Smurfit-Stone Corrugator Crew Sets Production Record

During the month of February, the first shift Corrugator Crew at the Smurfit-Stone Joliet Plant set a Plant production record when they averaged at least 29,660 lineal feet per hour, every day during the first shift. Only to see that record broken again in April!

Plant manager Dennis Kaiser attributes this important accomplishment to hard work and team effort aided by the recently installed refurbished singlefacer now up and running at the Joliet Plant.

Joliet Technologies played a major role in that team effort by retro-fitting a new 100Hp Siemens 6RA70 Digital DC Drive, replacing the old Reliance Analog DC Drive to run the singlefacer. During the engineering phase, Joliet Technologies helped Smurfit-Stone to determine which components would need to be removed and what could be re-used.

Bob Meade, from Joliet Technologies, prepared the schematic diagram to interconnect the remaining equipment. The Singlefacer section was pre-tested in the warehouse area of the plant before installation. During the pre-test, the drives were tuned and programmed to minimize the start-up time.

Bob, working with Danny Muir (Smurfit plant engineer) re-wired the new drive back into the existing cabinet. Bob spearheaded the commissioning of the drives, once the singlefacer was installed into the corrugator line.

During this time, Joliet Technologies also installed a 10Hp Variable Frequency AC Drive to increase the efficiency and productivity of the vacuum pump, used in the production line.

Plant manager Dennis Kaiser says, "Congratulations to Supervisor Gary McDaniel and all of his crewmembers for this record breaking accomplishment and for the team's continuing outstanding efforts. The second and three shifts have also made great strides and are continuing to improve their productivity. All three shifts are working to push the pace. We're headed in the right direction."

Members of the First Shift Crew are Supervisor Gary McDaniel, Juan Martinez, Tony Moreno, Mike Weber, Rafael Chaparro, Judy Ristucci, Nathan Zabala, Nick Aguirre and Bret Czys.



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