IEEE-International Conference On Advances In Engineering, Science And Management (ICAESM -2012) March 30, 31, 2012 85 Application of 'Taguchi Design and Analyses' for 'Molding Operation Optimization' Dr. Koilakuntla Maddulet/ Sachin Modgil2 Vishal Singh Patyae National Institute of Industrial Engineering Mumbai, India 400087 IE-mail: koila@rediffmail.com 2E-mail: sach.modgil@gmail.com 3E-mail:vishalpatyaI2001@gmail.com Abstract-The problem faced by the Condom Manufacturing Unit of Hindustan Latex Limited (HLL), Kanagala in India was 7.0% wastage and rejection due to improper condom molding process. Wastage mainly due to un-stripped condoms at stripping stage and improper handling rejection mainly due to various defects such as Pinholes, Weak-spots, Lip-cuts, Twisted-edge-role, inside-Sticking, and Low Bursting Strength. The authors along with dedicated team of cross-functional executives of Kanagala Unit, HLL, Kanagala, India had deployed the 'Taguchi Parameter Design' for Condom Molding Operation Optimization and ensured breakthrough improvement in Condom molding process which led to reduce the wastage & rejection to around 4% from 7.0%, which led to an approximate reoccurring savings ofRs. 36,00,000 per year . After arrlvmg optimal input parameter setting i.e. compounded latex's 'Total Solid' TS 50% %; Compounded latex's Cure Cu is level 3 (Normal Cure); Dipping Tank Temperature DTT 27°c; Pre Drying-booth Temperature PDT 105°c; Vulcanizing Temperature VT lOO°c; Swelling Tank temperature STT 45°c; Washing Tank Temperature WTT 40°c; Ammonia Percentage AP 4%; Hot Water Temperature HWT 90°c; Dehydrator Temperature DeHyT 140°c; Mess Barrel Vulcanizing Temperature MBVT 90°c; we operated the two molding machines for 40 days and produced 22 Million condom and calculated the machine wise and day wise and overall percentage of wastage & rejection and proved and validated the average percentage of wastage & rejection i.e 3.96% with a standard deviation of 0.183% • Keywords: Condom Molding Operation, Factors, Factor Levels, Main-Effect-plots-for-Means, Main-Effect-Plots for-SN Ratios. I. INTRODUCTION HLL Life-care Limited Kanagala Facility, Belgaum, India: The Kanagala plant in Belgaum, Kamataka, India commenced its operation with production of condoms in 1985 using Japanese technology. This unit underwent diversiication in 1992 with the Tablet manufacturing facility for birth control pills - Mala-DIN and the formulation and Tabletting of Saheli (Centchroman) the indigenous, non steroidal once-a-week pills. The manufacturing of Emergency Contraceptive pills (tablets) was started in 2003 [7]. II. LITERATURE REvIEW The Taguchi's Approach: Genichi Taguchi believed that quality should be designed into the products and not inspected into it. Inspection does not produce good products but only segregates them from bad products. He also propagated that quality is best achieved by minimizing the deviation from a target and the cost of quality should be measured as a function of the deviation from the standard [5]. R.A Fisher in England developed the classical methods for design of experiments, in the early part of the 20t h century. They include a full variety of statistical design techniques based on Latin squares (balanced square arrangements required for unbiased statistical experimentation) and developed for agricultural industry. While rigorous, a major problem with applying Fisher's method in manufacturing industry is the time and cost required to learn and use it. Further, Fisher's methods are oten cumbersome to implement in manufacturing industrial experimentation because of certain assumptions and procedural emphasis. Taguchi's approach to the design of experiments utilizes the concept of robust design. Robust design refers to designing a product or a process in a way that it has minimal sensitivity to the external noise factors. Robust design adds a new dimension to Fisher's statistical experimental design by explicitly addressing the concerns faced by all process and product designers, namely [5]. . How to reduce economically the variation of a product's function in the customer's environment, and ISBN: 978-81-909042-2-3 ©2012 IEEE