Get it Right Early, the Rest will take Care of Itself

I’d been running reliability and center lining events across the country, and it never ceased to amaze me how small adjustments like leveling rollers, aligning equipment, straightening processes, could transform an entire line. We were seeing 90% fewer jams, 20% higher yields, 40% productivity gains, and a massive boost in team ownership. It was life-changing.

I decided to convince another client to try this approach in his composite decking factory. While the product was thicker and more stable than others I’d worked with, I knew the principles would still apply.

When I reviewed the concept with my sponsor, he admitted they were battling jams that caused serious disruption. He immediately invited me to run a reliability Kaizen on a key production line.

At first glance, the line seemed simple: straight path, thick product. But once we dug in, the misalignment was obvious. Early in the process, a set of rollers fed stabilizing sheets into melted vinyl. The roller system was out of level, causing tension and stress at the mixing point. Once corrected, the sheets fed evenly, drastically improving flow.

Next, we tackled the water bath where the decking was formed. The “carrier” that transported product through the bath was tilted. That misalignment made the material rise or fall, throwing off the next equipment in the line and potentially causing jams.

We built custom brackets using materials on hand to support the carrier at the precise height and alignment. Then we created easy-to-use visuals to ensure it could be consistently set up.

Once everything was lined up and squared off, we started up the line. It ran beautifully. From that stable foundation, we aligned every piece of downstream equipment. The results? Significant productivity gains, reduced safety risks, and a team that now applies the method to other lines in the plant.

When you take the time to get it right early in the process, everything becomes easier downstream. In reliability Kaizen, precision builds momentum and momentum builds belief.