Stopper analysis

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Stopper analysis is an empirical method for determining the reliability and efficiency of individual machines or rigidly linked industrial production lines.

The term is common and introduced in the printing industry and print finishing .

A stopper describes the occurrence of an impermissible operating state (malfunction) on a single machine or component within a rigidly linked industrial production line, which leads to a brief (seconds, minutes) interruption of the production process. This stopping of the production process is triggered manually by the operating personnel (e.g. "emergency stop") or by sensors with which the product, material and process parameters are monitored.

A stopper analysis determines:

• the specific cause (e.g. missing or jammed product, different dimensions),
• the number, frequency and duration of the occurrence of stoppers and
• the statistical distribution to the individual components of the overall system

The "classic" method of collecting data for a stopper analysis is the observation of a production line by one or more people over a specified period of time and the manual recording of all stopper events that occur using a tally sheet and stopwatch. Modern machines allow z. Sometimes also an automated stopper analysis via the built-in control computer (error log). In practice, interim solutions are also used, e.g. B. equipping the observer with a mobile PC or PDA and special software.

Based on the results of a stopper analysis, one can e.g. B. determine:

• whether a machine actually achieves the productivity promised by the manufacturer (machine acceptance)
• the optimal ratio between number of cycles and stopper frequency (optimization)
• identify individual components as weak points

The occurrence of stoppers is e.g. B. depending on:

• the adjustment to the specific product and material properties
• the degree of variation in product parameters and material properties
• the qualification of the operating personnel
• the quality of the coordination between the individual components of a production line