Industrial Fellow uses mathematics to improve paper manufacturing

David Shteinman, MASCOS Industry Fellow at UNSW and Managing Director of Stamen Paper Pty Ltd, spoke at UNSW on August 19 at a joint Applied Maths/MASCOS seminar. The talk titled “Understanding A Complex Industrial Process: Successes And Difficulties In Model Building And Implementation” focused on the actual experience of using mathematical and statistical methods to understand a real manufacturing process.

Stamen’s Consumer Packaging Division produces round, oval and specially shaped paper containers for food, cosmetics and other industries. The Division had experienced excessive variation and lack of robustness to uncontrollable variables in this process. Classic statistical quality control methods were used to reduce variation in the system. Then Design of Experiments was used to build an empirical model of the process.

David described the initial success with the experiments and other possible statistical methodologies for further experiments were outlined. Various methods of displaying and interpreting the results of the model were discussed including Response Surface methods. An area to be further researched is the various methods of modelling the effects of uncontrollable noise variables.

The focus of David’s research at MASCOS is on a generic methodology to assist building an “expert system” of an industrial process based on a valid model of the process, rather than historical data. The experience of his own company is being used as a guide.

He plans collaborative work with researchers in the UNSW Schools of Mathematics and Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering.