Posts Tagged ‘Lean Manufacturing’
Apollo Sprayers to implement Lean Six Sigma improvement program
Apollo Sprayers International is working with the Lean Six Sigma Institute to implement a continuous quality improvement process to simultaneously reduces operating costs.
Lean Six Sigma uses a continuous improvement methodology and accompanying tools to improve productivity, quality and lead or service response time through the discovery and elimination of productivity limitations such as variability, waste and overburden.
“We selected Lean Six Sigma to help us discover and eliminate productivity limitations and to help our employees – myself included – focus on taking advantage of any and all resources that will improve our customer service and product quality,” said John A. Darroch, Apollo president and CEO.
Apollo Sprayers will conduct the Lean Six Sigma Program over the next 24 weeks. For more on the program at Apollo, visit www.hvlp.com.
AWFS Fair smartSHOP makes cabinets for Las Vegas animal shelter
More than 30 multi-shelf cabinets created in smartSHOP, a fully-operational wood shop at this year’s AWFS Fair, were donated to The Animal Foundation, a Las Vegas nonprofit shelter that supports the humane treatment of animals.
Gero Sassenberg, a woodworking expert and furniture consultant, operated the smartSHOP during the cabinet construction and a number of exhibiting companies donated supplies to the smartSHOP for the cabinets.
“The smartSHOP program has two great benefits,”said Angelo Gangone, executive vice president, AWFS. “Seeing a completely automated shop in action is educational for attendees and, at the same time, the program demonstrates that, as an industry, we are committed to giving back. The cabinets made during the four days will be put to good use. The Animal Foundation accepts 50,000 homeless pets a year.”
AME announces keynote speakers for October conference
The Association for Manufacturing Excellence announced the keynote speaker lineup for its 2011 Annual International Excellence Inside Conference, which will take place Oct. 24-28, in Dallas, Texas.
The featured keynote speaker is Temple Grandin, a professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University, who will discuss the importance for visual and mathematical thinkers working together for design and manufacturing.
Other industry experts speaking at the conference include: Robyn Benincasa, a professional adventure racer, discussing teamwork in the corporate world; Gary Convis, consultant to Dana Holding Corp., discussing experience with manufacturing production systems; Gregory Hall, senior vice president of technical operations at FedEx Express, speaking about the company’s success; Sarah Patterson, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Virginia Mason Medical Center, discussing the medical center’s production system; Charles “Gus” Whalen, Jr., chairman of The Warren Featherbone Co., speaking on innovation and how companies adapt to change; and James Womack, Ph.D., founder of and senior advisor to the Lean Enterprise Institute Inc., discussing lean thinking.
Lean@VirginiaTech to host lean safety workshop
The student-faculty non-profit initiative Lean@VirginiaTech will host a “Why Lean Safety?” workshop on Oct. 26 and 27, to discuss managing safety issues using Lean principles.
The two-day workshop will be held in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C., airport area. The workshop will provide background material and real life examples to help companies identify, analyze and solve problems around a safety program using Lean principles.
For more information, email info@vtlean.org or call 540.443.6688.
Holzma US to hold Manufacturing Concepts Seminar in June
Holzma will host a U.S. Manufacturing Concepts Seminar in June, allowing attendees the chance to see three different manufacturing solutions to save money, reduce lead times and meet customers’ customization needs.
The seminar will focus on three production systems: custom work cell for ultimate product flexibility; mid-range work cell for production quantities; and high production work cell for volume manufacturing. The event format allows attendees to see multiple solutions in a short time, with presentations on industry trends, new directions in software technology, the latest developments in functional hardware and the role of tax code in equipment purchasing. Industry vendors will also have representatives on-site to demonstrate new machinery and answer questions.
Holzma’s seminar will take place June 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the company’s North Carolina facility. For more details and to register, contact Terry Norris at 704.861.8239 or holzma@stilesmachinery.com.
Hermance Machine Co. to host educational seminar exposition in May
Hermance Machine Co. in Williamsport, Pa., will host an exposition featuring interactive and educational seminars on May 12 and 13, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
Presentations and live machine demonstrations relevant to the wood, plastics, composites, and metal industries will be held, with a focus on demonstrating how to effectively integrate machines from different manufacturers. Some of the hands-on education programs include: setup and maintenance of machinery and processes such as edgebander setup and maintenance, moulder setup and knife grinding, CNC fixturing and setup, dovetail drawer box construction, optimizing saw systems, lean manufacturing, and material handling and labor reduction techniques. Attendees can expect to acquire in-depth knowledge of the processes, without needing to personally know specifics to ask the sales representative, Hermance says. The exposition will also include hands-on application forums as well.
To register, visit www.hermance.com.
Seminars shaping up for May woodworking E-vent
The seminar program for the next CabinetMakerFDM Woodworking Business E-vent, a live online trade show and conference set for May 19, is moving ahead. Registration for the E-vent is now open. The program features educational sessions, a virtual exhibit hall with top industry suppliers and networking with industry peers.
Featured seminar topics include:
Planning to Succeed in a Lean Transformation. Many companies attempt a transformation to lean manufacturing without the effective planning necessary to ensure success. Jim Lewis takes you step-by-step through the process so you can get the maximum value that lean manufacturing has to offer for your business. Jim Lewis has worked in the furniture industry for more than 30 years with a special emphasis on facilitating the transformation to the Lean business philosophy. He is an independent Lean business consultant, author, and writer. Jim’s most recent book, “Story of a Lean Journey,” chronicles the journey of one company through the Lean transformation process.
Automating the Small to Mid-Size Shop. Kevin Ward of A Ward Design is an avid proponent of practical and pragmatic automation, Ward discusses how small to medium size shops can best incorporate CNC into their production to improve flow, efficiency and quality. Using his own experience of running a successful custom cabinet shop, Ward shares practical tips that will help you avoid common pitfalls in the automation process.
Pricing Strategies for the Recovery. Will Sampson of CabinetMakerFDM will discuss this always timely subject. As woodworking businesses struggle with the turbulent economy, they face unparalleled challenges when it comes to pricing. Sampson shares not only the universal fundamentals of effective pricing but also practical tips on how you can price your work for maximum sales and maximum profit in this competitive recovering business climate.
Zero Setup and Batch One Manufacturing. Presenter to be announced soon.
New Finishing Technology. Presenter to be announced soon.
Success breeds second E-vent
Reaction to the first Woodworking E-vent in November 2010 was overwhelmingly positive. The first E-vent attracted more than 1,400 registrants and more than 20 exhibitors from across the country. Stay tuned for a list of exhibitors at the next E-vent. Each of the five conference session attracted an average of 150 attendees, many of whom took the opportunity to participate in live question and answer sessions via online chat.
Attendees were enthusiastic about the event, noting that they got much of the value of a conventional trade show or conference without having to leave their office. In addition to the live seminars, attendees had live chats with suppliers, downloaded product information and even watched live streaming videos of products in action. More of the same is planned for the May E-vent.
Free to attend
The E-vent is free to attend. Simply go to www.wattevents.com/CMFDM11/Home.aspx and register online to reserve your space. Then, on the day of the E-vent, just log in from any internet-based computer to participate, taking advantage of educational forums, networking with industry peers, and learning about the latest supplies and equipment.
Even if you can’t attend the live event, you can still access the on-demand presentations after the live event concludes. All registrants receive complimentary access to the presentations from May 20 – August 19, 2011.
Virginia Tech to hold ‘Lean Administration’ workshop March 29-30
Virginia Tech’s VTLeanTeam will host its second workshop, “Why Lean Administration?” on March 29 and 30, in Morrisville, N.C.
The two-day workshop on lean administration will begin at 9 a.m. both days. It will provide guidance on how to apply lean principles in administrations to create efficient processes, with hands-on simulation games, exercises and presentations. Attendees will also have the chance to share their business’ problems learn from a following analysis and resolution by VTLeanTeam members.
For more information or to register, visit http://vtlean.org/club/workshops/.
Virginia Tech establishes lean team to support businesses ‘doing more with less’
Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment has established a “lean team,” based out of the Department of Wood Science and Forest Products, dedicated to supporting businesses in their quest to become more competitive and profitable by “doing more with less.”
The definition of “lean,” according to Urs Buehlmann, associate professor of wood science and forest products and co-founder of the program, is “a management philosophy, a management approach. The simplest definition is doing more with less. Lean is eliminating waste, and waste is everything that the customer does not value and thus is not willing to pay for.” The student-driven, faculty-supported initiative has two branches — the LeanTeam@VirginiaTech and the LeanClub@VirginiaTech. The LeanTeam@VirginiaTech includes students and faculty members involved in supporting lean transformation efforts in companies through training, advising and problem solving. The LeanClub@VirginiaTech is a voluntary group of businesses with an interest in lean concepts.
Accu-Router hosting CNC machinery open house Dec. 16
Accu-Router is hosting an open house Dec. 16 from 7 a.m. through the evening, at its headquarters in Morrison, Tenn., to see its latest CNC conveying technology — a heavy walled-steel system with high-speed rollers and smooth ballscrew-driven pick and place, which is integrated in-house. Representatives will be available to help streamline attendees’ operations and maximize profits.
Accu-Router machinery is custom-built to customer specifications. This system can locate six different sized panels in three distinct vacuum zones.
Contact Charlise Washer at charlise@accu-router.com with any questions or travel needs. Refreshments will be available.
