Page 13 - MetalForming December 2010

needed—no questions asked.
The safety culture is strictly enforced:
One violation within a 12-month peri- od warrants a verbal warning, the sec- ond is put in writing and the third results in a one-day paid decision-mak- ing leave, when the employee is sent home to decide whether he can follow safety policies. If not, termination results. The enforcement of safety poli- cies also includes random drug testing for all company employees, including office employees and officers.
Safety training is continuous with an annual minimum of 10 hr./employ- ee. Workers also have total authority to shut down any machine if they ques- tion its safety. The company’s safety program includes other unique ele- ments, including a wellness program with ergonomics professionals making regular site visits. An incentive pro- gram rewards employee safety with annual bonuses equal to half of the company’s savings from reduced work- ers’ compensation rates.
Signature Technologies
Process Control Award
A More Efficient Process
for Cleaning Stamped Metal Parts
Pridgeon & Clay, Inc., Grand Rapids, MI, received the 2010 Link Systems Process Control Award for its efforts to improve part cleanliness, which led to breakthrough productivity gains. In 2006, Pridgeon & Clay sought to improve the cleanliness of its stamped parts. A Six Sigma team addressed the problem, first by brainstorming factors leading to the loss of washer-bath process control. It then determined optimal wash parameters for optimal cleanliness and long-term system relia- bility, and discovered ways to reduce oil-load impact.
In July 2008, a multistage project was recommended to senior manage- ment and approved for implementa- tion. Plant upgrades were completed by year-end at a total investment of $209,000. Resulting improvements in washer-bath quality and performance include an overall cost reduction of $194,937.50. Washer downtime is rarely noted as a cause for downtime in the department, and production person- nel rarely concern themselves with the cleaner combination inside the washer.
Pridgeon & Clay then implemented the technology at its joint-venture oper- ation in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2009, and will implement it throughout the remainder of its global operations with- in the next two to three years.
Ulbrich Award for Competitive Excellence in Product Development
Three-Piece Stamped Assembly More Cost Effective Than a Cast Part
Radar Industries, Warren, MI, received the 2010 Ulbrich Award for Competitive Excellence in Product Development for developing a three- piece metal stamped engine-transmis- sion component that attaches the engine and transmission to the frame of the vehicle. The award-winning transmis- sion mount, originally a casting, was redesigned to be incorporated as a pro- gressive-die stamping. Four one-out progressive dies produce the parts.
Not only does the stamped trans- mission mount reduce manufacturing costs by more than two-thirds, but Radar Industries’ design delivers several func- tional improvements, including less weight, smaller size and improved stability.
One of the unique features of the
stamped part is that it requires no sec- ondary machining operations. Also, specialized machines no longer are needed for inserting the customer’s bushings, as key location features have been integrated into the stamping and assembly process.
Zierick Manufacturing
Corp. Productivity Award
Incentive-Based Program Improves Welding Productivity
Anchor Manufacturing Group, Cleveland, OH, received the 2010 Zier- ick Manufacturing Corp. Productivity Award for its Top Gun incentive-based program to improve productivity on jobs in its welding area. Anchor target- ed for improvement dozens of its low- est performing jobs, based on hours earned versus actual hours charged to each job. It incentivized employees by offering gift cards to those who ran the greatest number of quality parts in one shift within a calendar month.
In 2010, management solicited ideas from floor associates to improve the program. As a result, changes included incorporating rewards for an entire shift in addition to individual awards, an effort that promoted team unity.
Numerous benefits have been real- ized through the Top Gun program, including a 61 percent improvement in
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