A STUDY ON WASTAGE REDUCTION IN BLOOD BAG MANUFACTURING

PROCESS AT TERUMO PENPOL BY APPLYING DMAIC METHODOLOGY

RAHUL R
TVE15MBA088
Problem Definition
Quality always creates strong demands and being in top position is the biggest
challenge for an organization now a days. Improving quality without compromising
any stages of manufacturing, reducing wastages in manufacturing are the major
challenges that a manufacturing firm faces. In this study. It is attempted to find out
the implementation of six sigma principle in the welding which one of the major
process in the manufacturing of blood bags in Terumo Penpol to reduce wastage as
well as cost.

Objectives of the Project Work

The objectives of this project work are

To study the different process involved in the manufacturing of blood bags
To understand the quality standards set for each process
To identify the core process involved in the manufacturing thus identifying the
epicenter of problems.
To study the successful implementation of six sigma in the welding section of the
manufacturing of blood bags using DMAIC approach.
To identify different types of wastages during the manufacturing process.
To suggest waste reduction techniques and overall quality improvement method in
the manufacturing process especially in welding section.
Review of Literature

Six sigma
The Six Sigma method is a quality improvement program that allows organizations drastically to improve their
bottom line by designing and monitoring everyday business activities in ways that minimize waste and resources,
while enhancing customer satisfaction. ( Ulhas D., 2009)
DMAIC
DMAIC is a data-driven quality strategy used to improve processes. It is an integral part of a Six Sigma initiative,
but in general can be implemented as a standalone quality improvement procedure or as part of other process
improvement initiatives such as lean. DMAIC is an acronym for the five phases that make up the process:
Define the problem, improvement activity, opportunity for improvement, the project goals, and customer
(internal and external) requirements.
Measure process performance.
Analyze the process to determine root causes of variation, poor performance (defects).
Improve process performance by addressing and eliminating the root causes.
Control the improved process and future process performance. ( Harry Rever, 2014)
Tool of DMAIC
Define: Project charter, SIPOC Diagram, Flow chart, Voice of customers
Measure: Process sigma calculation, Flow chart
Analyze: Histogram, Pareto chart, Fish bone diagram, Scatter plot
Improve: Brain storming, Mistake proofing
Control: Process sigma calculation, control chart and control plan (Michael Cyger, 2011)
Research Methodology
Research approach and design
The present study takes into account the descriptive types of research. DMAIC methodology of Six Sigma has been
used.
Step 1. DEFINE the problem and scope the work effort of the project team.
Step 2. MEASURE the current process or performance
Step 3. ANALYZE the current performance to isolate the problem
Step 4. IMPROVE the problem by selecting a solution.
Step 5. CONTROL the improved process or product performance to ensure the target(s) are met
Research Design
Data collection
Secondary data
Secondary data involves the existing information available for the study.
It comprises of:
Details were obtained from company files, records and documents
Batch manufacturing records
Quality assurance guide
Standard operating procedures
Various published books, Journals, newspapers and websites
Tools for analysis :Pareto Diagram , Histogram, Fish bone diagram , SIPOC ,Process sigma calculation
Limitations of the study
The study is descriptive in nature and is restricted to the analysis phase of the DMAIC methodology. Only
improvement suggestions can be made. This is mainly due to the time limitations and production schedules which
cannot be altered and experimented upon. The study probes only the effects of welding process which belongs to
the manufacturing process which is a large sequence of processes and too many factors which cannot be
considered in a short period. Six sigma implementation is a long term process.
Analysis and interpretation
Voice of Customer (VOC)
Should not react with blood Should be easy to handle
Should not create by products Should be easy to dispose
Should not coagulate or clot the blood Price compatible
Should not break Readily available
Must have sufficient resistance to heat and cold Better quality
The needle should not elicit inflammatory tissue Should be compliance with quality regulations of
reactions the importing country
For multiple blood bags, it should not mix the
contents

Measure
Week Total Rejection Accepted DPMO Yield (%) Process Net DPMO : 11614

Productio Sigma Process Sigma : 3.77

n
Yield : 98.83%
Jan 30-Feb 1,33,905 1,549 1,32,356 11,568 98.84 3.77
4
6-11 1,36,863 1,754 1,35,109 12,816 98.71 3.73

13-18 1,30,178 1,477 1,28,701 11,346 98.86 3.78

20-25 1,32,676 1,423 1,31,253 10,725 98.92 3.80
Production Data - February
Types of welding No. of defects Frequency Cumulative Total no. of Defects : 194
Frequency
Net DPMO : 35,273
Semi auto HF 85 43.8 43.8
Process sigma : 3.31
welding
Second welding 45 23.2 67.0 Yield : 96.47%
Port welding 40 20.6 87.6
Full Auto HF 24 12.4 100
welding
Total 194 100 100%
Defects Table Sample size: 5500

Pareto Analysis
90 120

80 85 100%
100
70 87.60%

60 80
67%
50
60
40 43.80% 45
40
30 40

20
24
20
10

0 0
Semi auto HF welding Second welding Port welding Full Auto HF welding
No. of defects Cumulative Frequency(%)
 Ishikawa Diagram

Welding Process

Sterilization
Findings
After analyzing the different process of blood bag manufacturing, it has been found that the core process in which maximum
number of errors occurs is at welding stage
From the VOC, It is ensured that the project problem, which was defects reduction, became the first priority for
improvement.
Observed DPMO of Blood bag manufacturing at Penpol is 11614 with a process sigma of 3.77 and a yield of 98.93 %.So the
difference is quite large.
According to the analysis report from Penpol, large number of defects are contributed by welding processes, so the project is
focused on studying the different types of welding and find out the epicenter of the problem.
From the Pareto chart, it has been found that the highest rate of defects was caused by Semi auto HF welding and Second
welding processes. These types of defects contributed to over 70 % of the overall amount of defects.
It has been found that the major parts of the defects were caused due to semi auto HF welding (43.8 %).
The usage of both manual and automatic workforce in welding process (Semi auto) makes it more difficult to control the
defects. Even the correct loading of sheets can reduce considerable defects.
The multiple exports to different countries with different rules and regulations makes it difficult for the company to adhere
to a specific standard.
Recommendations
There should be an organization level commitment to overcome the situation to implement six sigma project on timely basis
to achieve the benchmarked value compared with the competitors in the long run.
Machine maintenance should be done periodically and properly.
Inspect early in the process. One of the highest costs of quality is a defective part or material that forces to discard an entire
batch; the farther along in the process, the more pain and cost involved. So inspect with intelligence, using flexible sampling
rules and inspection plans that can be adjusted to specifics of the product, production line and manufacturing process etc.
When it comes to welding processes, the usage of full automatic welding machine rather than the use of semi auto machine
will reduce the defects significantly (in the long run)
Efficient homogenization of steam and counter balancing of steam with air will significantly reduce the defects in the
sterilization process. It also helps to avoid water bubble formation as well as fast drying process.
In fields such as defense, Medical etc. the quality of products have much significance than other fields because lives are
depend on it, so that it should be dealt with utmost importance in these fields
Recommendations cont.

Implement and enforce the use of best practices.

Concentrating on the improvement of major causes can help the firm to achieve benchmark easily.
Proper training should be given to the workers because lack of training is one of the root causes and it should be properly
evaluated and controlled.
Perform your quality inspections as close to the shop floor as possible and form a quality circle for regular assessment of
quality deployment.

Conclusion
In the current world scenario, manufactures faces a serious problem that is increasing the needs and wants of
intelligent customers. They want quality product with low price. So in order to confront the problem, the process
must be cost effective and efficient. Not only have these two factored but also the quality of the product as well. This
shows us the importance of quality management in an organization and the significance of six sigma methodology. In
this hectic world cost effective but quality products decides the winner.

The project presents a successful case of defects reduction in a blood bag manufacturing process by improving the
welding process with the help of applying six sigma principles and the DMAIC problem solving methodology. Therefore,
the project can be used as a reference for manufacturing industrialists to guide specific process improvement
projects, in their organizations, similar to the one presented in this paper.

After the detailed Measure and Analysis phases of DMAIC, the improvement project presented in this paper found
that semi auto high frequency welding which combines both labor and machine work, had statistically significant
impact on the production of blood bags. In this case, the improvement project presented in this paper has not been
able to take the organization studied to achieve a six sigma level. Besides this study was considered a pilot project
that was conducted in order to empirically demonstrate that six sigma and the DMAIC problem solving methodology
are effective approaches capable of improving its blood bag manufacturing process by reducing the amount of defects.
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