Core slide defect reduction of PVC tape by Six Sigma approach

Abstract

The telescope tape is one of the problems in the case study PVC tape factory. Historical data in 2021 perform the Telescope problem that occurs when transporting ships for a long time and the cumulative heat is a catalyst of Telescoping. The Six Sigma approach was applied to improve the process under five phases (DMAIC) to remedy this problem. Therefore, the researcher studied the process, analyzed the results from the cause-and-effect matrix, analyzed the potential causes of issues, and FMEA prioritized the rationales to solve. The experiment results revealed that adjusting the adhesive thickness and nip-pressure in the coating process were causes of high winding tension and Telescoping. Moreover, ageing temperature and time before cutting into tape can inhibit Telescope movement. After improvement by adjusting parameters in the process, the height of the core is downshifted and is in the manufacturing standard. Besides, the process capability was improved to Cp = 2.14 and Cpk = 1.35, which passed the 1.33 acceptance criteria of the factory. As a result, the improvement can reduce the occurrence of Telescope tape from 40% to 0% of the current waste.