Worksite Improvement Case Studies

Toyox’s SUPER TOYORON hose and barb fittings with hose clamp fastening were used as piping for supplying cooling water to factory machinery. However, water began to leak from the connections between the hose and the couplings. In addition to suddenly having to deal with production stoppages and to clean up the water leakage, the manufacturer also had to prevent the equipment from being exposed to the water, which would have caused a malfunction.

The customer had been using a suction hose to transport plastic pellets to a molding machine hopper, at a plastic molding plant for automotive parts.
However, a hole formed in the hose due to wear-based degradation after less than one year of use. Waste would enter the hose from the hole, causing foreign matter to enter products and cause defects.

A suction hose was used to transport plastic pellets to molding machinery.
Static electricity was generated during operation, which caused pellets to block the hose, disrupting production. Because the hose was opaque, it was difficult to tell where the blockage occurred. Locating the blockage took time, which made production less efficient.

The customer was using a heat-resistant silicone hose connected with a barb hose clamp to transport hot water (120°C) for a plastic molding machine. However, the hose began to crack in less than one year of installation, and issues such as coupling disconnection and leaks were also occurring. The customer needed to do something to prevent production loss and work injuries caused by burns.

When transporting the raw material resin pellets from the dryer to the molding machine, holes can open up in the hose due to friction. While we are taking emergency measures to enable continued use, we have nevertheless been unable to supply the required volumes, molding defects have occurred, and the time set aside for emergency measures could be better utilized.

The interior material of the resin pellet transfer hose tended to wear away, leading to holes and requiring frequent hose replacement. The worn material contaminated the product as well, leading to product loss and reducing the yield.

Hoses used for transfer of PET resin at drying temperatures of 80°C to 100°C collapsed due to the heat, preventing the stable supply of raw materials and leading to frequent mold defects. As well, static electricity was generated from the powder transfer, adhering the raw materials to the hose interior so that the materials mixed during changeover and contaminated the product with foreign matter, which also required countermeasures.

A plant producing curved mirrors uses PVC duct hoses to convey pellets. When they switched colors, pellets would get stuck inside the duct hose due to static electricity, and the customer needed to find a solution that would reduce the losses they were incurring.

A manufacturer of consumer electronics, 100-yen goods and other products had the problem of static electricity easily occurring in hoses conveying raw materials between storage tanks and hoppers. The workers were all skittish about touching the products and equipment, and the raw materials would cling to the inside of the hose, resulting in poor work efficiency.

A customer had the problem of water always dripping from the hoses they were using. They wrapped the coolant hoses with polystyrene, but condensation still leaked onto the floor from breaks in the wrap, making the floor slippery and dangerous to walk on.