Posted by Joe Spitz on Tue, Dec 04, 2012 @ 09:10 PM
To continue my series of household applications using Intercept to protect personal belongings from rust/corrosion, mold and mildew, here is a story about my snow blower.
Read More
Posted by Joe Spitz on Sat, Dec 01, 2012 @ 10:18 AM
“Joy in looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift.” ~Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)
Read More
Posted by Elaine Spitz on Tue, May 29, 2012 @ 07:32 PM
Yes, I spelled it correctly; "going grean", according to The Converting Curmudgeon, is the process of combining the tenets of environmentalism with those of lean manufacturing. Concerns over the
environmental impact of packaging, as well as health and cost issues, can be assuaged by manufacturers "going grean". The Curmudgeon (Mark Spaulding) writes about a recent Converting Influence meeting featuring a presentation by Dr. Steven Dunn, associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and director of the school's Center for Sustainable Enterprise. Dunn is a former packaging manufacturing and logistics manager for H.J. Heinz Co. and author of
The Green Baron (Trafford Publishing).
According to Spaulding, Dr. Dunn explained why the focus on "going GREAN" is important:
Read More
Posted by Elaine Spitz on Wed, May 16, 2012 @ 09:25 AM
Efficiency is important. Having to do a job two or three times in order to make it right is a waste; it's also not very much fun either (you are currently reading my third draft). There are times where such redundancy is necessary. An example we at the ITG use to display this is the case of the armor-plated Humvee cabs.
Read More
Posted by Elaine Spitz on Fri, Apr 01, 2011 @ 04:38 AM
Two servicemen showed up at 10 a.m. and opened the three large boxes of washing machine replacement parts that had been decorating our living room for a week. The protective packaging consisted of a corrugated three foot cube box - no inner packing materials; some loose corrugated supports - no bubble wrap, no newspaper, no packing peanuts, no air pillows - nothing to cushion the item inside. Evidently, a simple corrugated carton could not withstand whatever treatment it received in the warehouse and during shipment. The rigid nylon bearing tub part, essential to the job, was cracked on two sides - not usable.
The servicemen wisely inspected the delivered parts before tackling the washing machine repair project. Unfortunately, due to the bad packaging, the new bearing was broken - it was evident that the carton had been compromised on two sides. Our intrepid servicemen were now required to call around for any local supplier that might have a famous brand front-loader spare bearing tub on hand. After 30 minutes on the phone, one was located. These conscientious workers then drove an hour, rearranged appointments (likely an inconvenience for those customers), and sent more defective parts into the landfill. The not-useful packaging needed to be discarded also; now twice!
We’re grateful we had the presence of mind to extend the service contract on this four-year-old washing machine, as this job required $800 worth of parts, plus the labor of these two gentlemen not including the drive to retrieve the replacement for the broken replacement part. They were back by noon and had the washer operating smoothly in just over two hours (good guys, Fred and Arnie from A&E Repair).
This seems a classic example of a manufacturer creating more waste by using less packaging or incorrect packaging. And it affects product reliability in ways we may not even notice. What if the part was only lightly damaged and the servicemen were unaware of that and installed it into the washer today, only to encounter a defect that would affect the whole life of the machine down the road?
Read More