Operations Management (MGT345)

MGT345

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

FABER-CASTELL CORPORATION

(FABER-CASTELL 9000 GRAPHITE PENCIL)

SUBMITTED TO:

MISS NOORADZLINA BT MOHD PAUZI

PREPARED BY:

NO. STUDENT’S NAME STUDENT’S ID

1. NUR IRFA SYAFIQAH BINTI MOHD FAUZLI 2020877186

2. NURUL FATIN SAFWANA BINTI HAMSAN 2020895802

3. NUR SAIDATUL AISHAH BINTI ROSLIZAM 2020839572

4. NURUL FAZQIRA BINTI ABDUL LATIFF 2020895846

Operation Management (MGT345)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NO. CONTENTS PAGES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
INTRODUCTION
1.1 – Company Profile
1.
1.2 – Vision and Mission of the Company
1.3 – Background of the Product
PRODUCT ANALYSIS
2.1 – Technical Design
2.2 – Functional of the Pencil
2.3 – Degree of Hardness
2.4 – Cross Sectional Profile
2. 2.5 – Design of Faber Castell Pencil
2.6 – Operations System Model for the Product
2.7 – Uniqueness of Faber-Castell 9000 Graphite Pencil
2.8 – Advantages of Faber-Castell 9000 Graphite Pencil
2.9 – Disadvantages of Faber-Castell 9000 Graphite
Pencil

3. CONCLUSION

4. REFERENCES

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ACKNOWDEGMENT

First of all, we would like to express our gratitude to Allah SWT and His messenger,
The Prophet Muhammad SAW for facilitating all our affairs in preparing and implementing this
assignment. We would like to thank our parents who have always prayed for success in our
journey. We could not have completed this task without His blessings and their prayers.

Furthermore, we are honored to say thanks to Miss Nooradzlina Bt Mohd Pauzi, our
lecturer for Operations Management (MGT345) for imparting various knowledge and guidance
to us in this semester. We really appreciate all your efforts to teach us so that we are able to
complete this assignment well.

Lastly, this task involves the efforts of all group members. Therefore, congratulations
and thanks to all the members in the group for providing a good cooperation and diligence on
carrying out this assignment. We hope that all your efforts can bring benefits can bring benefits
in the future.

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Operation Management (MGT345)

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. COMPANY PROFILE

Faber-Castell is a big company was founded by Kaspar Faber since 1761 that
manufactures premium leather goods, office supplies, art supplies, and other stationery for
the international market. In addition, Faber-Castell manufactures many premium pencils,
including various types of graphite pencils, colour pencils and more. This company also
produce over 2 million pencils every year with more than 120 different colours. Faber-Castell's
headquarters is located in Stein, Germany. This company has expanded quickly in recent
years and now has up to 10 factories and 22 sales units around the world. Besides, they
employ a sizable workforce of roughly 8000 staff and do business in more than 120 nations
worldwide. Faber-Castell has corporation in numerous nations, including Malaysia, China,
Brazil, Austria, and Germany. Under a single brand which is Faber-Castell, every nation
created various products different from other nations.

1.2. VISION AND MISSION OF THE COMPANY

The Faber-Castell company has its own vision mission in bringing the brand over the
entire world. The vision is to bringing together inspiring humans from all over the world and
joining spaces where creativity and expression can flourish while the mission of Faber-Castell
is to motivate people to bring, their ideas into reality and express themselves by delivering
inspiring drawing products.

1.3. BACKGROUND OF THE PRODUCT

The Faber-Castell 9000 Graphite Pencil are one of the stationary products that the
company makes. In 1905, Count Alexander von Faber Castell launched the graphite 9000
pencil. it is a genuinely classic pencil that was first released onto the market and is still well-
known today. The greatest quality and finely calibrated hardness levels of the 9000 Graphite
Pencil have made it a firm favourite pencil for artists and illustrators. This is due to the fact that
the components used to make this pencil, such as the lead pencil points, are fully bound to
the wood, giving it great resistance to breakage. This types of pencil are easy to sharpen and
erase when we write on the paper. Additionally, there are 16 distinct levels of hardness for the
Castell 9000 which 8H to 2H. To sum up, it is able to prove that it is an ideal pencil used for
technical and artistic purposes, demanding studies and sketches, making it still popular now.

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2. PRODUCT ANALYSIS
2.1. TECHNICAL DESIGN

The castell 9000 graphite pencil design is very simple and all are familiar with it. The
pencil lead is encased in wood, which is either left unfinished or carefully varnished. The
quality of Castell 9000 Graphite pencil is determined by the wood used and the quality of the
lead.

Although the technical design of the pencil is quite simple, most people do not know
how the lead ends up in the wood. The explanation for this is very simple, because the wooden
barrel actually consists of two parts of the blade, the upper blade and the lower blade
embedding the lead. Today, pencils are varnished with non-toxic paint lacquer. Faber-Castell
was the first manufacturer to develop an environmentally friendly water-based paint
technology process.

2.2. FUNCTIONAL OF THE PENCIL

The Castell 9000 Graphite pencil's lead graphite sticks to the rough paper surface as
it is written. The number of lead grains that abrade will increase with paper roughness. As a
result, the rough paper typically requires a lead quality that is harder, whereas smooth paper
can use a lead quality that is softer. The finer the line, the sharper the lead. The line gets wider
as the writing time passes because the tip becomes blunter. Again, the pencil needs to be
sharpened.

2.3. DEGREE OF HARDNESS

The proportion of graphite to clay in the lead can be changed by pencil manufacturers
to adjust the lead's hardness. The proportion of clay to graphite in the mixture determines how
"hard" the pencil writing action becomes. The degree of lead's hardness is represented by
letters and numbers. The various degrees of hardness can be identified by putting a number
before each letter; softer indicators typically have labels that begin with the letter B, while
harder indicators typically begin with the letter H. For instance, a 6H clue is more difficult than
a 4H clue. The English expression most likely inspired the name. Consequently, B denotes
"Black" and H denotes "Hard," and additional numbers denote "more black" or "harder." Firm
or Fine Point could represent F, and HB indicates Hard Black, which is medium-hard. The
precise designation remains dependent on each manufacturer because there has never been
a clear international standard for the classification of degrees of hardness. For instance, Faber
Castell sells the well-known Castell 9000 at a 16-degree hardness. The intended drawing will

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be more precise with a harder pencil. Soft pencils are more common in artistic and creative
fields. The ideal writing pencil for everyday use, such as in the office, has a hardness level of
"HB," while a school pencil has a hardness level of B.

2.4. CROSS SECTIONAL PROFILE

Wood sheathed pencils are manufactured and supplied worldwide in mostly three
profiles.

TYPES OF PROFILE DESCRIPTION

 The round pencil is easy to turn in the hand and

prevents one-sided lead blunting and reduces the
Round Profile need for re-sharpening, it is mostly used for
shorthand in offices.
 The pencil requires a firmer grip because of its
easier rotatability due to its round profile. As a
result, prolonged use will quickly wear down hands.

 During normal writing posture, the pencil is held by

the thumb, index and middle fingers. Triangular
profile pencils provide a larger contact area for each
of the three fingers. This conforms to human
ergonomics and therefore results in a less tiring
Triangular Profile
writing action.
 Furthermore, such pencils are not easy to roll off the
table. Lately, the triangular profile has been
recommended for writing novices. Since triangular
profile pencils have a rounded, conical shape near
the tip, they can be sharpened easily with a regular
pencil sharpener.

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 For standard school and office applications, the

Hexagonal Profile
hexagonal profile is currently the most commonly
used shape.
 It not only stops the pencil from rolling off the table
but also makes it easier to hold the pencil when it's
being used.

2.5. DESIGN OF FABER-CASTELL PENCIL

 CASTELL 9000

It has become the tool of choice for painters and artists due to its quality and fine
gradation of hardness grades. A wooden casing completely seals the lead, providing effective
protection from damage. The 16 different hardness grades of the Castell 9000, ranging from
8B to 2H, make it the ideal pencil for both artistic and technical work.

 THE GREEN CASTELL 9000

All over the world, the green Castell 9000 has been associated with high-quality pencils.
The "green classics" are still of interest to writers and artists like Beuys, Böll, Fellini, Kishon,
Solschenitzyn, and even Prince Charles. When choosing the green for the new pencil, the
former cavalry captain is said to have chosen the regimental colours. It rises to the level of
excellence necessary for writing, drawing, and sketching. Production that uses water-based
varnish that is good for the environment and does not use any carbon. The secure bond (SV)
process makes the lead resistant to breaking. This pencil has a hardness level of HB.

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 CASTELL 9000 JUMBO GRAPHITE PENCIL, HB

There is also a Jumbo version of the high-quality Castell 9000 artist pencils with thicker
graphite leads. The Castell 9000 Jumbo is ideal for quick drafts and sketches, as well as for
shading large areas and other artistic projects. Premium-quality graphite pencils from Faber-
Castell feature larger graphite leads (5.3 mm). Ideal for painting, drawing, and creating art.
Varnishes based on water are less harmful to the environment and more resistant to shattering.
This kind of pencil comes in HB, 2B, 4B, 6B, and 8B hardness levels.

 CASTELL 9000 GRAPHITE PENCIL, ART SET, TIN OF 12

The 12 premium-grade graphite pencils, which have a fine

grade hardness of 8B to 2H and are ideal for demanding studies,
sketches, and other forms of artistic work. Water-based varnish
that is better resistant to shatter and is also simple to sharpen or
erase. These pencils can be purchased separately or in a number
of different sets.

 CASTELL 9000 GRAPHITE PENCIL, DESIGN SET, TIN OF 12

The 12 premium quality graphite pencils with fine

grade 5B - 5H hardness. Ideal for graphic design, precise
lines and details. These pencils are more resistant to
breakage, easy to sharpen or erase and water-based
varnish that is environmentally friendly. These pencils are
available individually and in a variety of different sets.

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 CASTELL 9000 GRAPHITE PENCIL, TIN OF 6

6 premium graphite pencils with the following hardness levels:

HB, B, 2B, 4B, 6B, and 8B. These pencils are ideal for demanding
studies, sketches, and artistic work. It is a water-based varnish that
is good for the environment, easy to sharpen or erase, and more
resistant to breaking. This pencil can be purchased separately or in
a variety of assorted sets.

 CASTELL 9000 JUMBO GRAPHITE PENCIL, TIN OF 5

There is also a Jumbo version of the high-quality Castell 9000

artist pencils with thicker graphite leads. The Castell 9000 Jumbo is
great for quick sketches, large-area shading, and artistic work. Five
high-quality graphite pencils with larger (5.3 mm) leads. It is ideal for
drawing, painting, and other artistic endeavours. The water-based
varnish in this pencil is better at resisting shattering and is better for
the environment. There are five degrees of hardness available for this
pencil: HB, 2B, 4B, 6B and 8B.

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2.6. OPERATIONS SYSTEM MODEL FOR THE PRODUCT
 STEP OF PENCILS FABER-CASTELL
1) Mixture of graphite,
water and clay
6) Separately produced
leads are placed under
the slat and bond the
glue on the non-judged
surface of the slat
7) The top slat is placed
on the bottom slat
12) Hot-foil stamping
with brand name, grade
hardness and earn code
13) The pencil is dipped
into the paint basin with
a certain depth
18) Quality control
breaking test
19) Quality control
sharpening test
2) Drying the leads and 3) Solid and soft wood
wax is stored, sleeved and
cut into “slats”
5) Special lead glue 4) A slat carved groove
injected into the groove above and below to
convey the leads
8) Heat and pressure
are applied 9) A router bit is used to
simultaneously to this cut half the pencil on
"sandwich" until the glue the top slat
has been placed
10) A second router bit
11) Repeated pencils used to cut the other
through lacquer bath in half of the pencil in the
continuous bracelets bottom slat and
and several coats of "sandwich" it apart into
lacquer applied for individual unfinished
permanent varnish pencils
15) Next, the pencil is
14) In the following submerged into the
steps, the pencil pulled different paint
from dump container, again fixed
depth
16) The last step, the
pencil is pulled from
17) The pencil is the bow. Different dip
sharpened depths in two paint
containers for
elemental special
pencil design control
20) Quality control
21) Packaging
classification
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 PROCEDURE AND PROCESS OF PENCIL

 MIXING AND DRYING THE LEAD AND WAX

Figure 1: Mixing graphite, water and clay Figure 2: Drying the leads and wax

To make and produce pencils do not use real lead. The material is made with a
combination of two materials namely clay and graphite. Among the steps is to put 1 bag of
clay and 1 to 2 bags of graphite into the mixing machine. When using more graphite, it will
be softer and the pencil will be black while when putting more clay, it will be harder and less
dark. Therefore, there is a wide variety of grades from the lightest tones to the darkest tones.
Next, water is added to the mixer to make a paste. The ingredients will mix for an hour and
a half until it becomes a standard quality paste texture. Each machine will be operated by
one worker which is 1 worker for each 1 machine. Additionally, the paste is placed in a heavy-
duty pressure machine to produce and make spaghetti strings. The pressure is 100 to 110
bar and the hole is 2 to 5 mm. The lead is still soft and incomplete.

Additionally, soft lead is placed in a cylindrical steel container. Next, put it in a large
oven with a temperature of 900 degrees Celsius. The allotted time is 1 hour. This large oven
can hold 10 cylindrical steel containers and one worker will take care of 1 oven until the
process is finished. This process is called the drying process to strengthen and harden the
lead. The next step is the lead candle. This step is to produce a hard lead to prevent damage
to the pencil. Another worker would insert lead into a steel cuboid and bathe it in wax. A total
of 32 cuboids can be bathed at one time. The allotted time is 2 to 4 hours. Workers will take
lead samples to test that the lead quality is in good condition.

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 CUT THE WOOD, SPECIAL GLUE AND MAKE “SANDWICH”

Figure 3: Cutting the wood Figure 4: Special glue Figure 5: Sandwich

This Faber-Castell business has used high quality wood. This wood comes from their
own farm. They have a farm to make it easier for them to produce more pencils from the
Faber-Castell brand and at the same time, Faber Castell cultivates to ensure good wood to
be used in the production of pencils. In addition, there are two types of wood that have been
used, among them pine from Brazil and cedar from California. Next, the "slats" were cut from
the factory according to the prescribed shape. A worker arranges the "slats" and inserts them
into the grooving machine for monitoring. The resulting line on the "slats" has been called a
groove.

After that, special glue was placed in each groove using a special machine which is
a glue injection machine. This is to ensure that the pointer remains to the "slats". Workers
only need to monitor the machine throughout the process so that everything is in good
condition. Also, good quality lead will be fed into a metal wheel to be placed into the "slats".
A rotating metal wheel and conveyor belt will carry the "slats". The second "strait" becomes
the upper put on "slats" of the first. It is called and known as "sandwich". Sandwich are put
into a drum machine with hot air to dry. Duration required for 1 hour.

The next part is the sandwich is lifted from the drum machine with hot air to the
planning machine using a conveyor belt. Pencils are formed when going through this process.
There are many types including round, triangular or hexagonal. This type of pencil depends
on the program that has been selected. As a more detailed example, the picture above shows
that one sandwich can produce 10 pencils. After that, a worker lifts the almost finished pencil
to the painting and stamping section which is the next process.

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 PAINTING, STAMPLING AND DIPPING

Figure 6: Painting Figure 7: Stampling Figure 8: Dipping

A worker will mix the paint to get a beautiful and perfect colour. The picture above
shows a worker operating the mixer. The time required for the colour to mix is 15 to 30
minutes. The paint used is water-based. In addition, this water-based paint does not have a
bad effect on the environment because this paint dries easily and does not flow into the river.
When the pencil has been coated with several layers until it shines, the pencil will be sent to
the stamp process using a conveyor belt.

The stamp machine is used to stamp the Faber-Castell logo, EAN code and hardness
grade on the pencil. A worker will place all the pencils, one by one the pencils will be moved
to go through the stamp process using a conveyor belt.

After the stamp, the pencil will go through the dipping process. The tip of each pencil
will be dipped in paint. The pencil dipping machine has produced beautiful Faber-Castell
pencils. This machine has dipped to a certain depth. After finishing the dyeing process, all
the pencils will be sent to the drying room. The time required in the drying room is for 2 hours.

 QUALITY CONTROL

Figure 9: Quality control sharpening

After the drying process, the pencil will be sharpened with sandpaper. The pencils
will be taken on a conveyor belt to be checked by experts to detect defects in the pencils.

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Strict control will ensure that the pencil is in good condition and perfect. Each production
must make a visual inspection in order to ensure that the pencil is good or failed. When a
pencil fails, it will be rejected. After undergoing the compression stage, the pencil will be
monitored to assess diameter consistency. Next, the firing process is performed to check the
consistency of the diameter. After the lead has been impregnated, it is checked for break
resistance, stroke quality, hardness grade, straightness, diameter and uniform length. Any
pencil that fails will be rejected. Quality tests such as breaking test, sharpening test and
classification are done by experts.

 PACKAGING

Figure 11: Packaging in boxes

A worker sorting and packing pencils in a packing box. Each package has 12 pencils.
Pencils are packed using a machine and transferred using a conveyor belt. Finally, these
pencil packages will be placed in a large box to be transported and shipped around the world
such as in stationery stores and shopping malls. Therefore, this is the production of Faber-
Castell pencils which are always the best and brilliant and loved by many users.

2.7. UNIQUENESS OF FABER CASTELL 9000 GRAPHITE PENCIL

Faber-Castell is the oldest pencil manufacturer in the world founded in 1761. They
have a selection of standard and graphite pencils of the best quality in a wide variety of designs
and colours. The uniqueness found in their pencil products is like having black lead available
in hardness up to 16 degrees which is suitable for all purposes and needs of artists. In addition,
this pencil product uses a variety of woods, combined with fully bonded graphite lead which
makes it a perfect item for everyday writing. In addition, the Faber-Castell 9000 Graphite pencil
consists of six different lead grade pencils namely HB, B, 2B, 4B, 6B and 8B. The lead is fully
bonded to the hexagonal wooden casing which makes the lead highly shatter resistant and
the pencil body is also coated with an environmentally friendly water-based varnish. All in

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Faber-Castell signature dark green with gold stamped branding and labels. Its quality and
finely graduated degree of hardness have made it a favourite of many artists and illustrators.

2.8. ADVANTAGES OF FABER-CASTELL 9000 GRAPHITE PENCIL

Among the advantages of Faber-Castell 9000 graphite pencil product are as follows:

ADVANTAGES DESCRIPTIONS

Faber-Castell products are placed at reasonable prices

Affordable Price and are available to all sections of society at all market
price ranges

Faber-Castell produces the best graphite pencils in the

world where the graphite is smooth and provides
consistent coverage. It proved to be very high quality and
was liked by many customers. They can write and draw
Good Quality
smoothly, shade or sketch beautifully and can be erased
well and almost flawlessly even in the softest grades. The
fine quality and gradation of hardness grades have made
it the tool of choice for professional artists and painters.

This pencil product is completely non-toxic. This is

because all materials used in manufacturing are made up
Pencil Writing is
of natural materials which are completely safe such as
Environmentally Friendly
clay, graphite, wood and water-based lacquer.
Furthermore, wood is a renewable natural resource.

The pencil can also be used in every setting regardless of

weather conditions such as very cold and hot days
Convenience Product
because the lead does not react to the rise or fall in
temperature.

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2.9. DISADVANTAGES OF FABER-CASTELL 9000 GRAPHITE PENCIL

Among the disadvantages of Faber-Castell 9000 graphite pencil are as follows:

DISADVANTAGES DESCRIPTIONS

Intense Competition with Faber-Castell sees a lot of competition from other popular
Other Producers or brands like Staedtler. It also faces strong competition from
Competitors local brands which affects its limited market share.

As we all know, pencils are products that essentially need

to be sharpened periodically from time to time to write
accurately when they become dull. A suitable sharpener
Pencils Need to be
is not always within reach or in the average customer's
Sharpened
hand which makes the pencil not categorized as one of a
portable product when used while moving or away from
the desk.

3. CONCLUSION

In conclusion, Faber-Castell is a sizable company that has demonstrated its capacity

to handle all resources, processes, and has been able to produce various types of brand
products all over the world. According to the research, proper preparation is essential to
ensuring that all operations go as planned and according to the established standards. The
development of this pencil has benefited the global community in many ways, including the
field of illustration. This is due to the need for sketches to be made for projects and other
purposes in the illustration industry. Through study and development, the existence of this
pencil can also assist enhance life and propel the globe ahead and toward development. As
a result, Faber-Castell can continue to improve its products to boost sales and win over new
customers for its stationery products.

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4. REFERENCES

a) BOOK

 Dr Mariam Setapa, 2022. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES FOR BASIC Operations

Management 4th Edition

b) INTERNET

 Lucy. January 11, 2018. Faber-Castell: the brand behind the stationery

https://www.thepencompany.com/blog/meet-the-brand/faber-castell-
brand/#:~:text=The%20company's%20first%20ever%20product,still%20a%20popul
ar%20product%20now.

 The Production: Behind the Scenes at the Faber-Castell Factory

https://www.cassart.co.uk/blog/faber-castell-brand-
story#:~:text=The%20Castell%209000%20%2D%20a%20genuinely,is%20therefore
%20particularly%20break%2Dresistant.

 Sarah Read. April 27, 2017. Faber-Castell 9000 Graphite Pencil Tin Set Review

https://www.penaddict.com/blog/2017/4/27/faber-castell-9000-graphite-pencil-tin-
set-review

 Hitesh Bhasin. January 30, 2019. SWOT Analysis of Faber Castell

https://www.marketing91.com/swot-analysis-of-faber-castell/

 Castell 9000 Pencil – Features & Benefits

https://fabercastellusa.reamaze.com/kb/products-art-and-graphic/castell-9000-
pencil-features-and-benefits

 Rion Nakaya. How does Faber-Castell make pencils?

https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/faber-castell-pencils

 Graphite Pencil Castell 9000 by Faber-Castell

https://www.faber-castell.com.my/products/castell-9000/24-24-01-pencil

 Product Knowledge Manual

file:///C:/Users/Asus/Documents/uitm/SEM%205/MGT345%20(Operation%20manag
ement)/Warenkundehandbuch_ENGL.pdf

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