Fantastic Plastic
Custom blow molding company Dahl-Tech, Inc. creates unique products quickly with Just-In-Time manufacturing.
Founded in 1979, Stillwater manufacturer Dahl-Tech, Inc. made a name for itself producing blow-molded plastic milk and juice bottles. Since then, the company has branched out to offer custom products ranging from honey bear bottles to high heel shoe-shaped bubble bath containers to a container that holds steel pellets to help stabilize tippy kayaks.
Since becoming a custom manufacturer, having several short runs was a challenge for Dahl-Tech. “Because we’re a job shop, we’re changing molds all the time,” says Bob Dahlke, Dahl-Tech president. “One of our biggest problems was that our maintenance people lacked an organized system, so it was difficult to make mold changes quickly.”
The company used a Growth Acceleration Program grant to train employees in Just-In- Time (JIT) manufacturing. JIT is a component of the Toyota Production System, and it allows manufacturers to produce the correct amount of each part of a product just in time for it to be used. When implemented correctly, the system can reduce waste and increase productivity and profit.
Dahl-Tech applied JIT on its production line to minimize changeover time and streamline flow, realizing a 15 percent improvement in speed of production. Dahlke believes the new process also has made his employees a more cohesive team. “Being a job shop, we’ve got to be really quick,” he says. “You’ve got to keep that plastic flowing through and product coming out, so [JIT training] was a tremendous help. It also brought everybody closer together in a better understanding of each department’s responsibility. Once we started working together, it was a better place to work.”