Worksite Improvement Case Studies

The customer was using metal piping as drain piping for cooling a crane used to transport parcels. However, vibration caused by the crane moving created stress fractures in the metal piping, causing frequent oil fluid leaks that worsened the appearance of the crane.

A clamp had been over-tightened at a plant, cutting into the hose and causing a water leak. When they moved into a new plant, there was electrical wiring near the location of the leak, so they needed to rethink their entire hose piping configuration.

A customer had a cleaning apparatus that uses air to blow sodium bicarbonate to clean metal parts used in rolling stock (train cars). The wear on the PVC hose conveying the sodium bicarbonate was so heavy that the hose would break in less than a month, causing the sodium bicarbonate to leak. Operation would have to be stopped because of the high level of danger this posed.

A customer that installs machine tools often used to receive complaints that the clamps come loose, resulting in leaks. They could not find a countermeasure to remedy the situation. They tried using barb fittings and clamps, but assembly on the work floor was difficult.

At a plant where our customer produces precision machinery, they used spring hoses for product assembly and delivery. They fastened a clamp on the barb fitting nipple, but insertion was not easy when mounting the hose. They used hot water to soften it, but that increased time it took to complete the insertion, and they had no hot water when making delivery.