The Acquisition of Modern Aluminum Extrusion Systems
Part 4: Evaluation
Definition: The act or result of judging the worth or value of something.
Key Words: Fitness for pupose, comparison, alternatives, price.
by Roger A.P. Fielding, BENCHMARKS
Two earlier articles showed that when
motivated by the need to improve safety, increase profits, improve
quality, reduce lead time (and hence reduce conversion costs), the
successful businessman will study available options and define alternative
actions. The previous article suggested
that specification writing is the critical phase of any capital project.
The article emphasized that for a 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
potential suppliers can then draw on their varied experiences to offer
equipment to meet those performance goals. All too often, a potential
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 effectively takes the responsibility for the ultimate performance
away from the suppliers at an early stage in the project.
The best specifications use few words to describe project goals. For
example: "…an aluminum extrusion system operated by 3 persons,
delivering an average of 4000 lbs per hour of 6063 and 6060 extrusions
at 88% recovery."
Faced with such a succinct statement of the project goals, potential
suppliers can enter into constructive dialog 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 offerings.
How do you evaluate a proposal for new equipment?
The teaching provided by each potential supplier should educate the
user about the key features which are included in the offer. The teaching
will show, in words, diagrams and (often more effectively) in computer
simulations and videos, how the equipment being offered will work,
and how each of the key features contributes to achieving the customer’s
goals. Only then can the user set out to evaluate the alternatives
in a formal fashion, as follows:
1) Listing the suppliers’ claims against the performance specification:
safety, quality, reliability, productivity and yield, reduced lead
times and hence reduced conversion costs.
Extrusion production systems have diversified in recent years to the
extent that similar results can often be achieved with very different
equipment. This is particularly true of pullers, run-outs, handling
systems, stretchers, saws and stackers. Hence the need for the customer
to fully understand and compare each of the features being offered,
listing each of the features and its contribution to meeting performance
specification.
2) Through correspondence, meetings and discussions with potential
suppliers, the user then brings each offer into line so that each
will deliver the specified performance.
Aluminum extrusion systems encompass all the equipment from handling
of billet and log to the stacking and ageing of the extruded lineals.
Suppliers, and there are many, have approached the design and manufacture
of extrusion systems in different ways, affecting the execution of
the extrusion process, the time cycle(s) of the equipment, and the
yield which can be achieved.
3) If any supplier will not or cannot meet the performance specification,
the user must reject their offer, or allow for increased operating
costs or reduced profits throughout the life of the project.
The flexibility of the extrusion process often means that different
extruded products (alloys and shape combinations) must be produced
on the same extrusion press. In this case, compromises must be made.
But, the cost must be understood.
4) The user can only compare the prices submitted by potential suppliers
when all offer the same performance.
The Acquisition of Modern Aluminum Extrusion
Systems - Part 5
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