Smiths Machine – Thursday Dec. 02, 2010

Smiths Machine invites SME Birmingham Chapter 143 to tour their Cottondale, AL Plant #1.

Date:
December 02, 2010

Time:
4:45 p.m. - Social Time (Refreshments provided)
5:30 p.m. - Tour

Location:
Smiths Machine - Plant #1
14120 Highway 11 North
Cottondale, AL 35453


Smiths Machine provides State of the Art Manufacturing through applied integrated engineering, planning, and manufacturing processes. They use Multi-Axis Twin Spindle Turning that can complete all six sides of complex parts in one setting, resulting in higher accuracy in the shortest time. They handle parts up to 600mm diameter and 1.18 meters in length. Their high-tech 5 axis milling machines give the ability to produce the most demanding complex geometry of part sizes up to 1 cubic meter, utilizing multiple pallets and high capacity tool magazines. The Value Added Services include mechanical assembly, surface and heat treatments as well as kitting and customized packaging. A world class inspection department is synchronized with production to ensure the highest accuracy. Inspecting with the latest scanning technology by ZEISS, they can measure all parts they manufacture. Smiths Machine LLC is ISO 9001:2000 CERTIFIED for Quality Management Systems and is a majority female owned business.

PPE requirements not yet determined.


Please register for this event by sending an e-mail to MarkPartyka@yahoo.com or Blane.Vines@nucor.com.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Honda Tour - Lincoln, AL - Thursday, May 13, 2010

Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC invites the local SAE and the SME Birmingham Chapter 143 to tour their Lincoln, Alabama plant.

Date: May 13, 2010
Time: 3:00pm - 7:00pm, Social Hour begins at 3:00pm.

Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC produces over 300,000 vehicles and engines annually, including the Honda Odyssey, the Honda Pilot, the Honda Ridgeline, the Honda V-6 Accord and Honda V-6 engines. The plant sits on 1350 acres with over 3.5 million square feet of buildings and plant. Over 4,000 associates work on-site. Operations include: Stamping, welding, painting, plastic injection molding, casting, machining, assembly and sub-assembly, engine assembly, testing, and quality assurance.

Please bring your PPE equipment: Safety Glasses & Steel-toe boots.

Please, Register via ONLINE REGISTRATION at http://www.inline.com/sme. A $5.00 donation will be accepted at the door for this event.

CONGRATULATIONS! HONDA on a successful, innaugural Barber Motorsports IRL Grand Prix of Alabama.

Questions: contact Mark.Partyka@Siemens.com or Blane.Vines@BhamFast.com

We look forward to seeing you there. Please, mark your calenders, accordingly.

MBUSI Invites SME & SAE to Tour Plant, March 25

Mercedes Benz U.S. International (MBUSI) has invited members from SME and SAE to tour the Vance/Tuscaloosa plant. Please see notes below for further registration information.

About MBUSI:
Seventeen years have passed since MBUSI came to Alabama and North America as the first Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicle plant located outside of Germany. MBUSI is now well into the second chapter of its life, creating new products and expanding its impact on the Tuscaloosa community and Alabama.

Today, Plant Tuscaloosa represents in excess of a $1.29-billion investment. MBUSI currently has just under 3,000 Team Members and a capacity to build 160,000 vehicles. Plant Tuscaloosa builds the second generation M-Class, the R-Class Sports Tourer and the GL-Class full-size SUV. Plant Tuscaloosa also now builds the innovative new clean BlueTEC diesel technology into the R-Class, GL- and M-Class SUVs assembled here.

In 2009, the ML 450 Hybrid was launched in the U.S., and it was announced that MBUSI will build the next generation C-Class, set for launch in 2014. Vehicles built at MBUSI are solely built in Alabama for more than 135 markets around the world.

Tour date: Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tour start place: Plant 1 Lobby (beside Plant 1, east side parking lot)

Refreshments: 4:45pm to 5:30pm
MBUSI Presentation - Phil Johnston: 5:30pm - 5:50pm
Tours Start: 5:50pm (3 groups - sign up 1st come 1st serve)
Tour 1 - 5:50pm start
Tour 2 - 6:00pm start
Tour 3 - 6:10pm start
Tour length approx 1 1/4 hours.

Tour registration: Registrants will be forwarded schedule of events & map to MBUSI Plant 1, East Parking lot.
Tour requirements: Please bring your own PPE safety wear which should include: Long sleeve shirts, safety glasses, hearing protection; Steel toes not required as the tour groups will stay within the tour route. Please, bring along a photo identification so that attendees can be identified according to registration; a driver license should be acceptable.

Additional note=> for any people able to arrive VERY EARLY, they may take a walk thru the MBUSI Visitor Center which is open from 8:30am until 4:30pm, Monday thru Friday.

Please, Register via the open ONLINE REGISTRATION site at http://www.inline.com/sme. Please, check the PAYMENT Box, Not Applicable. There is no fee for this event. We are in the process of modifying the online registration to meet the Mercedes tour requirements.

Questions: Please contact Blane Vines, email blane.vines@bhamfast.com .

Our April Meeting is scheduled for "the innaugural GRAND PRIX of ALABAMA", sometime April 9 - 11, 2010. Please, view http://www.barbermotorsports.com for more information about this Indy car circuit event. Tickets cost $70.00 each (advance payment) for a 3-day pass, Fri - Sun. SME and Precision Grinding will host 4 tents in the Lot D camping area for those wishing to gather together. All individuals must have a 3-day pass in order to enter the campsite area. We will post more information about the Barber Motor Sports event following the Mercedes tour.

Your SME webmaster, Brian.

October 29 Tour: TS Tech Alabama, Boaz

TS Tech Alabama LLC invites SME Birmingham members to tour their Boaz, Alabama facilities on Thursday, October 29, 2009, 5pm - 7pm.

TS Tech Co, LTD is a global supplier of automobile seats, automotive interiors, motorcycle seats, and motorcycle parts. The TS Tech Alabama plant manufactures automobile seats for Honda. Our host, Brian Cochran will show us what it takes for a Tier 1 Automotive Supplier to deliver large quantities of high-quality, custom interior seating components "just-in-time" to one of Japan's, Alabama's, and the world's leading auto manufacturer assembly plants.





TS Tech Alabama LLC
1685 North Main Street
Boaz, Alabama 35957
256-593-9399




Members should receive an email invitation confirming this tour. Please, RSVP to Blane Vines or to Mark Partyka. Please, remember to bring along your safety glasses and safety shoes.




If you are not a member of the Birmingham Chapter of the SME and you would like to meet with us to attend scheduled tours at some of the most advanced manufacturing plants in Alabama or to meet regularly to discuss topics of interest for manufacturers, please, take a moment to contact one of our sponsoring companies listed on this page.





Follow Up - Tour Synopsis



Mr. Brian Cochran, Plant Engineer for TS Tech Alabama welcomed our small group, including 4 regular members and 4 guests with a brief introduction to the Kaizen Manufacturing Principles. A word similar to improvement, "kaizen" is the japanese philosophy harmonizing the focus of continuous improvements in manufacturing processes, in business, and in life. During post World War II reconstruction, the Japanese immediatedly promoted LEAN manufacturing adaptations into their newly founded and revitalized manufacturing businesses. The kaizen adaptive model promotes from every individual participating in the business, from assembly line workers to team-leaders to management to the CEO to make suggestions to help refine every process until 100% efficiencies along with 100% non-defective products are achieved plantwide. Striving to refine and improve every process in the business, from office procedures to purchasing to production to delivery, each to the highest efficiency, the kaizen manufacturing principle seeks to eliminate the wasteful procedures and the non-productive business practices.

As we walked through the plant, we all noticed how well their teams worked together. The manufacturing lines appeared to achieve a balanced harmony between work and production. Approximately 300 workers per shift work together within extremely efficient and modern assembley areas, robotic welding centers, conveyor systems, workcell stations, inspection cells, and automated loading equipment. We were able to view how the kaizen manufacturing philosophy has helped the TS Tech Alabama team to produce and deliver from 400 - 800 sets of seats to the Honda, Lincoln plant, daily. Recent analysis indicates that their internal failure rate is less than 0.5%. Additionally, TS Tech Alabama maintains 100% quality product delivery to the Honda assembly plant with 0% failure. Most of us have probably not achieved such quality results in manufacturing at our own plants. SME Birmingham congratulates TS Tech on reaching the highest in delivering quality.


SME visitors included members from Ajax Tocco of Boaz, Bluewater Thermal Services from Athens, and Pneumatic Automation from Birmingham



We wish to extend our highest regards and thanks to our hosts, Brian Cochran and the whole TS Tech Alabama plant.

Thompson Tractor Tour Highlights

We wish to thank Ashley Self, Bob Bacon, and Mike Reuter for hosting our small touring group last Thursday evening. As soon as we arrived, we stopped by the Thompson Power Systems Truck Department to learn about tweaks and power adjustments from their Caterpillar Engine Dyno experts. Thompson Tractor is highly regarded for servicing and repairing the Caterpillar Diesel engines found in over-the-road tractor rigs. Dyno testing is used to test and to adjust fuel, maximum horsepower output, and optimum efficiencies along with finding out-of-tune parts, diagnosing fixes, and settling on a combination that's ideal for the owner and the engine.

After talking awhile over refreshments, we were introduced to the Thompson Tractor family of businesses: Heavy Equipment, Lift Truck Division, CAT Rental Store, Power Systems, and Parts & Service. We found out that Thompson maintains a $25M inventory, retaining 95 - 97% of the parts necessary for service and repair on their shelves, available for on-site service and for immediate repairs. Two interesting forward-in-time-framed videos showed complete rebuilds of tractors. Our hosts further reviewed ongoing training policies and continuing education for service personnel. Thompson Tractor fully supports Heavy Equipment and Manufacturing Training and Educational facilities across the state of Alabama, including the development and participation in a joint-effort Caterpillar University. After a brief introduction to company history and education, our hosts touched on recent growth and expansion before stressing how important all three, employee satisfaction, strong customer partnerships and just as strong supplier partnerships have helped them build a rock-solid service business that should stand for another 50 years.

After a brief discussion answering open questions, our hosts walked us through the main inside service and repair facilities. From presses and exotic machinery used to rebuild canisters of all types and sizes to complete tear-downs, replacements and rebuilds of whole vehicles, we stopped by each station in turn to see from disassembly to reassembly of individual parts, such as transmissions and complete engine assemblies. Along the way, we stopped inside another Dyno Testing room where even the engine oil is analyzed in addition to confirming expected horsepower ratings, fuel efficiencies, and optimum performance. In order to maintain such an impressively clean indoor service depot, parts are complete washed and cleaned upon disassembly at the entrance. Including an environmentally sound, fully enclosed paint booth which serves as the last station and the assembled exit, the whole building was a clean-room. Every employee must be proud of their workspace. We stopped by to take a picture alongside one of the engine rebuilding stations:

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Just before closing for the evening, Bob, Ashley, and Mike took time to show us the fluid testing and diagostics laboratory that must rival the one from the home Caterpillar office in Peoria, Illinois. As we stood discussing farewells and until laters, our SME team invited Thompson to find an employee to begin actively participating with our humble group. We let them know that we are planning future events, such as a tour of the Tuscaloosa Mercedes plant, which should be a joint tour with the Mississippi SME membership, as well as other tours throughout the central Alabama region.

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If your company would consider hosting a tour for the Birmingham SME Chapter, or if you wish to join us on our adventures, please, email Blane.Vines@BhamFast.com for more information. For more information about the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, please, log on to http://www.sme.org/.