The Cost Of A Powder Stoppage

Operations managers cope with powder jams on a recurring basis. At least once a month, there may be a more significant event that brings production to a halt and seriously affects output for that day. You my hear words like: “Quick, get the hammer. Bang the hopper a couple of times until you can see the powder coming out again. Once you get it going, stay there for a few minutes in case it jams again. Check the fill level and make sure that we have plenty of powder in there. Let me know if you see anything else.” However, the more critical statement that might come is: “Stop production. Shut everything down. We have a serious jam.” This indicates that product quality may no longer meet specification.