Production and Operations Management

STAEDTLER:
STAEDTLER is one of the oldest industrial companies in Germany and proud of its long manufacturing tradition. More than 80% of all STAEDTLER products are still Made in Germany. STAEDTLER is an international company with a high export quota. This can also be seen in its distribution to more than 150 countries. Over the years, STAEDTLER has repeatedly distinguished itself with the development of inspirational, innovative products making STAEDTLER the clear favorite for writing instruments.

Products:
Graphite pencils Colored pencils Erasers Mechanical pencil leads Modeling clays

Supplier:
We have products from Staedtler Mars, Lumocolor, Maxum, Mastercarve, Triplus, Marsmatic, including pens, pencils, markers, priced competitively and in stock.

Graphite Pencils: Raw Material:

The most important ingredient in a pencil are: Graphite Clay Wood Wax or other chemicals are sometimes added as well

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Production Process of Lead Pencil:

Most commercially used graphite is made in factories rather than mined, manufacturers are able to easily control its density. The graphite is mixed with clay according to the type of pencil being madethe more graphite used, the softer the pencil, and the darker its line.

1. Processing the graphite :

i. Two methods are used to form the graphite into its finished state. The first is an extrusion method in which the graphite and wax mixture is forced through a mold to create a spaghettilike string, which is then cut to precise measurements and dried in ovens. In the second method, the graphite and clay mixture is poured into a machine called a billet press. A plug is placed over the top of the press, and a metal ram ascends from the bottom to squash the mixture into a hard, solid cylinder called a "billet." The billet is then removed from the top of the machine and placed into an extrusion press that forces it through a mold, slicing off strips the To make the wood casings for the pencils, square slats are formed, and then grooves are cut into the slats. Next, graphite sticks are inserted into the grooves on one slat, and then a second slat with empty grooves is glued on top of the graphite-filled slot. Correctly sized pencils are cut out of the sandwich, and the eraser and metal ferrule are attached. Size of the pencil core. After being cut to size, the cores pass along a conveyor belt and are collected in a trough to await insertion in the pencil wood.

2. Making the wood casings:

ii. The cedar usually arrives at the factory already dried, stained, and waxed, to prevent warping. Logs are then sawed into narrow strips called "slats"; these are about 7.25 inches (18.4 centimeters) long, .25 inch (.635 centimeter) thick, and 2.75 inches (6.98 centimeters) wide. The slats are placed into a feeder and dropped, one-by-one, onto a conveyor belt which moves them along at a constant rate. iii. The slats are then planed to give them a flat surface. Next, they pass under a cutter head that makes parallel semicircular groovesone half as deep as the graphite is thickalong the

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length of one side of each slat. Continuing along the conveyor belt, half of the slats are coated with a layer of glue, and the cut graphite is laid in the grooves of these slats. iv. The slats without glueand without graphite in the groovesare placed on another belt that carries them to a machine that picks them up and turns them over, so they are laying on the belt with the grooves facing down. The two conveyor belts then meet, and each unglued slat is placed over a slat with glue and graphite, forming a sandwich. After the sandwiches have been removed from the conveyor belt, they are placed into a metal clamp and squeezed by a hydraulic press and left clamped together until the glue is dried. When the pencils are dried, the ends are trimmed to remove excess glue.

3. Shaping the pencils:

v. The next step is shaping, when the sandwiches actually become pencils. The sandwiches are placed on a conveyor belt and moved through two sets of cutters, one above and one below the belt. The cutters above the sandwiches cut around the top half, while the lower set cuts around the bottom half and separates the finished pencils. The majority of pencils are hexagonal, so designed to keep the pencils from rolling off surfaces; a single sandwich yields six to nine hexagonal pencils.

4. Final steps:
vi. After the pencils have been cut, their surfaces are smoothed by sanders, and varnish is applied and dried. This is done with varnishing machines, in which the pencils are immersed in a vat of varnish and then passed through a felt disk, which removes the excess varnish. After drying, the pencils are put through the process again and again until the desired color is achieved. Finally, the pencils receive a finishing coat. vii. The pencils once again are sent on a conveyor belt through shaping machines, which remove any excess varnish that has accumulated on the ends of the pencils. This step also ensures that all of the pencils are the same length. viii. Erasers are then attached, held to the pencil by a round, metal case called a "ferrule." The ferrule first attaches to the pencil either with glue or with small metal prongs, and then the eraser is inserted and the ferrule clamped around it. In the final step, a heated steel die presses the company logo onto each pencil.
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Application of Operations Management Concept:

Quality Management: The management of company is focusing on Total Quality Management (TQM) that is consistently improving the quality in each step of process where ever possible. Process and Capacity: This concept is also practiced by the STAEDLER in a manner that company estimates how much capacity it has to produce a number of units in a particular time. It also work continuously to enhance the capacity of production. Inventory Management: The various inventory management systems help the company to monitor the goods that need to be bought and those that are currently being used. It enhances security and promotes the continuity of the service. Protection of Employees: STAEDTLER attaches great importance to the health and well-being of consumers. This is especially important when it comes to modelling and painting with finger paints as users have direct contact with the material.

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Pencil.html

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