Optimizing Component Selection in Aerosol Can Production: A Practical Model with Industrial Application

Sonoco faces a critical challenge in optimizing the production of three-piece aerosol cans due to variations in diameter, height, and pressure ratings, which result in frequent machine changeovers. Each aerosol can consists of three components: the dome, body, and bottom, each with multiple basis weight options, or material thicknesses, available. These variations require machine adjustments that increase downtime and disrupt production schedules, leading to higher operational costs. The objective of this study is to minimize total production costs by balancing material expenses with downtime costs associated with machine changeovers. To address this issue, a binary programming optimization model was developed and implemented in Excel to optimize basis weight selection for each component. The model incorporates material costs, changeover costs, and structural integrity constraints for cans to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. The results indicate that standardizing basis weights across configurations reduces downtime by over ten percent, leading to net annual savings of $18,160. However, a marginal increase in material cost highlighted the trade-off between reducing downtime and optimizing raw material usage.