Assembly - November 2008 - (Page 35) can accommodate either System z or Power Systems products, thus allowing maximum flexibility for responding to the marketplace. Another high-mix, low-volume challenge faced by assemblers is that orders can be altered at any point in the build cycle. About 20 percent to 30 percent of all orders change late in the assembly cycle. In fact, customers can make alterations right up until the time their computer is shipped. “Our systems and processes are designed so that we can preserve the manufacturing value in the process and respond only to the net-change of the functional alteration,” claims King. Home-Spun Lean Initiative To live up to IBM’s famous reputation for innovation, the 2008 Assembly Plant of the Year uses a home-grown version of lean manufacturing that it calls Path Forward. The initiative was started three years ago by an advanced manufacturing sciences (AMS) team that is made up of operators, manufacturing engineers and supply chain specialists. “The project encourages cultural transformation, which stresses growing technical skills in the manufacturing space, while also positively impacting morale and ownership of the processes,” says Chris Foltz, materials, logistics and hardware support manager. “We pull operators off the plant floor, put them in a classroom environment, and teach the basic principles of lean manufacturing.” All production processes within the plant are executed and measured against precise goals and objectives to drive continuous improvement. These include managing inventory levels, quality measurements, and on-time delivery metrics, all of which are closely aligned to various fiscal measurements. “We employ leading-edge philosophies to increase our inventory turns through embracing supplier collaboration and pursuing various vendor-managed inventory practices,” Foltz points out. The AMS team recently completed a comprehensive 5S program across a large portion of the Poughkeepsie plant floor. “Roughly 50 percent of our manufacturing space has been modified either through repositioning or infrastructure upgrades in the last 12 months,” says Foltz. “These enhancements were made while still preserving business continuity and maintaining 100 percent on-time shipments, as well as exceeding quality level targets. “Throughout this work, we’ve extensively used a simulation tool to facilitate change through more intelligent, datadriven decision making,” adds Foltz. “It gives us a ‘sandbox’ to play in before making any process changes.” The new and improved plant layout has resulted in dramatically smaller circles of motion and smoother production flow. Other benefits include significantly lower cycle times and a reduction in time to market, as well as a reduction in manufacturing costs. The AMS team has even applied for several U.S. patents because of the novel supply chain concepts that were used as part of the project. A ROBOTIC END EFFECTORS The ATI Collision Sensor with standard auto reset. Because downtime is never an option. Energy Absorbing Piston Spring Channel—optional spring allows for two trip points, with or without air Stem, Cam, and Reset Spheres—engineered by ATI from hardened tool steel for precision auto-reset performance Sensitivity Adjustment Screw— adjusts sensitivity to fit a wide range of applications The Collision Sensor prevents end-effector damage from robotic crashes and reduces downtime by automatically resetting to within 0.001 inches of pre-crash position. • New tool steel construction for maximum durability and strength • Variable-adjust sensitivity settings for crash detection • Optional spring for tripping with or without air • Compliant in X, Y and Z axes www.ati-ia.com 919.772.0115 www.assemblymag.com November 2008 / ASSE M B LY 35 http://www.ati-ia.com http://www.assemblymag.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.