DMAIC Application and Fault Analysis of Metal Packaging in the Canning Industry

Abstract

In the food industry, quality assurance is strongly associated with consumer safety and the risk of compromising the purity of products. Specifically, in the canning industries, rusty, dented or bulging cans may contain bacteria and cause foodborne illness. This article discusses the application of DMAIC and failure analysis to reduce the number of crushed cans in a canning industry. The methodology was of an applied nature, with an exploratory objective, a qualitative and quantitative approach and a case study method used. Through statistical analysis, it was found that the amount of dented packaging in the production process, which comprises the steps of filling, seaming and basketing, was high. The step with the highest number of crushed cans between three stages was seaming. This was followed by the application of FMEA failure analysis related to the use of an automated seaming machine. Finally, an action plan was roposed to solve the problem of cans crushed in the seaming step and the results demonstrate the improvements obtained before the target after 4 months (August-November 2015).

Keywords

• DMAIC
• Six Sigma
• Fault Analysis
• Canning Industry