Lean Machines : Small And Mid-Sized Manufacturing Excellence

AME identified three small to mid-sized manufacturers which have new ideas to share. You re invited along on these benchmarking visits in a 40 minute video! Spectra-Physics in Eugene Oregon manufactures supermarket scanners that read bar codes. It does not enjoy some of the corporate support structures its competition has so Spectra-Physics learned to uncover and take advantage of previously overlooked resources. These include learning from customers and suppliers and finding peer companies in other industries interested in exchanging ideas. Williams Technologies of Summerville South Carolina carved a niche for itself in low volume mixed model remanufacturing of automatic transmissions. To achieve the flexibility required to make mixed model production work Williams Technologies developed a computerized shop floor control system. Build sheets with visual parts presentation are displayed on monitors all along the line. Mobilite by Invacare produces home care patient beds in Sanford Florida. Mobilite redesigned its manufacturing process for competitive advantage. It moved from batch processes to focused factory lines minimizing the space between operations. This led to one piece part flow reducing work in process and keeping just in time inventory moving through the lines.