Musco Lighting Dramatically Reduces Downtime With ROMS-6 SoniXs® In-Line Strapping Solution
Background
Musco Lighting is a premiere lighting company. Its products have illuminated the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore. They have lit up athletic arenas, from the Red Bulls soccer stadium to motorsports circuits and horseracing facilities, such as the Dubai Autodrome and Meydan Racecourse, respectively. They even provided 9/11 rescue effort lighting. The Iowa-based company’s light fixtures are strapped in individual boxes as they are prepared for shipping.
Challenge
Musco Lighting operates two manufacturing plants in Iowa, one in Muscatine and the other in Oskaloosa. The in-line strapping machines at the Muscatine facility were old and were beginning to require maintenance on a regular basis (often multiple times per day).
An individual at the company reached out to a personal connection who worked as an EAM-Mosca service technician. Prior to this point, Musco Lighting was not aware of EAM-Mosca’s strapping solutions. However, one after the other, their strapping machines had continued to struggle, downtime increased, and the issue intensified. They reached out to EAM-Mosca in search of answers and to set up a meeting.
The Solution
Three EAM-Mosca representatives conducted a site survey at the Muscatine manufacturing facility. They recommended a trial, but by that point, Musco Lighting representatives, still dealing with daily issues with their old machines from competitors, opted to skip the trial and immediately purchase two replacement units.
These were the ROMS-6 SoniXs®. The machine’s unique side-seal design enables smoother in-line performance. Its SoniXs® ultrasonic sealing technology creates a strong, reliable seal and removes the need for warm-up time. The machine has also been designed to require reduced cleaning and preventative maintenance, ensuring maximum uptime. In addition to the strapping machines, the EAM-Mosca team recommended replacing 12mm polypropylene straps with a 9mm polyester alternative.
The units were installed in April of 2023. There was no need for additional features or on-site adjustments. The EAM-Mosca technician who originally received the request was able to help with installation and ensure everything was running smoothly.
Results
Since installing the two ROMS-6 SoniXs® units, uptime at the Musco Lighting Muscatine plant has dramatically improved. Musco staff reports that, before the installation, the maintenance leads were fielding two to three calls every day for the outdated competitors’ strapping machines. Since the installation of EAM-Mosca’s new machine’s, those calls have dropped to approximately three calls in the last year. This has effectively eliminated downtime related to strapping each light fixture box in the Musco Lighting production process.
In addition, the reduction in strap size and change in strap material has yielded benefits. The polyester straps ensure increased machine performance. Their smaller size also allows for fewer packaging resources while preserving load integrity. Polyester straps are also a recyclable, eco-friendly solution.
A Musco Lighting representative spoke to EAM-Mosca regarding the improvement, saying, “We couldn’t be happier with the machines and service. These machines have virtually eliminated downtime. The toolless guides are the most help as they work as a self-guide on what to check next in the way of clearing any jams or during cleaning.” The spokesperson added, “We consider ourselves the best in the business of venue lighting. After our experience, we consider Mosca the ‘Musco’ of the strapping business.”
The Musco Lighting team’s experience was so positive that they have already begun working with EAM-Mosca on addressing other strapping needs. As of early 2024, they had already purchased another strapping machine for their Oskaloosa facility. They are also expanding their Muscatine plant, which could create more packaging needs and are considering utilizing other EAM-Mosca strapping solutions for further end-of-line (EOL) pallet packaging needs.
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