Vantrunk Cable Management Ltd, Liverpool.
Founded in the 1960's and once part of BICC, Vantrunk was the first company in the United Kingdom to manufacture and supply cable ladder products, leading the way with developments in the North Sea and applications in the petrochemical industry. As a worldwide market leader in the manufacture and supply of steel cable management products and support systems, Vantrunk have attained an enviable reputation for meeting the demanding schedules of the international design houses in the oil & gas sector. Now part of the Unitrunk Group, the site in Runcorn, Cheshire includes a 50,000sqft manufacturing facility and an 80,000sqft marshalling and storage yard used for major projects.
Winning a succession of major contracts to supply petrochemical companies in the Middle and Far East, Vantrunk found itself unable to deal with the vast array of customization, tight shipping schedules and stringent quality requirements demanded by this sector.
Giraffe Logic Mfg. Sys. was invited to:
- Comprehensively re-design the scheduling and production processes plus factory layout, to result in the guaranteed on-time shipping of large projects.
- Design universal jigs for welded assemblies, to allow the accurate and effi- cient production of customized product variations.
RESULTS OF NEW PROCESS:
- Overall production output increased by 47%.
- Welded assemblies output increased by 65%.
- Set-up times reduced by 50% for roll-forming plant.
- 100% on-time delivery record (over 3 years) for large projects.
- Re-makes & re-works reduced by 85%.
- Visual layout simplified shop floor management.
- Synchronization of assembly components ensured consistent output.
If proof were needed of the effectiveness of this project, it was found in the P&L. Substantial increases in efficiency made a significant improvement to our profitability and our ability to consistently deliver on time has established our reputation as a trusted supplier.
Kevin Campbell, Managing Director
Vantrunk Ltd.
Larsen Building Products Ltd, Belfast.
Larsen Building Products, as part of the Larsen group of companies, has been manufacturing quality building products since establishment in 1975. Larsen has now grown to become a market leading manufacturer of a comprehensive range of products for the construction industry. Larsen prides itself on the unrivalled quality of service offered to their customers, complimented by an unsurpassed level of technical back-up and know-how.
A victim of their own success, Larsen were finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with demand for their products. Giraffe Logic Mfg. Sys. was invited to design a process that would solve the following problems:
- Stock-out events occur regularly due to peaks in demand and increasing sales.
- Continual 'fire-fighting' is required to keep customers serviced.
- Management are often having to decide which customer gets priority.
- Continual changes in the production schedule force the sales team to con- tinually check the progress of orders.
RESULTS OF NEW PROCESS:
- 70% reduction in stock-out events.
- Ability to respond immediatly to peaks in demand.
- Accurate lead time projections possible.
- Management time freed from fire-fighting and prioritization.
- Sales team now confident in their delivery promises.
Our operation was already highly efficient but we lacked flexibility. After implementing the proposal we gained the flexibility needed to respond immediately to peaks in demand, thereby further building on our reputation for excellent customer service. A highly recommended service.
Peter McGill, Managing Director
Larsen Group
Unitrunk Ltd, Lisburn.
Established over 35 years ago as a family run engineering company, the Unitrunk Group is now the second largest manufacturer of cable management products in the UK and Ireland. They have manufacturing plants in Lisburn and Liverpool as well as operate depots in Dublin, Manchester, Harlow, Wolverhampton, Newcastle and Livingston in Scotland. With depots in geographically strategic locations, they offer an unsurpassed service to customers nationwide.
A rapid expansion of Unitrunk’s distribution network created demands beyond the capability of their existing production processes. Giraffe Logic Mfg. Sys. was invited to design a process that could attain the following goals:
- To guarantee ex-stock availability for the range of over 500 manufactured products - regardless of irregular demand.
- To guarantee a 10 day lead time on the range of over 1500 made-to-order products.
- Stock value must not increase.
RESULTS OF NEW PROCESS:
- Stock-out events virtually eliminated. (<10 in 5 years)
- Over-stocks totally eliminated.
- Machine utilization increased by 20%.
- Made-to-order products consistently supplied in <10 days.
- Fast-track facility for urgent items provides a 2 day turn around.
- Assembly bottlenecks eliminated
- Visual layout allows for easy shop floor management.
- 10% more stock lines held but stock value reduced.
Initially we were sceptical that the new system would work, as it seemed to fly in the face of our existing way of thinking. The results however exceeded all expectations, immediately delivering both savings and consistently higher productivity levels. In the last 5 years this system has not only paid for itself many times over but has greatly enhanced our ability to service our customers.
Marcus Morrow, Managing Director
Unitrunk Group
Shore Distribution Ltd, Lisburn.
Shore Distribution has developed an enviable reputation for the manufacture of high quality foil- wrapped kitchen and bedroom doors. They have further distinguished themselves within the industry by offering an unparalleled range of unique and highly attractive designs. In recent years they have concentrated on servicing the bespoke market, and have invested heavily in the latest CNC routering and pressing equipment . In 2006 the company expanded it's manufactur- ing capacity and moved to extensive modern premises
Moving to a new factory is always a costly process, but Shore Distribution recognized it as an opportunity to make some fundamental improvements to their manufactur- ing operation. Giraffe Logic Mfg. Sys. was asked to:
- Design both the layout and the manufacturing processes.
- Facilitate the installation of plant and equipment.
- Establish the new processes to quickly and fully realize the cost savings and enhanced customer service.
RESULTS OF NEW PROCESS:
- Output increased by 23%.
- Lead time on orders reduced by 40%.
- Work-in-process reduced by 35%.
- Raw material stock reduced by 14%.
- Marked improvement in utilization of personnel.
Our successful transition from bulk production to a largely made-to-order business has owed much to the new system. By having the manufacturing processes and the new factory layout designed simultaneously, we were able to hit the ground when we moved to the new premises. The visual nature of the system provides instant feedback on the progress of orders and this has proven the key to consistently delivering short lead times to our customers.
I am convinced that professionally designed processes are essential to achieving growth in a highly competitive market and can unreservedly recommend Giraffe Logic Mfg. Sys. as a trusted partner, who has continually kept our interests to the fore.
Stephen Shore, Managing Director
Shore Distribution Ltd.
Fusion Musical.
Based in the highly industrialized Hui Yang district of Guang Dong Province, south east China, Fusion Musical has quickly established itself as a trusted OEM supplier of quality stringed instruments. An innovative company, Fusion also produce the guitar-shaped controller for the Sony Playstation 3 game 'Guitar Hero' (branded 'Starpex' by Peak) . Fusion employs over 300 people with two factory sites running three production lines. Fusion works closely with its European partner IBC Trading who have many years experience in the high-end acoustic guitar sector. Together they provide a fully customizable design service, suppling extremly high quality acoustic guitars for many of the industries most prominent brand names.
WORK IN PROGRESS:
The first phase of the project with Fusion is still ongoing. Once complete, outcome details will be posted.
For more information please download our Case Studies PDF.
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