A study on production breaks in gynecological examination table cover paper rolls processed on a Schultz Rewinder

Abstract This work is a case study dealing with the production of examination table covering used in gynecological offices which has been a problem for its manufacturer, Little Rapids Corporation. During production, the rolls of paper break or tear causing production to cease while the machine is reloaded, costing about $10,000 of lost production in a year. This study was done to investigate the independent variables that contribute to those breaks and to determine if breaks have a significant impact on production rate (speed). Tensile strength and stretch of the paper were chosen as the independent variables in a binary regression analysis. In addition, breaks were compared to machine speed settings to see if there was a correlation. The results showed that the independent variables did have an impact on the probability of breaks occurring and a corresponding relationship was derived using regression analysis. The study recommended that the tensile strength or stretch of the specified paper be increased by 25% to lower the probability of breaks to an acceptable level and allow operators to maintain the desired speed setting. Any greater increase in tensile strength and stretch would incur capital expense that would be prohibitive.