The last thing anybody wants in hot weather is for the air conditioning to stop working. So when air conditioning compressor failures were the top divert for FA1's Zone 8 Engine Line, the team decided to do something about it.
Group Leaders Dave Simcox and Pete Mitton and Process Leader Azhar Mohammad set themselves the target of getting the number of diverts due to air con compressor failures down to the lowest they could.
Marking the station out as a critical process area, the team engaged with operators and absence cover colleagues to find out where the problems might be coming from.
Experienced operators Mick Jenkinson and Garry Worrall were only too keen to help, pointing out that the pipes could be hard to manipulate and there were sometimes quality issues with the O-ring parts they were fitting.
The team put in place a three-step process to help fit the parts correctly first time around.
Azhar explained, "First, the team set out a new 5S process to keep the area clean - and parts - free of dust and contaminants. Second we worked with CME to see if we could make the pipes easier to manipulate for the operators. Thirdly, we all decided that we needed to inspect the O-rings at point of fit, so that if there are ever any problems, the operator can alert their Group Leader or pull the Andon cord."
Thanks to their quick action and impressive teamwork, Zone 8 Engine Line has seen a drastic reduction in the number of air con compressor failures.
Pete continued "It's been an amazing turnaround. We've gone from more than 30 diverts a month, to around one. Each time we have to fixing the compressor through rework, it costs us around £50 – so we're also is helping us save a small fortune for the business."
Well done to Azhar, Pete, Dave and the team for their outstanding commitment to quality!
