Options
How's Your Mint Product Packaged Lately? Circulating coins Free from Defects?
MsMorrisine
Posts: 39,430 ✭✭✭✭✭
from your friends at the treasury
Automation
ln FY 2008. the United States Mint replaced certain production and packaging processes with automated systems. By increasing productivity, automation is generating more efficient operations and higher quality products.
Automated systems were installed in both San Francisco and West Point facilities to improve numismatic product packaging in 2008. The San Francisco system employs multiple robots to rapidly package proof coin sets. It uses a vision scanning system to identify a product, verify the correct packaging material and inspect packaging for any errors Based on the desired end product, the system will insert single or multiple lenses into a single box. These finished boxes are then packed in shipping cases, and an additional robot transfers them to pallets for immediate shipment to our distribution center.
The West Point automated system replaces a lengthy manual process for inserting encapsulated coins into presentation case packaging. The system employs multiple robot arms that systematically disassemble presentation case packaging, place encapsulated coins inside each case, reassemble the case packaging and place final products into larger shipping cartons for direct transportation to our distribution center. The system also utilizes a vision scanning system to inspect each coin case, certificate of authenticity and presentation packaging for any errors.
Automating these processes is expected to significantly reduce operator fatigue and injury. Automated quality checks are also anticipated to reduce costs related to product returns and rework.
Highest Quality Standards
Product quality is a top priority for the United States Mint. To produce coins befitting the "Mint Condition" standard, we continually monitor and enhance our producdon processes. Each manufacturing facility evaluates the quality of critical production materials, including strip, blanks and packaging materials, received from various suppliers. We assess the final quality of dies used in numismatic and circulating coin production.
Each manufacturing facility also conducts monthly product quality audits to identify the source of defects and target continual quality improvements. For each audit, a quality review team randomly samples and evaluates corns for visual and dimensional defects. The source of any defective coin is identified, and corrective action is taken to prevent additional defects. For each product line, the team calculates a Mint Quality Index (MQI), a composite score of how well coin products conform to quality standards.
A MQIscore of 100 indicates that product audits found no visual or dimensional defect in the corns examined. The score falls based on the number and seventy of defects identified. Since we began measuring circulating MQI in 2005, the average fiscal year score has trended upward. Despite a small decline in FY 2007, circulating MQI peaked in FY 2008 with a score of 86.8. While we only began to consistently measure numismatic MQI in 2007, our numismatic score has remained at or above 90. Through continued process and product quality audits, we hope to maintain or surpass these scores in the future.
In FY 2009,. the United States Mint will consider implementing a state-of-the-art visual inspection system for circulating coin production The system would be capable of continuously scanning circulating coins for obvious visual and dimensional defects If effectively implemented, the system will improve our capability to produce coins within the required quality specifications.
Automation
ln FY 2008. the United States Mint replaced certain production and packaging processes with automated systems. By increasing productivity, automation is generating more efficient operations and higher quality products.
Automated systems were installed in both San Francisco and West Point facilities to improve numismatic product packaging in 2008. The San Francisco system employs multiple robots to rapidly package proof coin sets. It uses a vision scanning system to identify a product, verify the correct packaging material and inspect packaging for any errors Based on the desired end product, the system will insert single or multiple lenses into a single box. These finished boxes are then packed in shipping cases, and an additional robot transfers them to pallets for immediate shipment to our distribution center.
The West Point automated system replaces a lengthy manual process for inserting encapsulated coins into presentation case packaging. The system employs multiple robot arms that systematically disassemble presentation case packaging, place encapsulated coins inside each case, reassemble the case packaging and place final products into larger shipping cartons for direct transportation to our distribution center. The system also utilizes a vision scanning system to inspect each coin case, certificate of authenticity and presentation packaging for any errors.
Automating these processes is expected to significantly reduce operator fatigue and injury. Automated quality checks are also anticipated to reduce costs related to product returns and rework.
Highest Quality Standards
Product quality is a top priority for the United States Mint. To produce coins befitting the "Mint Condition" standard, we continually monitor and enhance our producdon processes. Each manufacturing facility evaluates the quality of critical production materials, including strip, blanks and packaging materials, received from various suppliers. We assess the final quality of dies used in numismatic and circulating coin production.
Each manufacturing facility also conducts monthly product quality audits to identify the source of defects and target continual quality improvements. For each audit, a quality review team randomly samples and evaluates corns for visual and dimensional defects. The source of any defective coin is identified, and corrective action is taken to prevent additional defects. For each product line, the team calculates a Mint Quality Index (MQI), a composite score of how well coin products conform to quality standards.
A MQIscore of 100 indicates that product audits found no visual or dimensional defect in the corns examined. The score falls based on the number and seventy of defects identified. Since we began measuring circulating MQI in 2005, the average fiscal year score has trended upward. Despite a small decline in FY 2007, circulating MQI peaked in FY 2008 with a score of 86.8. While we only began to consistently measure numismatic MQI in 2007, our numismatic score has remained at or above 90. Through continued process and product quality audits, we hope to maintain or surpass these scores in the future.
In FY 2009,. the United States Mint will consider implementing a state-of-the-art visual inspection system for circulating coin production The system would be capable of continuously scanning circulating coins for obvious visual and dimensional defects If effectively implemented, the system will improve our capability to produce coins within the required quality specifications.
Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
0
Comments
Highest quality standards. Uh huh.
"Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
http://www.american-legacy-coins.com