster that could potentially impact their operations. Rather than another global shutdown, the disaster confronting US rubber processors likely will be of a more common nature, such as a cyberattack or a facility emergency.

Every Plant Needs to Conduct a Cyber Risk Assessment

By Liz Stevens, writer, Inside Rubber

H

acks, security breaches, ransomware attacks – these are becoming more and more common in our technology-dependent world. Every manufacturer would be wise to take these potential threats seriously and apply resources to protect assets and fortify cyber security. Inside Rubber recently talked with Duane Dunston, associate professor of cyber security at Champlain College, Burlington, Vermont, who has 20+ years of experience in education and government as a cyber security expert.

While it may seem as if hackers and internet criminals are unstoppable, Dunston said that “if we take some very basic, well-known best practices in cyber security and put those in place, it greatly reduces the likelihood of a cyberattack.”

Dunston stressed that company executives must understand that even a single attack can cause great harm to an organization, and execs must wholeheartedly support the adoption of risk management strategies to safeguard their organizations.

Dunston advised companies to perform a thorough initial risk assessment and implement a security practice, with regular monitoring and updates. “It also is wise to ensure that security and risk are considered any time a new system is brought online” he said. “That means any new project that is going to involve the company’s technology or computers.”

Cyber security merits very serious attention. “We need this because of the expanding complexity and increasing entry

22 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 4

points into the IT assets of our organizations. Plus, employees and visitors may bring in their own devices – mobile phones, laptops, tablets – which allows even more potential access to those assets.”

In addition to recommending that companies conduct a company-wide review, assess their cyber threats and develop an awareness of potential risks from people bringing in devices, Dunston repeated the IT professional’s mantra: make backups. “The one thing that kills a lot of organizations,” said Dunston, “is they don’t have backups of their data. Or they think they have backups, but they are wrong.” He urged companies to not only make regular backups but also to test them. This can be as simple as restoring a chunk of important data that has supposedly been backed up, to make sure that page 24 

Preparing for the Unexpected with an Emergency Action Plan

By Kaitlyn Krol, project manager, ARPM

T

he creation of an effective emergency action plan is critical to the safety and security of everyone at an organization, according to a recent discussion with Scott Lowry, president and founder of StrataSite. OSHA regulations (1910.38) dictate that any organization with more than 10 employees is required to have a written emergency action plan, as well as a plan for effective communication to occupants during an emergency.

What is an emergency action plan?

An emergency action plan is the plan maintained by the organization for responding to a wide variety of potential hazards. It describes how people and property will be protected; details who is responsible for carrying out specific actions; identifies the personnel, equipment, facilities, supplies and other resources available; and outlines how all actions will be coordinated. Once the plan itself is created, it also is important to go through the implementation and

preparedness cycle, so that the employees can be trained on the skillset necessary to collaborate and carryout the emergency plan as necessary.

An emergency action plan should contain roles and responsibilities, as well as the site/facility plans if they are available, according to Lowry. The roles and responsibilities portion of a plan will assign personnel specific tasks that they are trained to conduct. The site or facility plans will allow emergency personnel to know the exact size and layout of the building. The reality is a majority of first responders will have never been inside of the facility, so having a blueprint layout of rooms, any shut off valves, etc. could make a huge difference in the middle of an emergency.

What are the steps to create an emergency action plan?

If an emergency action plan is just strictly based off of OSHA page 25 

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OUTLOOK  page 23 Cyber Risk Assessment continued from page 22

the restored file can be opened and to see that the contents are complete and current.

Conducting a Risk Assessment An internal cyber assessment aims to identify and mitigate a company’s risk. The participants involved in a company risk assessment may include executives, IT managers, system and network administrators, key personnel from each department, and employees at large.

The first task, said Dunston, “is to identify the scope of the assessment; that is, what the company wants to protect.” The scope of a typical assessment will correspond to the system boundary, essentially, the edge of a company’s network and everything within it. This includes the software inventory, all interconnections (including connections that can be established by third-party contractors, vendors, suppliers, etc.), as well as all of the company’s hardware devices, assets and sensors. “If it has an IP address or is a piece of equipment attached to a computer system with an IP address, include it,” said Dunston. Manufacturers also should include

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robotics systems and machinery that is being controlled via a central controller.

Once all of the cyber assets and their locations have been identified and documented, the next step is to categorize each asset as to the type of information it contains, the value of this information to the company and the impact on the company if the asset were to be compromised by a cyber threat.

Acting on the Assessment’s Findings With the assessment scope described, the system boundary defined, and the software and data characterized, the company can plan, implement and maintain a set of security controls. Dunston offered several sources of cyber security control information and recommendations:  National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-30 Revision 1, “Guide for Conducting Risk Assessments.” This document includes an introduction to risk assessments and enterprise-wide risk management, the fundamentals of the risk management process and risk assessments, and step-by-step guidance for assessing cyber security risks. www.nist.gov/privacy-framework/nist-sp-800-30  “Workforce Management Guidebook” from NIST’s National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE). www.nist.gov/itl/applied-cybersecurity/nice/ workforce-management-guidebook  NIST 800-171, a list of security controls for private industry and a document that explains the most common controls to have in place to mitigate and prevent the most common cyberattacks. https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/ nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-171r2.pdf  Critical Security Controls from CIS (Center for Internet Security), information on a set of controls that can help prevent common cyberattacks. www.cisecurity.org/ controls  Publications and resources from the US Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). www.cisa. gov/cybersecurity  CISA’s Security Tip (ST18-007) “Questions Every CEO Should Ask about Cyber Risks.” https://us-cert. cisa.gov/ncas/tips/ST18-007 When security controls have been selected and implemented, the bulk of the risk assessment work is done, though the security controls must be documented, monitored and tested regularly, and modified, as needed, whenever cyber assets and information types are added, updated or eliminated.  Dunston is an assistant professor of Cybersecurity at Champlain College. He has been in information security since 1997, and he can be reached at thedunston@ gmail.com.

24 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 4

Emergency Action Plan continued from page 23

requirements, or is outdated, then the company will want to start the plan by following the all-hazards approach. The first step of this approach is to form a planning committee with six to eight people. This committee could include human resources, EHS, security, facility management, first and midlevel supervisors, and a few employees with the skillset to provide value to the process.

The second step is to identify what threats and hazards need to be included in the emergency action plan. Some examples of these are natural disasters, fires, explosions, hazmat incidents, intruder/active shooters or bomb threats. Anything that may shut down all operations should be considered. The planning committee should discuss the impact, probability and duration for each threat: the amount of loss or damage that can be expected (impact), how likely the threat is to occur (probability) and how long the event likely will last (duration). Any threats or hazards that the committee determines are high impact and low probability or high probability and low impact should be a priority during the planning stage.

The third step is to create the protocols for each threat or hazard, Lowry explained. The planning committee should research best practices, identify community partners and subject matter experts who can assist, and have the protocols reviewed by personnel not on the planning committee. Once the plan is written, facility personnel should be educated on all protocols and how to execute them. Evacuation points should be identified to determine if they are practical for all emergencies. The plan should be tested and evaluated to determine if the protocols are sufficient and personnel are properly trained. Finally, drills should be conducted to keep everyone familiar with their responsibilities.

The fourth step in creating an emergency action plan is to establish clear lines of command and control. There are two parts to this: incident command structure and an executive management team. The incident command structure should include an incident commander who works alongside first responders. The assigned incident commander needs to be subject matter expert who is properly trained on how to manage an incident using the incident command system methodology. Having this role identified on paper in an emergency action plan will minimize the opportunity for chaos. The executive management team will be expected to consult with incident command and contact any local government officials who need to be aware of the situation.

options. In addition to communicating to the personnel in the building when there is an emergency, one should also consider external communications, including notification to the media, coordination with any government officials and notifying employee families and any neighbors in close proximity.

Lowry said the last step of the plan is the recovery stage.

The intent of the recovery phase is to get back to “normal,” which could include identifying resources in the community for mental health assistance, revising sick leave and absence policies, and developing a business continuity plan.

Companies should test recovery plans on a scheduled basis and re-visit these policies as needed.  Lowry is the president and founder of StrataSite, which provides groundbreaking software that allows both public and private sector clients to create a community-wide Active Threat Plan. Lowry is a retired lieutenant from the Findlay Ohio Police Department. He has trained both Emergency Responders and civilians in responding to an active threat, and he peaks nationally regarding both the prevention and response to active threats. For more information, email scott@stratasite.io or visit https://stratasite.io/.

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Keep in mind, communication is key to success when managing a crisis. Establishing a procedure for warning occupants of an emergency is imperative. Sirens, PA announcements and visual aids are the most popular www.arpminc.com 25

VIEW FROM 30

Reducing Uncertainty with Engineering Information Sheets

By Nicole Mitchell, writer, Inside Rubber

A

common issue within rubber manufacturing facilities is knowing how to quote new projects when details are scarce. Set the price too low and money is lost.

Too high and a potential customer might head out the door. That’s why Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (headquartered in Weinheim, Germany, with Freudenberg-NOK as the North American operations with facilities throughout the US, Canada and Mexico) created detailed engineering information sheets more than 20 years ago. These sheets identify parameters that must be identified for an accurate quote, reducing confusion and providing the opportunity for Freudenberg to maximize its value to the customer with optimal solutions.

“The engineering information sheet identifies parameters – the critical elements and factors we need to know,” explained Dave Sakata, vice president, technology and product warranty, Freudenberg-NOK. “It helps us to communicate with the customer and speed the quoting process.”

forms also ensure Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has a clear picture of the customer’s end goals, which allows the company to review what the customer is requesting and then make recommendations that add value based on Freudenberg’s expertise.

In addition to understanding the physical descriptions to ask for, an important part of the quoting process is an understanding of what the customer is looking for with the project.

When Freudenberg-NOK first began using engineering information sheets with its customers, it was a process completed on paper with the customer. As time has gone on, the process now is electronic, and customers, repeat and new, sometimes send in their filled-out sheets at the start of the quoting process. These sheets not only help FreudenbergNOK get a clearer understanding of the project scope, but they also help customers clarify their needs.

“It might be a revision, a problem a customer is having with an existing product, or it might be something new,” Sakata said about some of the additional questions he asks himself and his customers while filling out the quoting sheets.

As is common for many manufacturing companies, Sakata said there often was incomplete or inconsistent information provided when a new quote was requested, which led to backand-forth emails or phone calls to capture data. “An important part of the quoting process is getting an understanding of what the customer is looking for in a project,” he said. “It is a revision due to a problem a customer is having with an existing project, or is this a new product or application?”

He continued, “The quoting sheets drive consistency, giving us the information we need to create a proposal.” The quoting 26 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 4

The data requested on the engineering information sheets is based on industry standards – the information the industry has determined to be relevant to the product. The sheets are customized based on each of Freudenberg Sealing Technologies’ product lines, and there are multiple sheets for each industry application.

Information requested during a typical quote could include material preferences (including hardness specification), color requirements, test standards, required tolerances, product dimensions and an estimated number of parts per year. Also important is an understanding of lead time, sample

requirements and environmental stressors that should be considered. “The data lays out the requirements for our internal people and for the customer,” Sakata explained. “It helps everyone understand what’s needed for the product and allows us to think through the customer’s requests so we can consider the design, material and process and then assess any recommendations that will help the customer be more successful.”

At Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, the engineering information sheets are available for use by the sales team or can be sent to each customer, and the sheets also will be available on the company’s website in the near future to expedite information transfer. In addition to quoting activities, the sheets can be used when approaching potential clients.

“We use these in making calls sometimes,” said Sakata. “We can send them to companies that aren’t working with us yet and walk them through the sheet to show them what to consider and why it’s important. It gives us an opportunity to discuss what value we can add to their application.”

He continued, “When the engineering information sheet was created, as far back as the 1980s, we realized we were missing opportunities to help the customer to choose the right materials. Yes, we could help them make what they were

asking for when they requested a quote, but we wanted to add more value by asking if the materials they were sourcing were the right ones for their applications.”

For those wanting to create their own engineering information sheet, Sakata said, “This is really about trying to define what type of information is important for a manufacturer to consider,” including volumes, dates, physical properties of the application and material. “Once the information has been provided – and it’s complete and consistent – then manufacturing can add value to the application and help the customer improve the performance of the product.”

In the end, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has found that using the engineering information sheets has not only improved the company’s quoting accuracy, but also has increased the bottom-line profitability of the business. “The goal here was to reduce our lead times,” Sakata explained.

“It also helps us educate the customer and teach them what info they need to consider for their needs. Once we have the correct information right up front, then we can turn around the response quickly and accurately.” 

www.arpminc.com 27

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TECHNICAL STANDARDS UPDATE

Defining and Testing Rubber Hardness

R Greg Vassmer ARPM Technical Coordinator

ubber is famously nonlinear.

When deformed in some way, users need to understand how fast they are deforming it, how much they are deforming it and the current state of the rubber (like temperature, cure state and length of time deformed). Only then can they know how much it will push back. This can be complicated and inaccurate.

Sometimes, all these properties need to be measured – sometimes not. It depends on the application.

What about the simplest rubber product, like a bowling ball? Or what about a complex part, like a helicopter rotor elastomeric bearing? It turns out that there is a rubber property that always is measured for all applications: Hardness.

So, what is hardness?

Well, it is how much effort it takes to deform rubber when something presses on it. The more difficult to deform, the “harder” it is. But hardness represents a hodgepodge of properties and is not found in the engineering equations predicting rubber behavior.

As a material property, hardness is, in fact, a problem. The hardness value varies by test method used, the skill of the operator and the quality of the instrumentation. Worse, it is not strongly correlated with engineering properties, like modulus, that are used for predictive calculations.

So, why bother to measure it? It turns out, hardness has a loose correlation with several properties rubber manufacturers are interested in. Roughly, it can be used to detect rubber cure state, estimate rubber flexibility or estimate rubber stiffness.

It does none of these well, but the correlation is good enough for many applications. To make it useful, it must be measured carefully.

Rubber hardness is measured primarily by two types of devices constructed on the following theme: Press on the rubber with something pointy and see how much force it took to do that. In the 1920s, Albert Shore developed the first standardized device, resulting in the Shore hardness devices and scales used today. In the early 1950s, an improved device – an International Rubber Hardness tester – was introduced.

It used somewhat different loads, times and tip geometries, providing more consistent results. This new type also was better adapted to small and irregularly shaped rubber samples so it could be used on real production products. Both are used today.

But the range of rubber hardness is very large. The Shore device has 11 scales, each with a range of 0 to 100. A proper statement of Shore hardness contains the scale – “Shore A,” for example – and a number – “40” – indicating where it is on the scale. The rubber industry tends to use two of the Shore scales: The Shore A and D scales. If readers are morbidly interested in the details, read ASTM D2240-00 or ISO 482018 parts 4 and 7.

The International Rubber Hardness device (or IRHD test) is scaled similarly across several ranges. Most interesting for Inside Rubber readers is the IRHD Microhardness test. While Shore tests regularly are used on rubber slabs for bulk material characterization, the Microhardness test is used on production parts. The method and test device are built for small parts and can handle oddly shaped parts with sufficient operator care.

Like the Shore test, details of the IRHD test can be obtained by reviewing four ISO 48 sections (2,3,5,6). In total, ISO 48 contains nine sections covering these two hardness tests.

At ARPM, the IRHD test is further refined to one application close to our hearts. See ARPM OS-3, “Rubber Microhardness Measurement on Shaft Seals.” It is written specifically to help users apply the Microhardness test to radial lip oil seals.

If properly cured rubber in a seal application is expected to have an IRHD of 55, then production parts can be tested in an IRHD tester as a quality screening test. There are other tests to determine cure state, but this is the most common production screening technique.

The ASTM, ISO and ARPM standards all warn that the test technician is the biggest source of error. In OS-3, mounting procedures, part orientation, sample dimensions and correction factors have been identified that allow customer and supplier to both conduct the test and get measurements that correlate.

It is one more step to smooth the connection between those two parties.

Remember rubber hardness. It likely is one of the few rubber properties the average consumer has experienced – whether it is a bowling ball (72 Shore D) or rubber band (20 Shore A). 

www.arpminc.com 29

FOCUS

Foundational Lean Tools Drive Value and Savings

By Jon Kantola, project manager, RobbJack Corporation

A

few simple Lean tools build a foundation for sustained Lean improvement. Surprisingly, Lean Manufacturing attempts fail an estimated 70% to 90% of the time, even when organizations have the best intentions when it is implemented. Companies that succeed with Lean realize that it requires a long-term effort at culture change, a new way of thinking that senior management champions daily. They drive a focus on increasing customer value rather than on internal cost reductions, understanding that providing what customers want, when they want it, for the right price will increase sales revenue. Daily Lean activity to improve processes that drive customer value will result in cost savings.

Another key to success is in how Lean is introduced to the company. Consultants often are hired to train staff in key concepts and tools during a “Lean implementation,” but the goal should be an evolution of the “company Lean way” that morphs the consultant’s instructional content into a best fit culture for your organization. If you study Toyota methods, apply the concepts that click with your team, but do not try to become Toyota. Learn and use the right Lean tools for the moment and for your team, then put those that do not work back in the toolbox. There are some foundational tools that managers and staff will use every day that should be incorporated into your “company Lean way” from day one.

These tools go after the low hanging fruit of improvement company-wide, from the office to the shop.

GEMBA walks Senior managers are change agents, advocates, mentors and cheerleaders for the company’s Lean initiatives, regardless of how busy they are or their personal Lean skillset.

GEMBA is a Japanese concept developed

by Taichi Ohno that helps busy managers maintain Lean momentum “where work gets done.” It has three main principles: Go and see, ask why and respect people. Managers are challenged to walk through the shop and offices to observe work conditions, monitor improvement projects, check on key process metrics and mentor and encourage staff. The team at RobbJack Corporation in Lincoln, California, has taken GEMBA a step further 30 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 4

and incorporated internal audits with a “kamishibai” card system, which simply is a visual indicator that an assigned action has been completed. In this case, when the green side of the card is visible on the department huddle board, the department passed the audit. A red card means the employees have an issue to address.

Each GEMBA card has several questions and example answers related to Lean concepts, standard work, vision/ mission/strategy or one of the ISO 9000 elements. Five of these cards are placed in each work center and office, and managers are assigned a department and card via an automated system. They perform the GEMBA at their convenience within a scheduled timeline and record their observations in SharePoint. The advantage of this system is that managers have a “script” of three simple questions, phrased so employees easily understand and learn what is required, and the GEMBA takes no more than 10 minutes to complete. With eight managers rotating through five cards in 10 departments every two weeks, employees continually are reinforced, the ISO 9000 audit record is extensive and managers frequently are observing how well these next Lean tools are being implemented.

5S organization Parents understand the frustration of a teenager’s bedroom, watching their child search for a pair of shoes in various piles so as not to be late to school. The goal of 5S organization is to establish a clean, efficient and waste free foundation for Lean to happen, to expose improvement opportunities lost in clutter – like shoes in a teenager’s room. This Lean concept comes from five Japanese words that loosely translate to Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain.

Begin a 5S cycle by Sorting through equipment, tooling, fixtures, supplies, furniture, etc., within each work center to identify what can be removed. Everything retained then should be Set in Order with a controlled location. Shadow boards, drawer inserts with cutouts and floor outlines are examples that immediately identify where items belong. Next, clean your floor, tools and equipment to make them Shine.

Maintenance issues quickly are identified when not buried under a buildup of gunk, reducing equipment downtime. The first three 5S steps need to become Standard work, part of the daily Lean routine with checklists, schedules, instructions or similar mechanisms that encourage good housekeeping habits. Although 5S is an ongoing cycle of sorting, ordering, shining and standardizing, it is Sustained when it becomes part of the culture. Managers can reinforce and sustain 5S during their GEMBA walks.

Value stream mapping In its simplest form, a value stream map is a flowchart of your order-to-cash business processes, perhaps created first with Post-it Notes on a whiteboard. Adding specific information to each operation – like cycle time, setup/changeover time, uptime, queue time, shifts and manpower – helps your team visualize how product moves through the shop and prioritize improvement actions. Start with a current-state map of how things are done today, and then build a future-state map for each product family with common operations or machines and similar costs. These product-based value streams are crossfunctional, with order-to-cash responsibility eliminating department “silos” that isolate staff into protective bubbles.

At RobbJack, for example, there are five value streams: PCD tools, slitting saws, large diameter end mills, small diameter mills and PVD coatings. Each has a unique set of equipment and staff responsible for satisfying customer demand, from order entry through shipping. Orders flow through a value stream with common goals, improved collaboration, good communication and transparent metrics.

Problem solving and continuous improvement are performed by each cross-functional team, with members representing order-to-cash functions.

PDCA continuous improvement Value Stream teams use another vital and simple Lean tool for continuous improvement: the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) cycle that begins when a problem or opportunity is identified. The bulk of work is performed in the first step of the cycle, where problems are clearly defined, target outcomes are established, data collection tools are created and the actions to be taken are set with accountability and due dates. PDCA plans should scope to short, quick actions that prove or disprove an idea or solution within a week or two. Anything longer should be divided into multiple PDCA activities. Limiting change is equally important,

lest too many adjustments to process variables obscure the root cause of a problem or the single factor contributing the greatest improvement.

The next three steps often blur together as teams execute the plan, collect data on the results and act based on their observations. RobbJack’s PDCA record is on A3 size paper, allows for six separate cycles, shows the plan with accountability and reports the results and findings. Although data collection is on other forms, the PDCA record allows only enough space for about two weeks of do, check and act. When the team runs out of space, they need to restate the objective and start a new cycle.

Huddle boards The foundational cornerstone and home base of value stream activity is a “huddle board,” a large whiteboard that displays each team mission and company strategy, current staffing status, key performance metrics and tracking charts, PDCA cycle records and GEMBA cards. All teams gather daily for a 10-minute meeting to review each subject on the board, highlight plans for the shift and discuss any PDCA findings.

Members take turns leading the meetings to promote engagement, participation and understanding of what is on the board.

Foundation for success Organizations that embark on a Lean journey are making a significant investment in consulting, training, infrastructure and time. They also commit to disrupting the status quo in which many employees are comfortable and the reason why most companies fail to break free from their traditional culture. To encourage ongoing and sustained change, senior management must “know the way, show the way and go the way” with a strong Lean foundation built on a few important tools. GEMBA walks encourage managers to interact with value stream teams and to monitor 5S organization and PDCA continuous improvement progress. Huddle boards not only ensure transparency, collaboration and communication, but also are the perfect time for managers to reinforce why Lean is so important: Delivering the highest customer value possible is the surest strategy for success.  Jon Kantola has practiced Lean and continuous improvement in manufacturing operations for over 30 years as a production manager, quality manager, program manager, certified quality engineer and contract trainer. He has helped companies find “their Lean way” in the OEM automotive, performance automotive aftermarket, aerospace, sintered metal and cutting tool industries. He is a project manager for RobbJack Corporation and can be reached by emailing jon@robbjack.com.

Reprinted with permission from The American Mold Builder. www.arpminc.com 31

MEMBER NEWS Conference Thank You The 2021 Benchmarking and Best Practices conference was held November 3-5, 2021, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The ARPM staff is grateful to all the presenters, attendees, sponsors and vendors that made this event possible. The Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference is the best in the industry because the leaders show up and continually work to make themselves better!

ARPM Annual Membership Meeting ARPM will hold its annual membership meeting December 15, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. EST. Information about this year’s meeting will be available at www.arpminc.com/events.

2022 Outlook After wrapping up a great year of events in 2021, ARPM is excited to start scheduling plant tours, peer networking, functional area forums and many more events in 2022. One of the most valued events that ARPM facilitates are member plant tours. Plant tours offer ARPM members the opportunity to visit other best-in-class manufacturing facilities across the country.

These one-day events allow members to witness firsthand how others are approaching challenges and find innovative solutions. At the end of the tour, the host company and each attendee are able to take implementable ideas to improve operations back to their facilities.

ARPM is still looking for plant tour hosts for 2022. If interested in hosting or learning more, please contact Kaitlyn Krol at kkrol@arpminc.org or 317.863.4072.

Several Updated Publications Released ARPM is pleased to announce the newly updated hose standards, including IP-7: Specification for Rubber Welding Hose and IP-11-5: Hose Technical Bulletin – Guide for Use, Maintenance and Inspection of Welding Hose.

ARPM also announced several newly updated Power Transmission Belt publications, with thanks to the ARPM Power Transmission Belt Committee members.

• IP -3-18: Power Transmission Belt Technical Bulletin - Installed Run-Out in Curvilinear Synchronous Belt Drive Systems • IP-20: Specifications for Drives Using Classical V-Belts and Sheaves • IP-22: Specifications for Drives Using Narrow V-Belts and Sheaves • IP-27: Specifications for Drives Using Curvilinear Toothed Synchronous Belts Also updated are OS-10 Oil Seal Performance at Low Temperature and ASTM Test Methods. Thank you to the ARPM Hose Technical Committee and ARPM Sealing Committee for their work in reviewing these standards.

Find these publications and other industry standards at www.arpminc.com/publications.

Educational Outreach Award – Deadline Extended ARPM is pleased to announce its fifth annual Educational Outreach Award in celebration of manufacturers that have worked over the past 12 months to engage young people and underrepresented populations in the manufacturing industry.

To enter, all members need is a description of what outreach they have engaged in over the last 12 months, along with any supporting pictures, videos, demonstrations or testimonials.

ARPM will recognize three member companies with the Educational Outreach Award during the 2021 ARPM Annual Membership Meeting. To enter, please reach out to info@ arpminc.org. Submissions are due November 19, 2021.

Welcome New Members Please join ARPM welcoming the following new members!

Globtech Manufacturing, Inc. – Dayton, Ohio Deere & Company – Moline, Illinois Fairchild Industries – Lake Zurich, Illinois

ARPM Sponsor Spotlight – DELMIAWorks ARPM has considered DELMIAWorks (formerly IQMS) a valuable partner for more than a decade. DELMIAWorks manufacturing ERP and MES solution offers a comprehensive, extended system for rubber manufacturing needs.

From the shop floor to accounting, quality, EDI, CRM and more, DELMIAWorks offers tools and features to help rubber manufacturers overcome challenges faced every day: Realtime production monitoring, multi-level BOMs, detailed finite scheduling, multi-tool and family-tool functionality and more features that fit uniquely into rubber manufacturing. Learn why ARPM members use DELMIAWorks over other ERP solutions at www.iqms.com.

DELMIAWorks offers discounts to ARPM members: Existing Customer Package • 15% software discount • 10% discount on training programs • Paid ARPM membership renewal for one year* New Customer Package• • 15% software discount on core package • Extended payment terms up to three months** • 10% discount on training programs • Paid ARPM membership for one year* *Minimum $15,000 additional investment in additional DELMIAWorks software products (net of all other discounts) **Credit approval required 

www.arpminc.com 33

AD INDEX

EVENTS CALENDAR DECEMBER 2021 15 ARPM Annual Membership Meeting

JANUARY 2022 27 State of the Industry Webinar

FEBRUARY 2022 16 Bruckman Rubber Plant Tour (virtual)

MARCH 2022 10-11 Engineering Forum

ACE Products & Consulting LLC .............................. 11 www.aceprodcon.com Akron Rubber Development Laboratory, Inc. (ARDL)............................................ 23 www.ardl.com ARPM ....................................................................... 35 www.arpminc.com ARPM 180 Skills ....................................................... 32 www.180skills.com/ARPM ARPM Rubber Industry Publications ........................ 18 www.arpminc.com Blair Rubber Company ............................................... 5 www.blairrubber.com Chardon Custom Polymers ...................................... 27 www.chardoncp.com ChemTrend............................................................... 25 www.chemtrend.com Eagle Elastomer, Inc. ............................................... 15 www.eagleelastomer.com Grainger...................................................................... 2 www.grainger.com IceMiller .................................................................... 21 www.icemiller.com PartnerShip............................................................... 24 www.partnership.com/ARPM

APRIL 2022 27-28 2022 EHS Summit

REP Corp. ................................................................ 16 www.repinjection.com Rubber Division, ACS ............................................... 28 www.rubber.org Sigmasoft................................................... Back Cover www.sigmasoftvm.com

For the most up-to-date information and to register for events, visit www.arpminc.com/ events.

34 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 4

Smithers ................................................................... 13 www.smithers.com

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