Lean Manufacturing Assembly

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Atypical car contains some 30,000 parts, including fasteners, from dozens of suppliers. All these components must arrive at an OEM’s assembly plant in the right sequence at the exact moment that they’re needed. It’s a massive undertaking.

Recently, I was consulting with a procurement group, one of its OEM customers, and a product engineering firm. The goal was to find ways to reduce the cost of a particular product.

To improve its manufacturing and supply chain operations data, Johnson Controls implemented LeanDNA, a cloud-based platform that connects the company’s numerous ERP systems. Like many companies with distributed locations and processes, Johnson Controls data was scattered and difficult to find and understand. LeanDNA provides the company with a comprehensive, organized view of cross-site analytics. 

Every industrial revolution has eliminated old jobs and created new ones. In many cases, manufacturers weren’t aware that these new jobs were even necessary. To succeed in this age of Industry 4.0, manufacturers will need to do more than just develop a workforce capable of dealing with upcoming technologies, they will need to foster a workplace culture of problem-solving and continuous improvement.

Whether managing an assembly line or an entire plant, good management skills are something not often taught in engineering school.

In the circus world, tightrope walking requires incredible balance and finesse. One wrong move can have dire consequences. Optimizing workflow on an assembly line is not as dangerous, but it requires a similar set of skills.

Initiated in 2004, the Assembly Plant of the Year award showcases world-class production facilities in America and the people, products, and processes that make them successful. 

Brose Tuscaloosa Inc., Vance, AL, is the recipient of the the 2022 Assembly Plant of the Year Award.

Meet The ASSEMBLY Show's Keynote Presenter, Charles Wetherington. Chuck is the President and COO of BTE Technologies, a manufacturer of hi-tech medical devices for physical rehabilitation. 

At many manufacturers, continuous improvement experts are merely fixing problems that should have been avoided in the first place. They are essentially doing process development rework.