Estudo de caso: seleção de revestimento antiaderente para redução de setup do tratamento de sementes de milho

Abstract

Corn is the most produced cereal in the world, being used on a large scale for various purposes. Corn seeds go through processing units, and in one of the stages of the process a treatment is applied to protect them from insects, microorganisms, among others. In this sense, the industrial polymer-based treatment has been increasingly used to increase the durability and make easier to cultivate seeds. However, due to the characteristics of this treatment, the solution used builds up on the lid of the treater over time, making it necessary to interrupt production to remove it. This setup is a bottleneck in the production process and is considered a waste in the lean manufacturing philosophy. Thus, the present work aimed to select a non-stick coating to reduce the sector's setup time. In this context, comparative tests of incrustation and cleaning of 7 specimens coated with non-stick and control were carried out. The results were analyzed statistically, and indicated that the Gentoo coating was one-third less encrusted than steel and cleaned ten times faster. Furthermore, in the technical-economic evaluation, it was the only one that showed profitability above the minimum attractiveness rate, with an internal rate of return of 20.03% p.y. Therefore, although there are uncertainties about its durability, the coating has shown promise to be applied on the treater's lid and thus reduce setup time. As side benefits, this investment should also reduce waste generation and improve the ergonomics of operator activities.