REDUCING SEALANT WASTE

A Project on the Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Course

Project Requirements:

1. Contents Introduction
2. Data Tables
3. Exercises and time estimates
Project Scenario
Aero-Technologies, a manufacturer and assembler of major aerospace components has been in operation
for the last 10 years. Aero-Technologies is a partner with larger aerospace companies and provides
complete aero structures. The management team noticed over the last year that the cost of premixed and
frozen sealant was increasing rapidly. For the New Tech Wing assembly area, the sealant costs have
increased by $300K over last year. Management speculates that due to a lax process and recent changes in
leadership in various areas assembly areas sealant usage is out of control.

A six sigma team was brought together to investigate the cause of high sealant usage and sealant waste
and fix the problem.

The assembly supervisors have a weekly order for premixed and frozen sealant. There are different types
of sealants for different products. They are available in 1oz, 3oz, and 6oz tubes.

See Table 1 for current standing sealant order volume.

The Six Sigma team discovered that there is no documented process and observed the sealant orders and
usage process for a week:

The sealant arrives every week to Transportation’s warehouse for initial inspection. Then a sample of the
sealant is inspected by the Quality department per process documentation. If sample sealant does not pass
inspection the entire batch is scrapped. If the sealant passes inspection, PCU (Production Control Unit)
delivers the batch to the assembly areas main freezers. PCU then loads the main freezer and the POU
(Point of Use) freezers.

The POU freezers are smaller than the main freezer and are a closer to the mechanics work stations that
will use the sealant. PCU guesses on the amount of each type of sealant required for each POU freezer
and changes the distribution quantity when there are complaints. It was also observed that PCU does not
delivery the sealant on a consistent day of the week due to other responsibilities but delivers when time
allows.

When there is a requirement for a particular sealant type per product instructions, the mechanics will
procure the sealant in their POU freezer. If the sealant is available, the mechanic will remove the sealant,
allow it to thaw, use it, and dispose any unused sealant that remains in the tube. Sometimes the mechanic
will not document how many tubes were checked out of the POU freezer on the check-out sheet and will
only estimate the number of tubes or ounces needed for the task.

Estimating could lead to more or less sealant than required for the task. Any sealant that thaws cannot be
refrozen and must be disposed. The team noticed one occasion where a few freezers stopped working
over the weekend due to a power outage which caused the sealant to go bad. The assembly team was not
aware of the bad sealant until it was used and the rest of the batch was scrapped.
If the required sealant is not available, the mechanics will inform their assembly supervisor. The
supervisor will then work with the PCU to determine if an update to the weekly order is necessary.

Every sealant type has a shelf life and an expiration date given by the quality department. The Quality
department inspects all the sealant freezers each week to record the expired sealant and dispose of it.

During initial investigation the team discovered that two drivers were critical to reduce the wastage of
sealant—accurate order quantity and sealant delivery to POU (Point of Use) Freezers. Accurate sealant
usage data and tube size variation are factors that could impact accurate order quantity. Point of contact
for POU freezer delivery, monitoring of POU freezer inventory, and cycle time for order quantity changes
were the identified factors that could impact delivery to POU freezers.

The average wastage of sealant data for the last few months is shown in Table 2.
Table: 1
Current Delivery Volume/Week
Total
Sealant Type 1oz 3oz 6oz Count Total Ounces
1995C 50 50 300
2082 B2 40 160 200 520
870 C6 24 24 144
870 GRV 50 50 300
AC730 B2 50 30 80 330

5896-2 B1/2 440 100 540 1,920

5896-2 B2 620 100 720 2,460
5896-6 400 900 250 1550 4,600

Total Count 440 2,170 604 3,214

Total Ounces 440 6,510 3,624 10,574

Table: 2
Ounces Scrapped
Sealant Type Expired Ounces/Week
After Use/Week Average Total Ounces
Wasted/Week
1995C 140 35 175
2082 B2 201 120 321
870 C6 - 40 40
870 GRV 122 10 132
AC730 B2 32 44 76
5896-2 B1/2 776 324 1,100
5896-2 B2 1,641 375 2,016
5896-6 260 1,061 1,321
Total 3,172 2,009 5,181
Analysis Exercises:

Exercise 1: Map the Process

Using the information in the case study map of sealant order/usage process

Exercise 2: Descriptive Statistics

Use graphical methods to show the order volume and wastage of sealant

Exercise 3: Process capability

Using the data given in Table 2, determine the process capability if every ounce of wasted sealant is
considered a defect

Exercise 4: Identify Problems and Countermeasures

Use the data and information presented to identity and prioritize the problems in the process and
brainstorm a solution for each problem.