Economics and cost analysis of PE film production

Economics and cost analysis of film production

The course shows how decisions on the line affect the cost per kilogram of film. It covers raw material consumption, actual thickness, waste, energy, working time, downtime and changeovers.

The material is intended for production teams and those responsible for plant efficiency. It supports loss analysis, performance comparisons and the economic assessment of proposed process changes.

Skills developed in the course

• Understand the full cost structure of blown film production: raw materials, energy, labour, depreciation and waste, and which components have the greatest impact on unit cost
• View raw material cost as a function of film thickness, waste rate, process stability and material utilisation, as well as the purchase price
• Calculate the true cost of waste and production losses: the full cost, including material value, energy, machine operating time and lost production volume
• Analyse energy consumption per kilogram of film produced, and identify where energy is being wasted unnoticed
• Understand how downtime and changeover time affect production cost and where the greatest time losses actually occur
• Connect process parameter decisions with financial results: how temperature, speed, cooling and thickness settings translate directly into cost per kilogram
• Assess line efficiency and OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), and understand what these indicators actually mean for production cost and gross margin
• Identify hidden cost driversthat do not appear in standard production reports and reduce profitability
• Make optimisation decisions based on cost impact: knowing which improvements deliver the highest financial return with the least effort

Who is this course for?

• Machine operatorswho influence production cost with every setting and need to understand the financial consequences of their decisions on the blown film extrusion line
• Production engineers and process engineerswho optimise the process for quality but rarely analyse the cost consequences of their parameter choices
• Quality specialistswho need to understand the trade-off between tighter specifications and higher production costs
• Production managers and team leaders responsible for line output, waste levels and production efficiency
• Plant directors, operations managers and business ownerswho need their team to think about profitability as well as keeping the blown film extrusion line running

Detailed topic coverage

The cost structure of blown film production A comprehensive breakdown: raw materials, energy, labour, depreciation and waste. Which cost components dominate, and where the greatest savings potential lies in blown film extrusion.

Raw material cost: the most important factor Why material cost is more than the purchase price. How film thickness tolerance, waste rate and blend ratios determine the actual raw material cost per kilogram of finished film.

The true cost of waste and production losses How to calculate waste costs correctly, including wasted energy, machine time, labour and lost production capacity. Why “2% waste” costs more than most people think.

Energy consumption analysis How to measure and assess energy cost per kilogram of blown film produced, and where energy losses most often occur in extrusion, cooling and auxiliary systems.

The cost of downtime and changeovers How to estimate the true cost of production stoppages, material changes and start-up losses, and which types of downtime have the greatest financial impact on your blown film extrusion line.

Process parameters and their impact on costs How temperature profiles, screw speed, cooling settings and target thickness directly affect production costs, and how to optimise for both quality and economics.

Line efficiency and OEE How to measure and interpret Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) for a blown film extrusion line, and what the difference between actual and achievable OEE means financially.

Hidden cost drivers Losses that do not appear in standard reports: excessive thickness, oversizing, suboptimal regrind utilisation and energy waste. How to find them and estimate their impact on gross margin.

Cost-based optimisation decisions How to assess which process improvements deliver the highest financial return, so the team focuses its efforts where they create the greatest value for your blown film production.

Course format

• Practical PDF materials connecting blown film extrusion process parameters with production cost analysis, structured around actual cost drivers
• Video and audio explanations for selected topics: cost calculation methods, waste analysis and energy consumption monitoring
• Final quiz assessing the ability to identify cost drivers and make economically justified production decisions

A Rolbatch Academy certificate of participation and the opportunity to earn a diploma after a knowledge assessment. The requirements are explained in the FAQ.

This is where the entire series comes together.

Learning arrangements and ordering

The course includes PDF materials and video and audio explanations of selected topics. Participants work at their own pace and can revisit the materials during the access period. Completion, certificate and diploma requirements are explained in the FAQ.

Please include the number of participants, language and preferred date in your enquiry. We will confirm availability, the access period and terms for your team. We accept orders by email. You can combine selected parts, Executive and books in one enquiry.