The Acquisition of Modern Aluminum Extrusion Systems

Part 3: Specification
Definition: A detailed, precise description.
Key Words: Goals, perfomance standards, design.

by Roger A.P. Fielding, BENCHMARKS

The first article in this series, entitled “The Acquisition of Modern Aluminum Extrusion Systems: Motivation,” introduced profit as the prime force driving change. Reduced conversion costs, resulting from shorter lead times, improved productivity and recovery, are the measure. The intrinsic safety and the reduced emissions from state-of-the-art equipment ensure that one can stay in business.

The second article: “Conception” discussed how each part of a modern, integrated aluminum extrusion system contributes to increased productivity and recovery. It emphasized the importance of top quality billet and extrusion dies, and showed how less than 100% reliability affects press down time. Quality — in the broadest sense — was shown to be the means by which manufacturing lead time (and hence conversion cost) is minimized.

The first article was intended to make people think about modernizing their facilities. The second article related the physical aspects of modernization — the hot log shear, double pullers (cutting on the fly, at the stop mark), the belt handling systems, automated saws and stackers — to improvements in quality and the resulting reduction of lead time.

This and future articles deal in greater depth with “Specification,” “Evaluation”, “Selection,” and “Commissioning and Start-up.”

Specification writing is the critical phase of any capital project. To be successful, the user must specify the performance expected of the project, and define how the completed project will be judged to be successful, without placing undue constraints on the potential suppliers. The suppliers can then draw on their varied experiences to design equipment to meet those goals.

But, all too often, the user produces a specification which goes beyond performance standards to define how (in the user’s mind) the goals will be achieved. In these cases, the user places unnecessary constraints on the suppliers, and in effect, takes responsibility for the ultimate performance away from the suppliers at an early stage.

The best specifications use few words to describe project goals, for example:

“. . . put a man on the moon by 1969!”

“. . . an aluminum extrusion system operated by 3 persons, delivering an average of 4000 lbs. per hour of 6063 and 6060 extrusions at 88% recovery.”

Both projects were successful . . .

Faced with such succinct statements of the project goals, potential suppliers can enter into constructive dialogue with the customer and present their best solutions. In the process, the customer becomes fully acquainted with the state-of-the-art, and is then in a position to properly judge each supplier’s capabilities.

How do you write a specification for new equipment?

1) List your key performance measures and your current performance: safety, lead time, conversion cost, reliability, productivity, yield.

2) Establish the benchmark numbers representing the best practice in your sector of the worldwide aluminum extrusion industry.

3) Use the numbers to describe your objectives:

4) Write a sentence, or list in point form the numbers which will be used to measure the success of the project.

“. . . an aluminum extrusion system operated by 3 persons, delivering an average of 4000 lbs. per hour of 6063 and 6060 extrusions at 88% recovery.”

5) Present your objectives to the leading suppliers to the industry.

The leading suppliers of aluminum extrusion presses and aluminum extrusion systems: log or billet furnaces; hot shears; quenches and run-out systems; double pullers; belt handling systems; automatic stretchers; finish cut saws and stackers; will have questions, but, they’ll have no problem configuring a system capable of meeting the goals.

The next article will discuss the evaluation process which ensures that all potential suppliers are offering equipment which meets your performance standards.

The Acquisition of Modern Aluminum Extrusion Systems - Part 4