5S Principles: Our Commitment to Continuous Improvement
Leave a CommentIf you are familiar with the 5S methodology, you’ll know how useful it is in manufacturing. And if you know how truly useful it is, you’ll understand how pleased we are at Universal Polymer & Rubber to be implementing the 5S principles, and to be seeing it all come together so well for us. 5S is a Japanese workplace organizational discipline that specifically stands for 5 words—seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke. They refer to neatness, sorting, and disciplined organization, and the principle was first brought to the U.S. in the 1980s when Japanese automakers began establishing a presence in…
If you are familiar with the 5S methodology, you’ll know how useful it is in manufacturing. And if you know how truly useful it is, you’ll understand how pleased we are at Universal Polymer & Rubber to be implementing the 5S principles, and to be seeing it all come together so well for us. 5S […]
The Unpredictability of Manufacturing
Leave a CommentIn many ways, manufacturing is the art of managing the unpredictable. In order to take a product or part from initial idea to completion, skill, hard work, and just a bit of luck are needed. There are a variety of things that can go astray during the manufacturing process; here are some of the more common ones: Material Inconsistency When working with a variety of suppliers, it’s difficult to sometimes keep track of all of the different parts and materials, and where they are coming from. When it comes to materials, they must be consistent to work; coordination with suppliers…
In many ways, manufacturing is the art of managing the unpredictable. In order to take a product or part from initial idea to completion, skill, hard work, and just a bit of luck are needed. There are a variety of things that can go astray during the manufacturing process; here are some of the more […]
Seasonality in the World of Manufacturing
Leave a CommentWhile most of the country is worrying about staying warm and digging out from another polar vortex, it’s spring and summer time at Universal Polymer! Well, don’t get us wrong, it is still very (very!) cold here in Ohio. However, this is the time of year orders for plastic and rubber extrusions come flooding in from companies that specialize in warmer weather products. That is the thing about the start of every year, while there is a manufacturing and construction lull during the holidays, it disappears the second the calendar flips to January and February. So, who are the companies…
While most of the country is worrying about staying warm and digging out from another polar vortex, it’s spring and summer time at Universal Polymer! Well, don’t get us wrong, it is still very (very!) cold here in Ohio. However, this is the time of year orders for plastic and rubber extrusions come flooding in […]
Moving on Up…to our New Facility!
Leave a CommentWe have some exciting news to share with you—our newest addition to our facility is just about completed! For months, we have been working on building and growing, as ground broke on the new facility in April, and we are excited to finally have the space to move in! As we mentioned, we first broke ground this past spring after acquiring another company. With the growth to our business, we decided it was necessary that we have additional space. The facility will act as storage and warehousing space and is an add-on to our current building. This construction project also…
We have some exciting news to share with you—our newest addition to our facility is just about completed! For months, we have been working on building and growing, as ground broke on the new facility in April, and we are excited to finally have the space to move in! As we mentioned, we first broke […]
Looking Ahead into 2014
Leave a CommentAt Universal Polymer and Rubber, we are guardedly optimistic about the upcoming New Year. As the company surveys the business landscape for 2014, there are definitely some positive macro-economic trends that point to continued business and growth. In particular, automotive production is trending upward to a likely production level of 16.5 million. This is great news for our rubber molding and rubber and plastics extrusion operations. Another trend we are seeing is in new housing starts. Although still at historically low levels, each year over the past several there has been a trend upward. An increase in the construction of…
At Universal Polymer and Rubber, we are guardedly optimistic about the upcoming New Year. As the company surveys the business landscape for 2014, there are definitely some positive macro-economic trends that point to continued business and growth. In particular, automotive production is trending upward to a likely production level of 16.5 million. This is great […]
The Progression to Lean Manufacturing
Leave a CommentIf you were to travel back in time to manufacturing facilities from twenty years ago, you would notice the vast differences between those facilities and today’s facilities. Back then, each manufacturer focused on their own skills, and businesses had a larger amount of employees. Now, as we have seen even in our own business, small to medium sized manufacturers have a smaller group of employees who wear multiple hats within the business. Since the recession hit in 2009, businesses, especially manufacturers, were forced to delegate business in a leaner manner. Lean manufacturing, as defined by the EPA, is “a business…
If you were to travel back in time to manufacturing facilities from twenty years ago, you would notice the vast differences between those facilities and today’s facilities. Back then, each manufacturer focused on their own skills, and businesses had a larger amount of employees. Now, as we have seen even in our own business, small […]
Helping the Resurgence in Manufacturing, One Step at a Time
Leave a CommentAcross the world of manufacturing, businesses are beginning to rebound from the recent recession. Manufacturers in a variety of industries are experiencing growth for the first time in years and they are building up for a peak in orders. As there has been a resurgence in manufacturing, we have also seen more support for local customers and for American-made products. As a company that persevered through the recession, we believe that manufacturers who endured the recession are currently doing it again, by integrating lean manufacturing into their processes, investing in automation and new technologies, and making the right adjustments. We…
Across the world of manufacturing, businesses are beginning to rebound from the recent recession. Manufacturers in a variety of industries are experiencing growth for the first time in years and they are building up for a peak in orders. As there has been a resurgence in manufacturing, we have also seen more support for local […]
Returnable Packaging in the Auto Industry: Is it Practical?
Leave a CommentIf you work in the automotive industry, you may have heard about the possibility of returnable packaging—sending packing containers back to the supplier in order to be more sustainable and eco-friendly. It was a growing trend in the 1990’s, when more and more people in the industry were pushing for it. So where does returnable packaging stand now, and why isn’t there more of it? While it seemed like a great idea at the time—who doesn’t want to do better things for the environment?—many soon realized that the cost of returning packaging simply didn’t make smart business sense. While it’s…
If you work in the automotive industry, you may have heard about the possibility of returnable packaging—sending packing containers back to the supplier in order to be more sustainable and eco-friendly. It was a growing trend in the 1990’s, when more and more people in the industry were pushing for it. So where does returnable […]
Mixing the Right Batch – The Importance of Rubber Chemists
Leave a CommentManufacturing rubber compounds is a lot like baking a cake: it all comes down to having the right recipe. And just like any good recipe comes from a good chef, a high quality rubber compound is devised by a skilled rubber chemist. A rubber chemist's job starts when they receive an ASTM specification from a manufacturer. That spec dictates the needs of the finished rubber compound, from required hardness, strength and elongation, to necessary ozone and temperature change resistance. From there, the rubber chemist sets about crafting a compound that meets three challenges: Design for Application: The compound must satisfy…
Manufacturing rubber compounds is a lot like baking a cake: it all comes down to having the right recipe. And just like any good recipe comes from a good chef, a high quality rubber compound is devised by a skilled rubber chemist. A rubber chemist’s job starts when they receive an ASTM specification from a […]
Universal Polymer & Rubber is TS16949 Certified
Leave a CommentA few weeks back we achieved TS16949 Certification from the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG). This certification is a standard recognized the world over. Here’s how AIAG defines it: The goal of this technical specification is to develop a quality management system that provides for continual improvement, emphasizing defect prevention and reduction of variation and waste with in the supply chain. Earning the certification meant going through a rigorous 4 day audit. If you’d walked into UP&R in the days and weeks leading up to the audit, you’d have been treated to an atmosphere akin to lawyers preparing for an…
A few weeks back we achieved TS16949 Certification from the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG). This certification is a standard recognized the world over. Here’s how AIAG defines it: The goal of this technical specification is to develop a quality management system that provides for continual improvement, emphasizing defect prevention and reduction of variation and […]