How do I check a plastics moulder’s resin supply and material handling system?

Start with the list of materials. For each, ask who supplies it, how long the relationship has lasted and whether there is a second source approved by the customer. Some parts need a specific grade, and switching can mean testing and approval. Ask what happened the last time supply was short.

Then walk the path. Look at the receiving area, the storage silos or boxes, the dryers and the loaders. Is material kept covered and labelled, or can it pick up moisture and dust? Ask how mix-ups are prevented between similar grades and colours. Check whether conveying lines are clean and whether filters and dryers are maintained.

Look at the numbers behind it. How much material sits on hand, and how quickly does it turn over? Is any material left over from jobs that ended long ago? Your accountant can show you how resin inventory appears in the books. Finally, ask who runs the system. If one employee knows every setting and supplier contact, that knowledge needs to be written down before a handover. A technician can help you judge the condition of the equipment itself.

Key takeaways

• Trace each resin from supplier to press and ask who else could supply it.
• Look for contamination, moisture and mix-up risks in storage, drying and conveying.
• Find out how much stock is old or left over from finished jobs.