Planning a process plant with a Flashboard.

Example: Using a Flashboard to Help Crush Nuts for Oil

The process involves sorting and conditioning the raw nuts,

crushing the nuts,

screening out the solid cake

and filtering the oil through several stages.

The problem is that different pieces of equipment have different operating cycles.

If the cycles are not synchronised vital plant units have to be stopped to wait

for upstream feed or downstream ability to accept product.

Here is a suggested approach.

As the trucks are unloaded the load is tagged and becomes one or more production batches.

The person in charge assesses each batch and assigns one of several standard process plans

depending on the quality.

At this time the “FlashStrips” are made up for each stage in the process.

The “Flashboard” software can print these for you. It will calculate the length of each strip.

Then they have to be cut from the page, or you can use perforated stock.

You could use 5 strips for each batch:

For preparation:

Batch 0209

Preparation

Grade A 4000 kg

( 6 hours)

>>|

For pressing:

Batch 0209

Pressing

Grade A 4000 kg

(6 hours)

>|

For store after press

Batch 0209

Store in tank

Grade A 4000 kg

(6 hours)

>|

For primary filter:

Batch 0209

Filter

Grade A 1600 kg

(6 hours)

>|

For chilling:

Batch 0209

Chill

Grade A 1600 kg

(24 hours)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Q. What is the >>>| at the bottom of the strip?

A. Start of the following strip. (More later)

You also need some down time FlashStrips.

eg For the primary filter:

Primary Filter

Clean Down and Reset

(5 hours)

These are to be in a different colour.

Then set up your board...

Resource	am 6	8	10	12	pm 2	4	6	8	10	12	am 2	4	6	8	10	12	pm 2
Preparation	0209
Press & screen		0209
Tank 1		0209
Tank 2
Primary Filter		0209						Clean
Chiller 1		0209
Chiller 2
Chiller 3
Chiller 4
Chiller 5

This is a simplified diagram of the graphic approach using a loading board.

We cannot show you the detail here, but, because the approach is so instinctive, you can be confident that it will work, provided some basic rules are followed. These rules are detailed in the FlashBoard handbook. Here is a summary:

1. The board is there to support your planning discussions. If you don’t have a “stand-up meeting” in front of the board at least once a day, then it’s a waste of time.

2. The board has to be visible to all the key players in the plant. Don’t hide it away in someone’s private office.

3. You have to have a process to get work off the board. Make board accuracy one person’s strict responsibility.

4. Colour is good.

5. If you have a computer planning system, then drive it from the Flashboard. You use the scanner for this. Don’t let a computer system be a separate power in the works.