The Manufacturing Advisory Service - West Midlands have helped a Malvern based manufacturer to improve their processes. 

Working in partnership with Polymer Training, the MAS intervention has put Wyvern Mouldings on the right road to attaining an internationally recognised accreditation as well as improving their efficiency and working methods. 

Andy Baker a technical consultant at Polymer Training, a newly accredited centre for MAS, paid a visit to Patrick Jones, chairman of Wyvern Mouldings. Patrick’s workshop manager Pete Daffin interrupted the meeting with an issue he had with a ball housing mould. Andy immediately pitched in and suggested that there was a distortion issue and came up with a solution via a series of processes to help correct it. 

Impressed by his work Patrick utilised Andy’s services further: “We were undergoing an audit for ISO 9001/2000 approval which required much more information than previous 1994 system. We had all the information stored and Andy showed us how we could make use of it in terms of machine utilisation, material usage and methods to reduce scrap and downtime. All of which has made us more efficient.

”The ISO 9001/2000 requires a more business-focused approach to production as opposed to a procedural approach. The extra detail required is to prove that constant improvements are being made so that customers get better service. 

Andy enthused: “Being part of MAS-WM and the DTI allows us to fund projects for smaller companies, who have found services such as ours essential, but inaccessible due to price or paperwork. The mountain of paperwork that’s traditionally involved before undertaking a project has put a lot of companies off in the past but the MAS model puts it into one small document, which is very easy to fill in and understand. Essentially it takes away the red tape.” 

The benefits of the training at Wyvern Mouldings became evident almost immediately.  Workshop manager Pete Daffin stated: “There’s actually a real difference between sending someone away on a training course where they’ll be shown the same things but on different machines, on different work in a different environment. The strongest benefit that I’ve seen, with the in-house training - is that it is using our machinery and our products.” 

Polymer Training also helped Pete overcome some of the processing issues that he had on the shop floor which allowed him to troubleshoot problems more effectively. By using a logical approach on the machines from start up he was able to get the optimum use out them. Andy also left a manual to which Pete could refer if other issues arose.

 Patrick Jones added: “We’ve been in business 26 years and from the start we have worked in a certain way. Inevitably this induces habits that are passed on from person to person and ideas can become old fashioned. The moulding machines of today require different techniques and Pete is enthusiastic and open minded enough to take advantage of the new ideas Polymer Training has introduced and to the new approaches that he hadn’t had access to in the past.” 

Pete concluded: “In just six weeks there has been less sinking on the mouldings, the machines are running better, and it’s looking really good. There’s less waste, production is quicker which is a real benefit to me the company and our customers.”