The Opportunity
A longtime client of QualPro, GAF partnered with QualPro consultants for various improvement projects across thirty production and research facilities in order to optimize manufacturing operations, reduce costs, improve production efficiency, and ultimately position GAF as the industry's quality leader. In 2006, GAF partnered with QualPro to improve production processes while reducing costs and maintaining quality.
GAF Materials Corporation Profile
General Aniline & Film, more commonly known as GAF Materials Corporation, is the largest manufacturer of roofing materials in North America. Founded in 1886 and based in Wayne, New Jersey, GAF specializes in manufacturing roofing materials for both residential and commercial projects. With annual sales over $3 billion, GAF operates twenty-four manufacturing plants across the United States with nearly 3300 employees.
Client Impact: Chemical
The Approach
QualPro assembled various project teams that included GAF executives, plant managers, engineers, quality specialists, and various other key stakeholders to develop innovative solutions to optimize production. The team sought to improve cost savings, while reducing weight and maintaining product quality. QualPro consultants ensured that measurement systems are stable and sensitive enought o predict process changes, then conducted advanced statistical analysis to identify factors that influence product quality - including pressure, temperature, line speeds, and various cooling methods. Within a twenty-four hour time period, consultants tested each factor with a different combination every two hours - a half-hour period to change various conditions and stabalize the process, and an hour and a half period for data collection from those changes. Sampling from the product line occured in 15-minute intervals, each time testing for weight, length and width of the product.
The Impact
QualPro identified four key influencers of average product weight. The analysis provided GAF with insight to pinpoint key drivers of product quality. Based on QualPro recommendations, GAF identified specific actions to impact weight variation, leading to a reduction in product weight by four pounds per roll with annual savings of $400,000.
"...the Qualpro process is really helping us understand better about the interactions in our process, and of course the other advantage that we’ve got is we’ve got a better tool to be able to not only understand the variability but address the issues and take advantage of the opportunities on a much faster basis."
Michael Ferraro
GAF Materials Corporation
