What is 5M1E in Injection Molding Industry?

Today, we talk about the 5M1E method in the injection molding industry.

The six elements of on-site management are man, machine, material, method, environment, and measurement. That is, the 5M1E analysis method to be introduced below.

What is 5M1E?

Man: The operator’s knowledge of quality, technical proficiency, physical condition, etc.;

Machine: the accuracy and maintenance status of machinery equipment, measuring instruments, etc.;

Material: the composition, physical and chemical properties of the material;

Method: This includes production technology, equipment selection, operating procedures, etc.;

Measurement: mainly refers to whether the method adopted for measurement is standard and correct;

Environment: the temperature, humidity, lighting, and cleaning conditions of the workplace;

Since the first letters of the English names of these five factors are M and E, they are often abbreviated as 5M1E.

We know that process is the basic link of product formation, process quality is the basis for guaranteeing product quality, and process quality has an important impact on product quality, production cost, and production efficiency.

Process standardization plays a key role in ensuring process quality, and process standardization has a prominent position in process quality improvement. The quality of the process is affected by the six factors of 5M1E, namely man, machine, material, method, environment, and measurement. The standardization of the process is to seek the standardization of 5M1E.

So how do we control these six factors to form standardization to achieve the purpose of stabilizing product quality?

Operator factors in 5M1E method

Human analysis:

1) Skills issue?

2) Does the system affect people’s work?

3) Is it a matter of selection?

4) Is the training insufficient?

5) Is the skill wrong?

6) Are the staff optimistic about the company?

7) Is there a responsible person?

8) Can people operate machines? Does the person adapt to the environment? Does anyone understand the method? Does anyone know the material?　　

Main control measures:

(1) Production personnel meet the job skill requirements and have passed relevant training and assessment.

(2) For special processes, the professional knowledge and operating skills of special process operations and inspection personnel shall be clearly specified, and those who pass the assessment shall be certified to work.

(3) The operator can strictly abide by the company’s system and strictly operate in accordance with the process documents, and be responsible for the work and quality.

(4) Inspectors can conduct inspections in strict accordance with process regulations and inspection instructions, make original inspection records, and submit them in accordance with regulations.

Machine and equipment factors in 5M1E method

Machine analysis:

Refers to auxiliary production appliances such as equipment and tools used in production. In production, whether the equipment is operating normally and the quality of the tools are another factor that affects the production schedule and product quality.

1) Is the selection correct?

2) Is there a maintenance problem?

3) Does it correspond to the supporting equipment of the machine?

4) Are people who are machines right? Is the operation method of the machine correct? Is the environment in which the machine fits?

The management of machinery and equipment is divided into three aspects, namely use, inspection and maintenance. Use is to train operators according to the performance and operating requirements of the equipment, so that they can correctly operate and use the equipment for production. This is the most basic content of equipment management.

Spot inspection refers to the confirmation of the status and performance of the equipment according to certain standards before and after use, early detection of equipment abnormalities, and prevention of unintended use of the equipment. This is the key to equipment management.

Maintenance refers to the maintenance, cleaning, and oiling of the equipment at a certain time interval according to the characteristics of the equipment to prevent equipment deterioration and extend the service life of the equipment. It is an important part of equipment management.　　

The main control measures are:

(1) There are complete equipment management methods, including clear regulations on equipment purchase, circulation, maintenance, maintenance, and verification.　

(2) All provisions of the Equipment Management Measures are effectively implemented, with equipment ledger, equipment skill files, maintenance verification plan, and relevant records, complete and accurate.

(3) Production equipment, inspection equipment, tooling tools, measuring instruments, etc. all meet the requirements of process regulations and can meet the requirements of process capability. If processing conditions change over time, timely adjustments and compensations can be taken to ensure quality requirements.

(4) Production equipment, inspection equipment, tooling tools, measuring instruments, etc. are in good condition and under control.

Material factors in 5M1E method

Material analysis:

1) Is it genuine?

2) Is the model correct?

3) Is there a shelf life?

4) Has it been inspected in the factory?

5) Does it meet the specifications?

6) Does the material adapt to the environment? Does the material match the machine? Will the material and other materials not affect each other?

The main control measures are:

(1) There is a clear and feasible management system for material procurement, warehousing, transportation, quality inspection, etc., and strict implementation.

(2) Establish a system for incoming inspection, warehousing, storage, identification, and distribution, and implement it carefully to strictly control the quality.

(3) The raw materials or semi-finished products transferred to this process must meet the requirements of the technical documents.

(4) The processed semi-finished products and finished products meet the quality requirements, and have batch or serial number identification.

(5) There are control methods for non-conforming products, with clear responsibilities, which can effectively isolate, identify, record and deal with non-conforming products.

(6) Effective management of production material information and traceability of quality problems.

Factors of process method in 5M1E

Analysis of the law:

1: Is it done according to the law?

2: Do you understand?

3: Is it clear?

4: Is the law suitable?

5: Is there a law?

6: Is the method given to the corresponding person? Does the method go down in this environment?

The main control measures are:

(1) The layout of the process flow is scientific and reasonable to ensure that the product quality meets the requirements.

(2) Be able to distinguish between key processes, special processes and general processes, effectively establish process quality control points, and clearly identify processes and control points.

(3) There are formal and effective production management methods, quality control methods and process operation documents.

(4) The main processes have operating procedures or work instructions, and the operating documents put forward specific technical requirements for personnel, tooling, equipment, operating methods, production environment, process parameters, etc. In addition to clarifying the process parameters, the process rules for special processes should also specify the control methods of process parameters, sample preparation, working media, equipment, and environmental conditions.

(5) The important process parameters and characteristic values of the process documents have undergone process evaluation or process verification; changes to the main process parameters of special processes must be fully tested and verified or qualified by experts before the documents can be changed.

(6) Prescribe inspection points, inspection methods and acceptance criteria for each quality control point, and stipulate related treatment methods.

(7) Prescribe and implement procedures for the preparation, evaluation and approval of process documents to ensure that the documents used at the production site are correct, complete and uniform, the process documents are in a controlled state, and the currently valid version of the process documents can be obtained on site.

(8) The various documents can be strictly implemented, and the recorded data can be filled in as required in a timely manner.

Environmental factors in 5M1E method

1) Has the environment changed on the timeline?

2) Have you considered light, temperature, humidity, altitude, and pollution?

3) Is the environment safe?

4) Is the environment man-made? Can the small environment and the big environment be compatible?

(1) Workplace environment. Refers to the placement of various products and raw materials, the arrangement of tools and equipment, and personal 5S.

(2) Control of dangerous goods. One is the stacking of chemicals, such as alcohol and thinner. The second is the control of six chemical substances in the production process (lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent complex, polybrominated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers)

(3) Production environment. Refers to the control of temperature, humidity, and dust-free requirements in accordance with the production conditions in the specific production process.

The main control measures are:

(1) There is a management system for environmental sanitation on the production site.

(2) Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, light, etc. meet the requirements of production technical documents.

(3) There are relevant safety and environmental protection equipment and measures in the production environment, and the health and safety of employees meets the requirements of laws and regulations.

(4) The production environment is kept clean, tidy, and orderly, and there is no sundries irrelevant to the production. Can learn from 5S related requirements.

(5) Materials, semi-finished products, utensils, etc. are all placed and stored neatly.

(6) Relevant environmental records can be effectively filled in or obtained.

Factors of measurement in 5M1E method

The main control measures include:

(1) Determine the measurement task and the required accuracy, and select the testing equipment that has the required accuracy and precision capabilities.

(2) Regularly confirm, calibrate and adjust all measurement and test equipment.

(3) Prescribe necessary calibration procedures. Its content includes equipment type, serial number, location, calibration period, calibration method, acceptance method, acceptance criteria, and measures to be taken when a problem occurs.

(4) Save calibration records.

(5) When it is found that the measurement and test equipment is not in the calibration state, the validity of the previous measurement and test results shall be immediately evaluated and recorded in the relevant documents. …

Process standardization puts forward clear requirements for 5M1E, and we should incorporate process standardization into the overall plan for process quality improvement. Based on the formulation of relevant standardization requirements, through the investigation and analysis of process quality, the implementation deviations of the specific requirements of process standardization are found, and then improvement measures are taken.

Through the continuous cycle of process quality improvement, the real realization and continuous improvement of process standardization are promoted, so as to achieve continuous improvement of process quality.

Application of 5M1E

Site management

Process standardization: Process standardization is the key to process quality. Process standardization has a prominent position in-process quality improvement. Process quality is affected by the six factors of 5M1E, namely human, machine, material, method, environment, and measurement. Therefore, standardization of work is necessary to seek the standardization of 5M1E;

Quality improvement: 5M1E is the six main factors affecting product quality and the main direction for analyzing quality problems;

Management improvement: 5M1E is the foundation of on-site management and the main direction to improve the management level;

Design plan verification: Fully conduct 5M1E analysis and verification in the design stage, which can make the design plan more in line with the work requirements.

Solve the problem:

5M1E is the direction for us to analyze and think about problems. To solve on-site problems, it must be combined with other management tools to find the root cause of the problem and formulate corresponding improvement measures. Common tools are as follows: