Supply Chain Value Adds

Posted on February 13, 2022December 24, 2022 by Admin

Supply Chain Value Adds

Inventory optimization, flexible stocking programs, and JIT environments better allow for increased supply chain efficiency. Combined with collaborative customer service, these value-adds can help alleviate the growing time-to-market pressures, reduce risk, and improve performance and profitability.

Just-in-time environment
Inventory optimization is the key to providing a JIT environment. With the ever-increasing demands for reduced lead times and the need for supply chain efficiency and flexibility, utilizing a JIT environment will better streamline manufacturing and purchasing procedures.

The need for a JIT environment is becoming more and more of a necessity in order for the most efficient and effective supply chains to compete within your respective industries. The trick is finding the right partner to help individually cater procuring methods, stocking

programs, MSA’s, and hold-for-release blanket orders. Finding the supplier who can offer a stocking program that meets your company’s specific JIT needs is critical to building a lean and efficient production process.

Reduce total costs
The model of a lean environment will lead to an overall cost reduction. Order processing, receiving, and inventory holding costs have become more scrutinized in today’s environment; especially with downward pressure from upper management.

Finding the right partner to allow flexible lead times, implement stocking programs, and develop an overall nimble and customizable supply chain will reduce costly stock-outs and identify significant cost reductions.

Reduce inventory holding costs
There are four types of inventory holding costs: item cost, ordering/setup cost, carrying cost, and stock-out costs. Each can significantly impact the bottom line. To reduce these costs:

There are four types of inventory holding costs: item cost, ordering/setup cost, carrying cost, and stock-out costs. Each can significantly impact the bottom line. To reduce these costs:
Work with a supplier who will be creative in reducing item costs without hindering quality and customer service. Look for a partner who will work to serve, and better suit your individual needs.
Implement lean systems to reduce ordering and setup costs by changing the way operations are designed and managed.
Work to reduce your overall inventory asset without having stock-outs and non-deliveries. Don’t let your cost of capital sit on shelves for long periods of time without being sold. Find a partner who will hold inventory for you and provide for your needs and demand schedules. Don’t hold inventory that takes up precious warehouse space, and don’t risk product sitting on shelves which may become obsolete.
Finally, and most importantly, don’t risk the cost of a stock-out. The economic consequences of not having stock when demand requires results in the loss of future business and profit.

Customer service with quality product
Customer satisfaction is variable, amongst customers and even throughout the lifetime of a customer/supplier relationship. A customer may be satisfied with products and services today, but those needs may change in the future.

Don’t passively wish for a supplier with fast response times, customer-centric policies, and the flexibility to meet your needs. Search out the partner who will provide that first-class customer service, paired with high quality product. Because customer service and quality products go hand-in-hand.

Quality products are generated from a high level quality control system with key indicators in place to ensure the consistency of products to specification. Product quality is determined by a host of elements: quality of design, quality of conformance, availability, reliability of product from your supplier, as well as service quality, which includes supplier responsiveness and support.

At JJISCO, Inc., we are committed to the whole of these supply chain values; operating a JIT environment paired with inventory optimization to meet our customer’s needs and provide them with overall cost reduction, while adhering to the highest standard of customer satisfaction and quality product. JJISCO, Inc. stands out in our industry. From individually-catered inventory stocking programs to meet demand, to a repeatable high quality system, to a customer-centric philosophy. We are here to be your partner, and to solve your supply chain headaches!

If you have questions or have a current need, please contact us directly for assistance with your specific application and supply chain requirements.

The information included in this article is for guideline purposes only. Please contact JJISCO technical support for more in-depth discussions on your unique program, including cost-effective design.

Reducing Vendor Quality Issues

Posted on August 13, 2021December 24, 2022 by Admin

Reducing Vendor Quality Issues

Vendor quality Requirements for higher productivity

Reducing quality issues with your vendors’ components is usually a top priority for custom pump OEM engineers. Read our checklist of quality requirements that will help make sure you have the partner to increase productivity, reduce downtime and shrink soft costs.

Quality requirements for vendors:

Expertise in hard materials and manufacturing/design.
Solid quality assurance system.
Production capacity and scalability in response to your cycles.
Stands by the quality of their product. ISO BS/EN ISO 9001:2000 certification.
Excels in management responsibility, resource management, product realization.
Can provide measurement, analysis, and improvement.
Performance ability – can they handle your specific needs – material, grade, component, turnaround, timeline, inventory stocking, communication.
Previous experiences with similar companies, relevant recent projects, and ability to meet or improve upon on current products or processes.
Ability to actively work to minimize risk throughout the supply chain. Ask about average response time, and corrective action ability.

Results in:

Higher productivity
Reduced downtime
Shrinking soft cost

USP Approvals

Posted on March 13, 2019December 24, 2022 by Admin

USP Approvals

Are you providing pumps (other?) to the pharmaceutical, biomedical, or medical markets? If so, do your vendors have the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) Class VI approvals that are typically a minimum requirement by these markets?

We have written an article about these standards and why your vendor should be using materials that will help an OEM comply with industry regulatory challenges. Email us to start a conversation with one of our engineers.

USP Class VI Approvals

Manufacturers of pumps or other components used in the pharmaceutical, medical, and biomedical industries face ever-increasing regulatory demands. Unlike other industries where chemical or temperature resistance is scrutinized, pharmaceutical applications can add to the requirement of regulatory challenges.

Components used in process equipment, pumps, valves, pipe work, couplings, reaction vessels, and more must be able to cope with a wide range of process media, potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and aggressive cleaning and sterilizing processes. In addition, these parts must be compliant with an increasing range of manufacturing and hygiene regulations.

Meeting the standards set by organizations such as the United States Pharmacopeia (USP)is becoming a more customary requirement for pump and other medical manufacturing providers.USP is a private (non-governmental) scientific organization that sets quality, purity, strength and consistency standards for the pharmaceutical and related industries as a safeguard to public health. One of their standards is the Class VI certification. Material that has received Class VI approval is assumed to be more likely to produce favorable biocompatibility results.

The two most common tests to measure biocompatibility are USP 87 andUSP 88 Biological Reactivity Testing. These compounds must be made from ingredients with clear histories of biocompatibility that meet tight requirements for leachates. For a product to pass these standards, it must exhibit a very low level of toxicity by passing all of the test requirements and there must be a lack ofresponse from the host’s immune system.

Class VI requires three types of tests: Systemic Injection, Intracutaneous, and Implantation. USP standards for the first two tests are nearly identical to ISO-10993 standards foracute systemic toxicity and irritation/intracutaneous reactivity.

Compounds that do meet USP Class VI standards are valuable for pharm/medical manufacturers. It generally ensures a high-quality level and better acceptance with the FDA and USDA. Most importantly, use of Class VI certified materials substantially reduces the risk of causing harm to a patient.

It’s worth checking with your vendors to see if they are helping or hindering your ability to meet these stringent rules.

JJISCO Inc. offers several materials certified by USP for biocompatibility (USP Class VI), including our AlphaLAST® siliconized silicon carbide (SiSiC), Extrema®reaction bonded silicon carbide (RB-SiC), AlumaLAST® (Alumina), and Tungsten Carbide Nickel-Binder NiLAST® (WC-Ni).

Our engineers have the technical expertise to interpret your material compliance needs and stay current on any compliance changes or issues. If you have a question or would like to discuss the best material solution for your application, please don’t hesitate to contact us and we would be happy to discuss!

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Sources:
www.usp.org
www.namsa.com

Material Selection

Posted on July 13, 2018December 24, 2022 by Admin

Material Selection

Hard Materials: which is right for me?

The properties of hard materials — silicon carbide, tungsten carbide, aluminum oxide and zirconium

Clockwise from left: silicon carbide, stainless steel , tungsten carbide, aluminum oxide

oxide — are so different from other engineering materials and from each other that an informed understanding of these properties is necessary in order to maximize their use. Each of the materials is extremely hard, falling just below diamond on the hardness scale. Corrosion resistance, transverse rupture strength, fracture toughness and weight vary greatly. Let’s look at some of the key characteristics of each material.

Silicon Carbide exists in two forms: reaction bonded and alpha sintered (or self-bonded).

Reaction bonded silicon carbide is formed when powdered silicon carbide reacts with free carbon and molten silicon. The material does not shrink during the reaction process, which allows for near net forming of components. Silicon is present on the surface, which reduces friction in dynamic applications. It is the material of choice for high speed and pressure applications. However, the silicon also limits the upper use temperature to 2100° F and can be attacked by hydrofluoric acid and other caustics like alkalis and halogens. They are commonly used for mechanical seal faces.

Alpha sintered (or self-sintered) is excellent for components requiring exceptional wear and corrosion resistance at temperatures up to 2500° F. It is extremely hard and lightweight with virtually no porosity. Components produced with alpha sintered silicon carbide are harder than those made from tungsten carbide or oxide ceramics, and more than 50 percent lighter. Since there is no free silicon or other binder material, the material exhibits excellent corrosion resistance compared to tungsten carbide, oxide ceramics, or reaction bonded silicon carbide. This is a workhorse material that can be applied in a variety of applications such as mechanical seals, bushings, bearings and shafts in applications like chemical processing, refining, paper and pulp, food and beverage, marine and waste water.

Tungsten Carbide, also known as cemented tungsten carbide, is a terrific candidate for applications where hardness, wear and rigidity are of importance. There are many grades available which have considerable variations in their properties. Indicative of a material with “cemented” in its name, cemented tungsten carbide exhibits extremely high compressive strength which is several times its tensile strength. Binder content and material, most commonly cobalt and nickel, can be modified to increase corrosion resistance, wear resistance and fracture toughness. The most common application for tungsten carbide is as a tool for metal forming. Common industrial applications are mechanical seal faces, spray nozzles, seats and balls.

Oxide Ceramics are the most widely used and are generally the lowest cost of the hard materials. They come in various formulations which can affect specific mechanical properties. One key characteristic is that they exhibit excellent abrasion and corrosion resistance while maintaining their mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. They do not perform well in applications where there is impact. Typical applications are bushings, electronic insulators, nozzles and sleeves.

In summary, the essence of hard material characteristics is their ability to perform admirably in extreme applications. The severity of the application specifics determines which properties are most desirable and, in turn, the optimum hard material for your application.

Note that there are many factors influencing the price of a component, including grades of material, forming and firing processes, as well as geometry and tolerances.

At JJISCO, Inc. we take great pride in our material-centric approach to enhancing your equipment. JJISCO is a strong participant in many diverse, extreme and intensive markets that demand materials which will not only hold up to corrosion, heat and wear, but will also excel. The key is knowing which one to choose for your specific application.

Watch for an upcoming issue that directly compares the mechanical properties and costs, and takes a more in-depth look at these materials. If you have questions or have a current need, please contact us directly for assistance with your specific application.

The information included in this article is for guideline purposes only. We recommend each application be tested for its specific intended use. Please contact JJISCO technical support for more in-depth discussions on your unique program, including cost-effective design.

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