Sponsored by the Tile Association

Norcros Adhesives is investing in a range of improvements at its Stoke-on-Trent factory, designed to support a projected increase in manufacturing capacity of 150 per cent.  The company aims to improve both manufacturing efficiency and also drive up product quality. The changes include the implementation of a new ERP system to strengthen management controls and the adoption of pneumatic technology on the production line.

Norcros Adhesives is a market-leading manufacturer of power-based tile adhesives, and it is now installing a pneumatic air-blown system to move powders from silo to mixing station. This provides much greater efficiency than using conveyors, since it is quicker, more controllable, more flexible, reduces contamination and takes up less space on the factory floor.

“This is a significant investment for us, supporting our increased manufacturing capacity and meeting the demands of our growing business,” says Dr Mohammed Nawaz, operations director at Norcros Adhesives. “Product quality is key for us and this system gives us much better control over the formulas of our individual products, as well as delivering improved all-round efficiency.”

The efficiency of the system is guaranteed by the implementation of a new SCADA/HMI system (Supervisory Control & Data Acquistion/Human-Machine Interface). This industrial control technology will work in partnership with the pneumatic system, which in turn is being installed over the coming months as part of the company’s continuous improvement programme. It also integrates fully with ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) which has been established at the company for more than a year now.

ERP integrates all aspects of the company’s business from manufacturing through to stock management and sales, enabling the production of improved management reports and providing stronger operational information at all levels of the business, including margin analysis and business analysis on individual product lines. The systems enable superior workflows and reduce double handling, again improving efficiencies throughout the business.

At the warehousing level, ERP links with a new bar coding system, TouchWMS, which has also just been implemented and which provides full traceability of products from the factory to the distributor. TouchWMS reduces costs and improves efficiency through better rotation and more efficient utilization of space.

In addition to investment in manufacturing and control systems, Norcros Adhesives has also invested in its factory infrastructure as well. It has just created a new reception area for the factory, combined with staff welfare and conference facilities, which can be used for production meetings and safety briefings. This area also includes new kitchen and washroom facilities.

“Creating an improved working environment for staff is important for our company,” explains Dr Nawaz, “as that feeds into the efficiency goals which lie behind all our recent investments in the company. We are a growing business, with ambitious goals for further growth. As part of our programme of continuous improvement, we are supporting those goals with the necessary investment in systems, manufacturing technology and our day-to-day working environment.”