Manufacturing Industry Project Recaps: Improper Seam Sealing on Canning Equipment
ILC Assignment:
Determine the cause of improper seam sealing on the can filler/seamer equipment.
ILC Analysis:
Two years after the can filler/seamer was purchased new, it was discovered that random cases of cans were experiencing seam failures during production as well as leaking from punctures.
All of the cam followers for the seaming head had seized due to over-usage.
All bearing rollers were missing on the bottom bearing of one of the can conveyor rotating shafts.
Fill system actuation forks exhibited wear beyond their useful life.
Inadequate lubrication was found on several components.
For proper can seal, it was required that each of the four stations was properly shimmed before operation (based on the height/geometry of the given can) and all rollers/cam followers must be operational (not seized).
Summary:
ILC concluded that improper sealing of the cans was due to individual components not performing as intended due to the lack of proper and timely maintenance of the machine.
The seized cam rollers were caused by flat spots on the cans, not allowing them to seal properly.
Reported can puncture was consistent with improperly adjusted (inadequate shims) or broken machine components contacting cans during or after the seaming operations on the machine.
