Optimization of Packaging Line Performance: A Case Study of AB Breweries in Nigeria

This paper presents an approach for improving productivity in breweries. A case study of AB brewery was adopted. Traditionally, packaging line improve performance and productivity based on extrapolation of past experience, but in recent times, the traditional method could not meet up with high increase in demand of products, hence the need to adopt a new approach of using information technology and software to analyze problems and improving performance. Eleven weeks of the following data were collected and calculated; production outputs and running time; OPI and Target; and Packaging line downtimes. Downtimes were grouped into machine breakdown, planned downtime, and external downtimes and analyzed with histogram to know the impact of each group to the overall downtimes. To apply fishbone diagram, it was further grouped into Material, Method, Man and Machine after which a Pareto graph was plotted to understand the area of focus in tackling production system problems. Tecnomatrix plant simulation software was adopted to develop a simulation model that mimic the real system which further found hidden problems existing within the production system. Design of experiment was carried out to select the best alternatives from the results generated, and finally excel spreadsheet interface was developed for better analysis and performance tracking of optimized system. Result of data analysis indicated that machine breakdown and external downtimes were the major problems affecting performance, while simulation model revealed that unregulated system and un-optimized regulated lines recorded high machine breakdown and speed losses which affected the production performance output respectively. Design of experiment found the best speed combination of sensors to optimize two labellers.