Implementation of a risk assessment model to prevent operational defects in a glass factory

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a systematic method for identifying potential failures in production processes and the damages these failures may cause. This analytical technique examines the causes and effects of failures, enabling to take preventive measures to minimize or completely eliminate disruptions in production processes. FMEA also plays a crucial role in reducing operational costs while enhancing the quality of products and services. In this study, a process FMEA was conducted for press production, which is one of the glass production processes. As a result of the analysis, potential failure modes were identified. Based on the FMEA results, the control plan was revised. The current situation for forming-related defects in a product produced by the press production process has been analyzed. To control the main root cause of production losses, which is the variation in gob weight, system integration was planned. A Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA) was conducted to assess the reliability of the gob weight measurement equipment and the measurers, along with Statistical Process Control (SPC) studies to measure the adequacy of the weight distribution. An automatic gob weight measurement system was planned to be installed and integrated to reduce the error rate caused by gob position, temperature, and weight. By keeping the parameters of the gob under control, the aim was to reduce quality costs, scrap rates, and optimize the workforce. After the integration of the automatic gob weight measurement system, statistical process control studies were repeated for the data on gob weights, and the distribution of error rates was analyzed. It was observed that when the parameters related to the gob were controlled, there was a reduction in scrap rates and quality-related costs.