Establishing Waste Reduction Benchmarks and Good Manufacturing Practice for Open Mold Laminating

David R. Hillis

Funding provided by North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance

Acknowledgments and Notice Sincere appreciation is expressed to Dr. Darryl Davis for his help and guidance on this project. Special thanks is extended to Mr. Gene Jackson and his staff at Eastern Fiberglass, Incorporated. This company provided facilities and help without which this project could not have been completed. Finally the author wishes to thank the North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance for their support and assistance. Every effort has been made to insure that the information provided in this paper is accurate. However, neither the author or East Carolina University is endorsing the products or services provided by any of the companies mentioned in this report. David R. Hillis Department of Industrial Technology School of Industry and Technology East Carolina University Greenville, NC 2785814353 (919) 328-4147 ITHILLISQ HOMER.SIT.ECU.EDU

Establishing Waste Reduction Benchmarks and Good Manufacturing Practice for Open Mold Laminating David R. Hillis Executive Summary This paper illustrates how to use planned experimentation to establish benchmarks and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) needed to achieve waste and cost reduction in a fiberglass lamination facility. The work described in this study was carried out at a boat building plant in eastern North Carolina. The study examined two types of spray guns and two resins (provides four combinations of equipment and resin) to construct the fiberglass laminate in a 16 boat. Of the four methods examined, the low styrene resin and an internal mix spray gun coupled with appropriate application methods provided the best results. This combination of equipment, materials, and manufacturing methods led to the establishment of benchmarks and GMP. When instituted for this specific model of boat, this practice can reduce the total material waste by more than half to 19.5 pounds from a base of 51.3 pounds. This reduction represents a 7.2% overall savings in total material based on a total laminate weight of 442 pounds. To achieve these savings the benchmarks and GMP must be documented and the workforce instructed to adopt the practice so that it becomes a work habit. After this is done, the results of day-to-day production must be continually compared to the benchmarks to determine if the GMP is still being followed. If the manufacturing unit is not meeting the benchmarks, then the metrics being collected will provide the workforce with the data needed to begin problem solving.

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Establishing Waste Reduction Benchmarks and Good Manufacturing Practice for Open Mold Laminating David R. Hillis Introduction Dr. Darryl Davis, Dean of the School of Industry and Technology, wrote a manual ten years ago titled Pollution Reduction Strategies in the Fiberglass Boatbuilding and Open Mold Plastics /Industry. The intent of the author was to provide practical information on reducing waste and pollution from fiberglass laminating operations. That manual was well received by manufacturers, but it became dated due to changes in regulations, technology, and manufacturing practice. Two years ago the Office of Waste Reduction, North Carolina Department of Environment , Health, and Natural Resources funded a project to revise the manual to reflect current practice in the industry. The revision focused on linking the strategies for waste reduction with those aimed at improving profitability of the manufacturing operation. The authors felt that a coordinated strategy should enable a manufacturer to achieve both objectives - waste reduction and profitability. To attain the goal of increasing profits through waste reduction, the manual attempted to provide readers with an overview of available materials and laminating technologies. Case studies were also included to illustrate how specific technologies and materials were applied by manufacturers. The manual also included a new set of techniques that would enable a manufacturer to quantify waste streams and establish benchmarks for good performance. These techniques are called Metrics. Metrics emphasizes quantifying performance to: establish true costs of waste. l measure gains achieved in waste/cost reduction. l determine the manufacturing operations conversion efficiency. l assess variability in manufacturing performance. l determine if the operations are in control. With this information, laminators can begin the development of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). In our research, we have found that establishing good manufacturing practice enables an organization to implement an improvement strategy for waste reduction and profitability.

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Good Manufacturing Practice A way to understand what good manufacturing is can begin by understanding what GMP accomplishes. Specifically GMP is designed to: l provide a high level of consistency. l control variability. l reduce waste. prevent back-sliding from established standards of performance. l l provide a basis for training operators. Why is the adoption of good manufacturing practice so important? In brief, GMP is the organizational equivalent of personal craftsmanship. In the fiberglass boat-building industry, companies routinely hire unskilled or marginally skilled workers to build their sophisticated and complicated products. The training that is provided is generally on-the-job with little follow through or reinforcement. All too often this practice leads to poor quality, lack of profitability, and poor . environmental practice. Those companies that are successful in providing quality products profitably while meeting environmental requirements are examples of firms using GMP. A manufacturing organization using GMP is able to: l consistently meet its own specifications. l meet industry standards and practice. l comply with statutory requirements. To be able to consistently perform in this manner, a company has a lot of work and planning to do. Fortunately the list of things to do is not too long. The major tasks are: l design the product to effectively use a specific set of manufacturing technologies which are available to the organization. l quantify performance measures for the materials, methods and technologies used to manufacture the product. l identify the preferred materials, methods and technologies to make the product. l define how the methods and techniques are used -- establishing good manufacturing practice. l maintain records of performance. l train employees to use the methods and techniques. l train employees to be effective problem solvers. When these tasks are completed, the company will have a manufacturing system, based on GMP, that provides predictable performance subject only to common cause variability. In a lamination operation this means: l working characteristics of the laminate are predictable.

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. . .

the sequence of events and time required to complete the laminate is predictable. management does not sequence work to keep workers occupied, but focuses on completing the laminate on a specified time schedule. there are predictable results in product flow to completion, labor content, material conversion efficiency, as well as product specification.

Who is involved in establishing GMP? When reviewing the list of tasks required to implement good manufacturing practice, it is apparent that the individuals responsible for product design, manufacturing, and management must be involved. However, the most important group in the process is management. It is their support, guidance, and desire that will establish good manufacturing practice. Fortunately for manufacturers there is help available. Over the past ten years there has been an international effort to formalize the management process that guides the establishment of good manufacturing practice. This effort has produced the IS0 series of standards. IS0 Standards In 1987 the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) introduced the IS0 9000 series of quality management standards and guidelines. These standards have had an enormous effect on businesses globally. The standards are intended to ensure equality in quality performance between trading nations. Globally there are over one hundred thousand IS0 9000 registered organizations and the number is increasing rapidly. IS0 9000 series consists of three standards that apply to the manufacturing and distribution process. The most limited standard is the IS0 9003 standard which covers only testing and final inspection in an organization. IS0 9002 includes production control systems in addition to all the requirements in the IS0 9003 standard. The IS0 9001 standard is the most comprehensive and consists of product design control systems in addition to all the requirements found in the 9002 standard. There are advantages for both the company and the customer for becoming certified under the IS0 9000 series. These advantages include improvements in efficiency, productivity, and in the quality of the products and services. Improvements like these can translate into a reduction in costs which means improved profitability and customer satisfaction and confidence in the company. Recently a new series of standards has emerged, IS0 14000. This series focuses on environmental management tools and systems. IS0 14000 will deal with a companys system for managing its day-to-day operations in relation to its impact on the environment. At present, only one portion of the standard is available, Environmental Management System Auditing. The approach that will be taken with IS0 14000 certification process is similar to that of IS0 9000 in that it helps companies to evaluate and compare their work

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to others who are meeting their environmental obligations. This process of comparing performance is a fundamental component of benchmarking and good manufacturing practice. Companies complying to the IS0 14000 standards will benefit from expanded opportunities in international trade while meeting their environmental obligations. IS0 14000 will also prevent the environmental needs of a nation from becoming a trade barrier for their manufacturing sector. For regional businesses like boat building the requirement to become IS0 certified is probably not pressing. But, the reasons for certification impact all manufacturers regardless of their size or the scope of their market. Consequently, adopting good manufacturing practice and creating a profitable and environmentally responsible organization is simply a good business objective. In summary, it appears that environmental management will become a necessity for doing business. Benchmarking Benchmarking is a performance measurement tool used in conjunction with improvement initiatives. It is designed to provide a realistic standard for comparing operating performance and for identifying good manufacturing practices. Consequently, benchmarking is a continuous process of measuring, analyzing, and comparing performance to an established standard or benchmark. Comparisons can be made against practices within the organization or to industry and/or government standards. The objective is to identify benchmarks for the best practices being used and to adopt them as the companys standard of performance. Resin Application Process and Industry Practice A key manufacturing practice in the composites industry is the method of applying resin. The application method used has a significant impact on a lamination operations conversion efficiency - the percentage of purchased materials that become part of the finished laminate. In boat building, improving the conversion efficiency of the lamination operation is key in minimizing the amount of waste generated. Much of the recent work on conversion efficiency has centered on one waste stream, styrene. Styrene is in most laminating resins currently used in fiberglass boat building. In the resin, styrene serves as a solvent and as a needed component in the chemical reaction that creates the fiberglass laminate. Waste is generated because most resin application systems allow styrene to escape into the air during its transfer from the storage tank to the open mold. Additional styrene is lost while the laminate is curing in the mold. To reduce this waste, a manufacturer needs to carefully evaluate resin application systems and establish benchmarks on their performance for the type of product being laminated. This is a necessary step in developing good manufacturing practice for open mold lamination.

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Open mold fiberglass boat builders have a choice of two basic methods for applying resin to open molds. Each method of resin application has numerous and widely different technologies. Resin application methods: Spraying, examples of some common spray systems include: l * Conventional external-mix spray guns * High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP) guns Liquid Application, examples of these methods are: l * Pressure-fed resin rollers * Flow coaters Of the two methods, spraying is generally regarded as the least effective in terms of transfer efficiency for moving resin from the storage container to the mold. The polyester resins which are widely used by boat builders are thick and not easily sprayed without the addition of a solvent. Fortunately, styrene which is a required component in the chemical reaction is also an excellent solvent. However, much of the styrene is lost to the atmosphere during the spray operation. The evaporation of styrene and over-spray generally causes a significant reduction in transfer efficiency. Many spray guns mix the catalyst with the resin externally in the spray pattern. This approach has two advantages. First, the chance that the gun will plug from cured resin is greatly reduced. A second advantage occurs because the catalyst spray can be seen by an observant operator -- confirming that the resin is being catalyzed. There are also several disadvantages to this form of resin application. Spray application is inherently messy even when done with care. With external mix spray guns the stand-off distance must be sufficiently great to allow the catalyst to mix with the resin. This distance provides more opportunities for styrene evaporation and more over-spray. Consequently, this method of application can result in high VOC emissions, housekeeping problems, generation of solid waste, and worker exposure to airborne styrene. Liquid application of resin eliminates the need for atomization of styrene while moving resin from the storage container to the mold. In virtually all liquid application systems, the resin is placed directly on the reinforcement in the mold. Therefore, these application methods provide good wet-out even with reduced styrene resins and the elimination of over-spray which results in good transfer efficiency. Problems with liquid application methods are the higher costs of the equipment and associated tooling or in the case of resin rollers reduced productivity. Some of the less expensive liquid application systems (resin rollers) have been used by boat builders with success. However, in general many companies feel that the rollers are difficult to use on complex molds or the labor content increases significantly due to their use.

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During the past few years several manufacturers have been working on closed mold methods to fabricate fiberglass boats. These methods are described in Waste Reduction Strategies for Fiberglass Fabricators by Hillis and Davis. Nearly all of these closed-mold techniques offer significant reductions in waste streams to the atmosphere. However, solid wastes from catalyzed resin captured in overflow tanks, disposable mold covers, and grinding/sanding dusts currently limit the transfer efficiency and practicality of these methods. The efforts of the manufacturers developing these closed-mold technologies continue and there is a possibility that closed molding may ultimately replace open molding for production of low-volume units at the upper end of the price scale. Project Objectives The choice of application methods (liquid or spray) is dictated by the product characteristics, lamination specifications, volume, mold design, and costs. However, once the method of application is specified, a builder still has to choose from a variety of different types of equipment. Developing a process for making a selection based on waste reduction was a key objective of this study. Another objective was to demonstrate how to set up benchmarks and then use them to identify and establish good manufacturing practices for a specific boat building operation. Establishing Benchmarks & Criteria for Constructing a 16 Foot Boat The first four tasks for establishing good manufacturing practice outline the steps to be followed. Again, these tasks are: l design the product along with a specific manufacturing technology. l quantify performance measures for the materials, methods, and technologies used to manufacture the product. l determine preferred techniques and methods to make the product. l define how the methods and techniques are used -- establishing good manufacturing practice. This project, however, was constrained to the last three steps. The first step had to be accepted as a given since the boat and lamination design were already established for spray application of resin. Materials and spray equipment, however, were changed and evaluated. The boat studied in this project was a 16 foot fiberglass skiff shown in Figure 1. This boat, sold through a dealer network for utility and pleasure use, is in production at a small fiberglass boat manufacturer in eastern North Carolina. Specifications for the boat are: 16 2 Length Beam 75 Transom height 20 750 pounds Design weight

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Figure 1. The skiff with a center console added after construction The materials used to construct this boat are typical of those found in most small fiberglass boats. The following list shows the major material classifications and how the material was issued to the lamination department. Material List Fiberglass woven roving precut kits for each boat gun roving bulk in 50 pound boxes Other reinforcement core mat precut kits for each boat plywood precut kits for each boat wood 2 X 6 framing precut grid for each boat Resin gel coat bulk in 55 gallon drums laminating resin bulk in 55 gallon drums catalyst bulk in gallon containers Miscellaneous urethane foam for floatation bulk in 55 gallon drums plastic tubing, conduit precut kits for each boat bulk in gallon containers Putty flooring staples sticks for staple gun In the study, all materials used were weighed prior to application. Before and after weights were obtained for bulk issued materials so that the actual issue weight could be determined. The focus for quantifying performance was on the total waste created during the manufacturing process. Specifically all materials going into the manufacturing process were weighed and the boat as it was being made was weighed. Overspray, trimmings, floor scrap, etc. were also weighed and accounted for during the manufacturing process. There was also some waste that was not captured
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and therefore labeled as Waste Not Classified. The magnitude of this waste category was determined by subtracting the finished boat weight and the total waste captured from the total weight of materials issued. The total amount of waste generated was summarized as a percent of the resin used to construct the boat. Determining which manufacturing practice works best in terms of waste reduction requires a formal study. The company participating in this study used a spray chopper gun to apply resin. The boat being manufactured was designed for this type of resin application. In addition to applying resin, this gun also dispensed as glass chop about 50% of all the fiberglass used in the boat. Consequently, for this manufacturer the gun was the primary waste generator. Given these constraints, a study comparing gun types (spray application with glass chop) was developed to measure the magnitude of the waste streams. The study also evaluated the effect of lower styrene resin on spray application since the amount of styrene available as a solvent is believed to be a factor in spray application and waste generation. . To accomplish the study, an experiment was designed to evaluate two types of spray guns and two types of polyester resin. These variables were identified as Xl for the spray gun and X2 for resin type. A graphical depiction of the experiment is shown in Figure 2.

Low Styrene, < 35%

X2, Resin

Normal Styrene, >40% External Mix

Xl, Spray Gun

Internal Mix

Figure 2. The four conditions studied in the experiment. The specifics for these variables are as follows. Spray guns (Xl) Magnum external mix, the low (-) level for this variable.

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Venus-Gusmer internal mix, the high (+) level for this variable. Resin type based on styrene content (X2) Styrene at 40 % content (Ashland Chemical), the low (-) level for this variable. Styrene at <35% content (Cook Composite and Polymers), the high (+) level for this variable. In the study, a complete boat was tracked for each of the four possible conditions in the experimental design. The procedure that was followed is outlined below. l all materials used in the construction of the boat were weighed. the clean empty mold was weighed before lamination and after the boat was l pulled from the mold. l the boat weight in the mold was tracked during construction. l over-spray panels were placed around the mold and weighed before and after construction. Solid scrap was collected and weighed. Waste amounts were calculated for each boat tracked. l a waste percentage as a function of the resin used was calculated. To determine the weight of the boat during lamination, a set of load cells were placed under the mold. Figures 3 and 4 show the mold on the load cells and one load cell at a corner of the mold. A central control panel allowed for direct reading of the mold weight during the entire lamination process.

Figure 3. The boat mold sitting on load cells with one over-spray panel in place. The load cell connectors are being plugged into the control panel.

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Figure 4. One of four load cells in place under the mold Once the mold was placed on the load cells the over spray panels were set up around the mold. The panels were about 36 to 42 inches from the side of the mold. The panels consisted of polyethylene film stretched over a plastic frame. The frames were five feet tall. After the panels were in place the lamination process was able to proceed. The sequence of operations were: Operations Sequence 0 spray gel coat. 0 apply a layer of resin and fiberglass chop. 0 lay in core mat, glass cloth, and resin. 0 apply a layer of resin and fiberglass chop. 0 lay in wood reinforcing in the transom and place the wood grid then spray resin and fiberglass chop. 0 place floatation foam. 0 place floor then spray resin and fiberglass chop. 0 lay in glass cloth, resin, and fiberglass chop. 0 remove boat from mold. 0 trim gunnel (top outside edge of the boat). Figure 5 shows an operator using an external-mix gun spraying chop and resin into the mold. The continuous glass roving (straight white line) can be seen entering the gun where it is chopped into strands about long. An over spray panel can be seen directly behind the operator.

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Figurme 5. Spraying fiberglass chop into the boat rnold Results of the study The results of the study are summarized in Table 1. The plus signs in the table represent the high levels for the respective variables, Xl and X2. The high level for Xl is the internal mix spray gun and for X2 it is the low-styrene resin. As an example, the boat built on 1 O/8/96 used the internal mix spray gun and the lowstyrene resin. The Y column is the result, the amount of waste created per pound of resin used expressed as a percentage. Therefore, the total waste for the boat built on 10/8/96 was 10.9 % of the total weight of the resin used in the lamination of the boat. \ Table 1. Results of the study. Date of Construction 1O/08/96 8/09/96 1l/08/96 6/l 8196 Xl (gun) + + I 0 X2 (resin) + + Y 10.9 % 10.9 18.0 19.2 .

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From the table one can see that the internal-mix gun dropped waste between 7.1 to 8.3 %. The use of low-styrene resin did not appear to have the same impact on waste reduction. However, this would be an inaccurate interpretation of the study since the results are reported on the basis of waste per pound of resin used. When the low-styrene resin was used with the internal-mix gun, the actual percentage of glass in the laminate increased substantially. The companys normal manufacturing practice yielded a percentage of glass in the laminate of 37.5%. When the low-styrene resin was used with the internal-mix gun the amount of resin required dropped substantially thus raising the percentage of glass in the laminate to 48%. In practice, this makes a stronger less expensive boat hull - a very desirable outcome. Consequently, the low-styrene resin reduced total waste since the amount of resin was reduced. The reduction in waste can be explained as follows. + An external-mix spray gun requires the operator to hold the gun away from the spraying surface so that there will be sufficient travel distance for catalyst mixing. An internal-mix gun completely mixes the resin and catalyst in the nozzle eliminating the need for a stand-off distance. Figure 6 illustrates this difference. + Reducing spray distance reduces over-spray, a source of waste. + The internal-mix gun provided a flat uniform swath of chop - a more precise spray pattern minimizes over-spray. + Reducing spray distance lessens styrene loss which serves as a solvent to enhance wet-out of fiberglass. + The low-styrene (slightly less than 35% styrene by weight) resin supplied by Cook Composite and Polymers also had superior wet-out characteristics. Figure 7 shows the results of a test for resin wet-out properties. These wetout characteristics were also found to be present in low-styrene resin supplied by Reichhold Chemicals. + Using a low-styrene resin will provide a dryer looking laminate immediately after spraying. However, if the resin is allowed to sit before being rolled the glass will wet-out. The excellent wet-out characteristics of the resin coupled with the reduced styrene loss from using an internal-mix gun eliminates the need to flood the laminate with resin to wet-out the glass chop or the woven roving. These factors reduced the amount of resin needed to make the laminate.

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standoff distance required for external-

no standoff distance required for internal-

internal mix guns.

The wet-out properties are determined by pouring a precise volume of resin into a clear plastic test frame and then measuring the saturated area. In this test the low-styrene resin is on the left and the normal laminating resin is on the right. Note the larger saturated area for the low-styrene resin.

Figure 7. Comparison of resin wet-out properties. Benchmarks Based on the information gathered during the study, the amount of fiberglass laminate in this boat using current manufacturing practice averaged 442 pounds, The study found that the average fiberglass content in the laminate is 37.5%. Consequently, the companys current manufacturing practice provided the benchmarks shown in Table 2.

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Table 2. Benchmarks for current manufacturing practice. Material Resin Glass Laminate weight Waste Weight in Pounds 276 166 442 51.3 Percentage 37.5 % of laminate weight 18.6 % of resin

If the internal-mix gun and the low styrene resin used in the study were adopted to develop good manufacturing practice then a new set of benchmarks can be established, Table 3. Table 3. Benchmarks for good manufacturing practice. Material Resin Glass Laminate weight
Waste

Weight in Pounds 179 166 345 19.5

Percentage 48.0 % of laminate weight

10.9

% of resin

These benchmarks indicate that waste would be reduced from 51.3 to 19.5 pounds, a decrease of 31.8 pounds per boat. Overall, this is a 62 % reduction in waste or a 7.2 % overall reduction in laminate material. To achieve this performance on a consistent basis will require the manufacturer to adopt the manufacturing practice that established these new benchmarks. Good Manufacturing Practice During this investigation the companys personnel willingly adopted manufacturers (material and equipment) recommendations and sought out advice from skilled colleagues to develop appropriate manufacturing practice for the materials and equipment used in the study. They also conducted some trial runs and made changes and modifications to equipment and tooling to improve their manufacturing practice. Because of their efforts the investigators, were able to establish benchmarks on conversion efficiency and waste streams for an entire boat for all four experimental conditions. The results of the study indicate that the internal mix Venus Gusmer chopper gun and low-styrene resin provided benchmarks that provide a significant reduction in waste when compared to present practice. The work methods and techniques used to attain these benchmarks, therefore, define good manufacturing practice. Some of the key practices that constitute good manufacturing practice using the internal-mix spray gun and low-styrene resin are listed below. insure that the temperature (documented) of the resin, mold, and room are within the allowable range that guarantees adequate resin working time. l adjust the gun to predetermined pressure settings (documented) for the resin.
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l l

verify that the catalyst percentage is correct and that catalyst no-flow alarm is operating. spray close to the mold - 9 to 18 inches. soaking time -- spray the resin and let stand for a least two minutes before rolling. If rolled immediately, the roller will pull the laminate creating voids and air pockets. dont add more resin to aid wet-out in a dry-looking laminate. Its more difficult to work out resin-rich areas when using low-styrene resin. weigh out glass and resin materials so glass to laminate ratios can be calculated and compared to benchmarks.

These items summarize some the of knowledge and skill needed to achieve the benchmarks that were established with this equipment. The key to continued success in meeting the benchmarks will be the ongoing use of good manufacturing practice. If the current personnel in the lamination department leave the company, the practice will be lost unless it is well documented. This means that laminating crews are going to have to keep records of what they do and record data like temperatures, weights, material lot numbers, etc. for each boat built. They will also have to continuously compare results with benchmarks and take action if there is unusual variation from the benchmarks. In addition to the record keeping, pictures and video tape should be taken of the lamination process to record the habits and techniques that are part of good manufacturing practice. Maintaining pictures and video tape of lamination operations will also insure that current practice can be compared to the good manufacturing practice that established the benchmarks. This will provide the information needed to train new people that enter the department. This visual record will also aid in problem solving and process improvement. Significantly improved performance often occurs unexpectedly such as when a new lot of resin arrives or when a different piece of equipment is used. In these instances the lamination crews will have the information needed to help them understand why better performance occurred. Once the reason for better performance has been determined, new benchmarks can be established thus creating a new definition of good manufacturing practice. Process improvement is an important part of good manufacturing practice. In small companies that can not afford to develop breakthrough technologies or methodologies, the process of establishing good manufacturing practice provides an effective means to reduce waste and thereby improve profits. Summary In an ideal situation, product design and the design of the manufacturing process should be developed together. Design goals can then be established as benchmarks for manufacturing performance. However, most boat builders are limited in the near term by economics and laminate design to specific resin-

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application systems. This study accepted this limitation as a given. However, even when limited to one type of resin application system there are always alternatives available to a manufacturer. Experimentation can provide a builder with a means to evaluate alternative materials and equipment that have the potential to reduce waste and therefore cost. It is unlikely that changing over to different materials and spraying equipment will by themselves raise the level of performance of an organization. Improvement in performance requires the establishment of benchmarks and then documenting the manufacturing practice needed to achieve these benchmarks. Once the GMP has been identified then everyone involved in achieving the benchmarks must be trained in the relevant manufacturing practice. Finally the organization must audit its manufacturing practice to insure that the GMP is being followed and benchmarks are being met. If there is a discrepancy between benchmarks and production performance then the manufacturing unit responsible has to be able to problem solve and restore its level of performance. Steady state performance however is not the goal. Continued improvement in waste reduction (cost reduction) is the intent of this effort. Therefore, once the manufacturing unit has achieved the benchmarks the next step is to reset them to improved levels by instituting a new program of experimentation. In this study there were four combinations of equipment and materials used each combination was able to build a satisfactory boat. However, through experimentation, one combination was found to be more effective than the others. In practice, the benchmarks and good manufacturing practice for this combination of equipment and material must be documented and the workforce instructed to adopt the practice so that it becomes a work habit. Once this is done, the results of day-to-day production are continually compared to the benchmarks to determine if good manufacturing practice is still being followed. If the manufacturing unit is not meeting the benchmarks, then the metrics being collected provide the workforce with the data needed to begin problem solving. The variety of problems that occur every day in a lamination department can easily overwhelm a supervisor. Therefore, it is unlikely that one supervisor has enough time to compare all data to benchmarks and then initiate corrective action when needed. Consequently, each individual involved in lamination needs to learn how to be an effective problem solver. Training in problem solving therefore is as important as instruction in good manufacturing practice.

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References DeVor, R. E., Chang, T., & Sutherland, J. W. (1992). Statistical qualitv desiqn and control. New York: Macmillan. Hillis, D. R. & Davis, A. D. (1995). Waste reduction strategies for fiberqlass fabricators. Raleigh, NC: Office of Waste Reduction.

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