Never saw this before
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It's so common it's considered to be normal. Some lines, especially those which use very light containers with respect to the product, use a continuous jet of air past the fillers so that empty cans/bottles/bags are automatically thrown out of the line. Sometimes even this clever solution fails to work because sudden slight changes to the speed of a conveyor line can push products toghether in a compact group and friction will keep the empties on the line, ready to be packed. Automatic quality control over production lines is hell, especially with companies that produce 20-30 items per second for prolonged periods of times (sometimes even weeks) without a single interruption.
* CALL APOGEE, SAY AARDWOLF * GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X * Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game. * I'm a puny punmaker.
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It's so common it's considered to be normal. Some lines, especially those which use very light containers with respect to the product, use a continuous jet of air past the fillers so that empty cans/bottles/bags are automatically thrown out of the line. Sometimes even this clever solution fails to work because sudden slight changes to the speed of a conveyor line can push products toghether in a compact group and friction will keep the empties on the line, ready to be packed. Automatic quality control over production lines is hell, especially with companies that produce 20-30 items per second for prolonged periods of times (sometimes even weeks) without a single interruption.
* CALL APOGEE, SAY AARDWOLF * GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X * Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game. * I'm a puny punmaker.
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It does seem odd. The simplest possible quality check would be to weigh the cans as they come off the conveyor belt. Apparently Coca Cola would rather handle the few complaints than invest in the necessary machinery. Given that failure is hardly life-threatening, that's probably a wise business decision.
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack. --Winston Churchill
Daniel Pfeffer wrote:
would be to weigh the cans as they come off the conveyor belt.
They do. They simply go too fast for checkweighters to be useful.
Daniel Pfeffer wrote:
than invest in the necessary machinery
They're also doing so, each year they buy a freaking lot of new machines to substitute those that they can - sometimes though their production environments are too cramped and can't accomodate different machines unless they redesign the whole chain. so not all factories have the latest QA machines.
* CALL APOGEE, SAY AARDWOLF * GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X * Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game. * I'm a puny punmaker.
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Loaded a case of diet coke into office refrigerator and found this: an unopened empty can. How could this pass the quality control?
TOMZ_KV
A simple quality check is to have a powerful fan blowing onto the conveyor belt. All empty cans will be just blown away*. * This is not my idea. I heard this a few years ago, with respect to finding empty boxes in the soap manufacturing industry.
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A simple quality check is to have a powerful fan blowing onto the conveyor belt. All empty cans will be just blown away*. * This is not my idea. I heard this a few years ago, with respect to finding empty boxes in the soap manufacturing industry.
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A simple quality check is to have a powerful fan blowing onto the conveyor belt. All empty cans will be just blown away*. * This is not my idea. I heard this a few years ago, with respect to finding empty boxes in the soap manufacturing industry.
It doesn't always work - not all lines have a single lane. Also ,as I wrote a couple of posts ago, there are conditions when line pressure is high and empty cans are kept pressed between full ones.
* CALL APOGEE, SAY AARDWOLF * GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X * Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game. * I'm a puny punmaker.
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Loaded a case of diet coke into office refrigerator and found this: an unopened empty can. How could this pass the quality control?
TOMZ_KV
From the mid 80's to the mid 90's, I worked at a cereal manufacturing facility. Each carton was checked for weight, and if underweight, the air 'pushed' it off the line. As others have said, quality control is important, as long as it doesn't overtly affect profit. If a customer found a 'lump' of cereal in a box, they were asked to sent in the box top (to identify the production date and line) and would receive some coupons for free product. Could quality control have prevented the 'lump' from reaching the production line? Yes. But, the cost could probably be more than the lost sales, so not economically viable. For those that did send in the box top and get the coupons, there may be a sense that 'the company cares' and a customer is retained.
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From the mid 80's to the mid 90's, I worked at a cereal manufacturing facility. Each carton was checked for weight, and if underweight, the air 'pushed' it off the line. As others have said, quality control is important, as long as it doesn't overtly affect profit. If a customer found a 'lump' of cereal in a box, they were asked to sent in the box top (to identify the production date and line) and would receive some coupons for free product. Could quality control have prevented the 'lump' from reaching the production line? Yes. But, the cost could probably be more than the lost sales, so not economically viable. For those that did send in the box top and get the coupons, there may be a sense that 'the company cares' and a customer is retained.
From the mid 90's the X-Ray vision technology gradually took hold, lumps are now something usually avoidable (at least to the customer). Still many customers are approaching the solution only recently, after having been bought by big brands which need to retain a good name, some country legislations or simply because they must renew the lines for other reasons and they decided to improve (and in many case be cost effective if they can concentrate different quality checks in a single machine).
* CALL APOGEE, SAY AARDWOLF * GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X * Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game. * I'm a puny punmaker.
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From the mid 80's to the mid 90's, I worked at a cereal manufacturing facility. Each carton was checked for weight, and if underweight, the air 'pushed' it off the line. As others have said, quality control is important, as long as it doesn't overtly affect profit. If a customer found a 'lump' of cereal in a box, they were asked to sent in the box top (to identify the production date and line) and would receive some coupons for free product. Could quality control have prevented the 'lump' from reaching the production line? Yes. But, the cost could probably be more than the lost sales, so not economically viable. For those that did send in the box top and get the coupons, there may be a sense that 'the company cares' and a customer is retained.
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Daniel Pfeffer wrote:
would be to weigh the cans as they come off the conveyor belt.
They do. They simply go too fast for checkweighters to be useful.
Daniel Pfeffer wrote:
than invest in the necessary machinery
They're also doing so, each year they buy a freaking lot of new machines to substitute those that they can - sometimes though their production environments are too cramped and can't accomodate different machines unless they redesign the whole chain. so not all factories have the latest QA machines.
* CALL APOGEE, SAY AARDWOLF * GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X * Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game. * I'm a puny punmaker.
den2k88 wrote:
Daniel Pfeffer wrote:
would be to weigh the cans as they come off the conveyor belt.
They do. They simply go too fast for checkweighters to be useful.
OK, so weigh the six-pack or the 24-pack or whatever. A difference of 330 grams in the weight of those should still be easily detectable, and require much fewer weighings. Your comment about the space on the production line makes sense; redesigning an entire factory layout in order to remove a (presumably tiny) number of errors is probably not at the top of their list... :)
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack. --Winston Churchill
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Yup. Process-control engineers certainly earn their pay!
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack. --Winston Churchill
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Loaded a case of diet coke into office refrigerator and found this: an unopened empty can. How could this pass the quality control?
TOMZ_KV
Phht, it's diet coke - hows a programmer supposed to work without energy to keep his brain functioning? some already mentioned the empty makes it super-diet another benefit is less weird sweetner chemicals win-win now go and buy proper coca-cola.
Installing Signature... Do not switch off your computer.
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Phht, it's diet coke - hows a programmer supposed to work without energy to keep his brain functioning? some already mentioned the empty makes it super-diet another benefit is less weird sweetner chemicals win-win now go and buy proper coca-cola.
Installing Signature... Do not switch off your computer.
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Loaded a case of diet coke into office refrigerator and found this: an unopened empty can. How could this pass the quality control?
TOMZ_KV
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Yup. Process-control engineers certainly earn their pay!
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack. --Winston Churchill
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Loaded a case of diet coke into office refrigerator and found this: an unopened empty can. How could this pass the quality control?
TOMZ_KV
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Version 3.3 of the automation code was written by someone who only drinks vegetable juice. So of course it had a bug.
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Loaded a case of diet coke into office refrigerator and found this: an unopened empty can. How could this pass the quality control?
TOMZ_KV
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I guess you found the only can which was really "diet" :)
selfish adj. Defines someone who does not think of me.
phil.o wrote:
I guess you found the only can which was really "diet"
Not at all.. the can with just air in it is only 0 calories, whereas the one with cold diet soda in it is negative calories.
I live in Oregon, and I'm an engineer.
