Articles by Austin Weber

Manufacturers must rethink the way they cut, strip and crimp high-voltage cable.

College is a great time to experiment. That’s exactly what the Medical Devices Center (MDC) at the University of Minnesota encourages students to do. The 4,000-square-foot facility promotes interdisciplinary medical device development, including needs assessment, creative brainstorming, prototyping and testing.

Whirlpool’s assembly lines have produced  a diverse array of products that aren't found in kitchens or laundry rooms, such as air rifles, toys, threshing machines, lawnmowers and automobiles.

To stay competitive in the 1990s, Whirlpool Corp. became an early adopter of lean manufacturing principles.

When Lou and Emory Upton started building electric motor-driven wringer washing machines 100 years ago, the world was a different place. Electrical appliances were considered to be luxury items.

As part of its approach to lean manufacturing, the 2011 Assembly Plant of the Year actively engages in benchmarking exercises with several local manufacturers.

The 2011 Assembly Plant of the Year boasts some of the healthiest employees any where and a 1,200-square-foot fitness center.

All continuous improvement activities at the 2011 Assembly Plant of the Year are tied to lean tools such as 5S, 5 Why and QEK.

The 2011 Assembly Plant of the Year was designed from the ground up to be an environmentally friendly facility. Even the carpets, paint and windows are “green” at the Philips Respironics plant in New Kensington, PA.