Silberline Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Project Team:

Erica Boettcher

David Levits

Suzzane Smyth

Ashwin Thatte

 

Executive Summary

            Silberline Manufacturing Company, Inc produces metallic pigments that are used in various industrial facets, including: automotive paint, powder coating, and high-end printing ink.  With an increasing amount of international competition, the company looks to more effectively package their end products so as to remain atop the effect pigments market. 

            The current packaging process, consisting of a weighing, moving, and lidding operation, is ergonomically ineffective and timely.  The company is looking to the Penn State team to improve upon the existing packaging system, specifically the weighing, moving, and lidding processes, in order to reduce ergonomic inefficiencies and save valuable resources.  The team performed ergonomic, time, and cost studies for the current process. The Silber Players then researched automated systems as well as alternative solutions which would correct ergonomic stresses but not necessarily increase production speed, at a lower cost then the automated system.  An overall recommendation was assembled that would produce the largest improvements for the packaging process. This recommendation included an automatic weigher/lidder, pallet lift, redesigned lidding station, label applicators, and improved preparatory task.

Date:    Fall 2004

Faculty Advisor:    Dr. Jose Ventura - Industrial Engineering Department

Sponsor:   Silberline Manufacturing Company, Inc., Tamaqua, PA