Lean Manufacturing Assembly

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 Some manufacturers do more than just practice lean manufacturing. They help other manufacturers achieve it. A good example is Hamilton Caster & Manufacturing Co., which recently helped Cummins Inc. improve lean practices at one of its engine manufacturing plants in South Carolina. 

Using software to optimize assembly processes is passé. Manufacturers now have the tools to ensure error-free production, increase line flexibility and minimize PC dependence.

 Some of the world’s finest racing, performance and luxury cars feature wheels manufactured by HRE Performance Wheels, based in Vista, CA. HRE specializes in built-to-order wheel sets of one- or three-piece forged aluminum wheels. 

TOKYO—Eiji Toyoda, a member of Toyota’s founding family who helped create the super-efficient “Toyota Way” production method, has died. He was 100.

WICHITA, KS—Beechcraft Corp. has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as a leaner, more efficient airplane manufacturer.

COLUMBUS, IN—Toyota Material Handling and the Lean Factory Group will host a three-day workshop on the subject of lean material management Sept. 17-19.

Think all big trucks look the same? Don’t tell that to an engineer at Kenworth Truck Co. The legendary firm is synonymous with hard-working, well-built vehicles.

"Watch where you step so you avoid the poisonous snakes!” is not something that’s typically heard when touring an automotive assembly plant. But, Volkswagen AG’s two-year-old Chattanooga, TN, facility is out of the ordinary when it comes to being environmentally friendly.

Everything boils down to problem-solving—everything. New technology, new products, new processes, new business models, new markets, new behaviors, new company culture, innovation—it’s all problem-solving.

Finally, U.S. furniture manufacturers are slowly, but surely, gaining ground lost during the Great Recession.