THE BUSINESS OF VISCOSITY BLOG

In this series we’ve been discussing the impact of changes in fluid properties, specifically viscosity, on the performance of robotic fixed displacement dispensing systems.  In the first installment, “Fixed Displacement Dispensing Doesn’t Guarantee Fixed Results”, we examined common dispensing defects, contrasting those that can be readily addressed through the implementation of a robotic fixed displacement dispensing system, and those that are the result of changes in physical fluid properties, which prove to be more resilient.

In our last segment, Fixed Displacement Dispensing Doesn’t Guarantee Fixed Results, we examined how viscosity variation impacts your robotic fixed displacement dispensing system and the many defects that can still exist, even in the most highly advanced of these systems.  In this installment, we look more closely at the phenomenon of bead profile, it’s importance to the quality of your end product, and why simply controlling path, dispense rate, and total volume does not guarantee that your process will produce consistently high-quality parts.

In our post, Why Customer Returns are the Worst for Can Makers, we compared
various industry return issues – including the automotive industry with its recent spate of recalls – and noted that can makers have an even larger issue with customer rejects because of:

In our post, Daily vs. Seasonal Temperature Changes, we compared average daily highs and lows over the year for more than a half-dozen cities across the globe and found that virtually all of them experience daily temperature swings in excess of 20°F!

Looking specifically at California, we noted:

“If we look at the… data for Los Angeles, we can see that the average temperature change from morning to evening is still between 15°F – 20°F year-round!”

"Painful as it may be, a significant emotional event can be the catalyst for choosing a direction that serves us more effectively. Look for the learning."
~ Louisa May Alcott

If you’ve ever endured a large customer return, you probably also vividly remember the impact that it had on your organization and the impetus for change that it brought. Anything that could prevent that from ever happening again was on the table.

In our post, Why Customer Returns are the Worst for Can Makers, we noted that the worst of all customer reject scenarios falls on manufacturers of the lowly metal can.

OK.

So we know it’s bad, but what can we do about it?

If you’ve been experiencing problems with placement and your stationary liners are older, you may be thinking that replacing them is the only solution. You also likely dread the capital investment, downtime, and mess associated with such a project.