Value stream mapping is a lean tool that shows how a product moves from order to delivery. The map includes every step, every delay, and every handoff. The map is used to identify the steps that add value and the steps that do not.
A honeycomb paper machine changes the map. The steps that involve purchased cushioning disappear, and the steps that involve on-demand production take their place. The change is easier to see when the map is drawn before and after the machine.
How to Draw the Current State
The current state map starts with the order and ends with the shipment. The map includes the steps that the order goes through: receiving, storage, picking, packing, cushioning, sealing, and shipping.
The cushioning step is where the purchased material enters. The map shows the material being received, stored, retrieved, and applied. Each of those steps is a box on the map, and each box has a time and a delay.
How to Draw the Future State
The future state map is drawn after the machine is installed. The material receiving, storage, and retrieval steps disappear. The cushioning step is replaced by the on-demand production step, which happens at the packing bench.
The future state map is simpler. The boxes are fewer, and the delays between the boxes are shorter. The simplification is the value that the machine delivers.
Where the Time Is Saved
The time is saved in three places. The first is the retrieval time, which is the time the operator spends walking to storage and back. The second is the waiting time, which is the time the operator spends waiting for material that is not at the bench. The third is the handling time, which is the time the operator spends moving the material from storage to the bench.
Each of these times is small per order. The total across the shift is what the map reveals.
Why the Map Matters
The map matters because it makes the invisible visible. The retrieval, waiting, and handling times do not appear on any report. They appear on the map, and the map is what justifies the investment.
A die that lasts about 1.0~1.3 million meters keeps the cells uniform across the entire run. The uniform cells mean the future state map is stable, because the output does not vary from order to order.
What the Machine Delivers
A honeycomb paper machine that simplifies the value stream delivers output with fewer steps. Die-cutting speed is adjustable between 5 and 18 m/min, and die-cutting width is adjustable between 200 and 500mm. Suitable paper is ≤80gsm, and both virgin kraft paper and recycled paper work.
Power requirements are modest: 1.5kW total power at AC220V/50HZ, with no compressor, heating element, or adhesive system. A compact footprint of just over 1 cubic meter, dimensions around 950x1150x1260mm and net weight near 502kg, means the machine can sit at the packing bench where the value is added. A paper roll length of about 1700m, with a maximum unwind diameter of 500mm and a paper core inner diameter of 75mm, supports a long production run before the roll needs to be changed.
The output is biodegradable packaging and degradable packing material, a practical alternative to plastic packing materials, and it supports reuse cartons and paper recycling. A simpler value stream is what makes that output efficient to deliver.