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Advances in Advanced
Manufacturing
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Above:
The Johnson Controls Earth City, Missouri facility manufactures
door panels and overhead systems for automotive interiors. This
door panel is representative of a door panel that is manufactured
at the plant.
Advanced manufacturing, which uses the latest technologies in
the manufacturing process, is no stranger to many St. Louis area
companies.
By C.B. Adams
Advanced manufacturing is like a chameleon. It changes in response
to the needs of whichever company has incorporated it into its manufacturing
process. In this way, no two advanced manufacturing chameleons ever
look alike.
As Tom White, professional business advisor for Missouri Enterprise
Business Assistance Center, says, “Advanced manufacturing, by its
very nature, defies definition, because it is going to be different
for the chemical industry than it is for the metal fabrication industry
and any other industry.”
At its simplest, whether you are building automobiles or military
aircraft, advanced manufacturing is the use of the latest technologies—from
computers to robotics, automation and new tools. But one thing is
definably certain: Advanced manufacturing will be the key to the
longevity and success of many St. Louis manufacturing companies.
“In manufacturing, the bar is being constantly raised,” says John
Fargher, regional director of Missouri Enterprise. “What we consider
modern manufacturing practices in advanced manufacturing today will
be entirely outdated in the near future. In 20 years, we’re going
to see a whole new set of materials and technology. And the company
that settles on today’s technology and stays there won’t be around.”
Advanced Manufacturing: A New Cluster For The Region
In 2000, with guidance from Harvard professor Michael Porter, the
RCGA identified and researched the St. Louis region’s distinctive
industry clusters. Plant and life sciences was the first cluster
for concentrated effort, followed by information technology this
year. By the end of 2001, the RCGA will embark on an effort to develop
the advanced manufacturing industry cluster—objectively studying
advanced manufacturing in the region, the region’s assets, etc.
Advanced Manufacturing Already in Motion
Advanced manufacturing is no stranger to many St. Louis area companies.
Johnson Controls, which started up a new plant in Earth City in
October 2000, incorporated advanced manufacturing into its entire
line of products. Locally, the company produces overhead systems
for Chrysler minivans, door panels for the new Dodge Ram truck and
overhead systems for the Oldsmobile Intrigue.
“Advanced manufacturing, as we define it at Johnson Controls, is
not just the actual manufacturing of products on the shop floor.
Rather, it is a series of steps, beginning with advanced development,
which we call ‘ideation,’ all the way through to production,” says
Bob Henderson, plant manager for Johnson Controls.
Making use of advanced computer systems as well as sophisticated
software and CAD and CAM systems, Johnson Controls begins working
with its customers early on by introducing breakthrough products
and processes. Once interested, customers are involved in the proposal,
design and pre-production phases of development.
“We work with our customers back and forth over the tube on product
and process development. We aren’t spending a lot of dollars on
cutting hard tools or making revisions. We agree on those products
and processes before we start spending hard assets to produce them.
The result is we achieve the product much quicker and at a much
lower cost,” Henderson says.
A Need for a New Kind of Speed
“Speed is not how quickly you can move, but how quickly you can
move in the right direction,” says Jimmy Williams, Jr., director
of manufacturing process improvement for Boeing Military Aircraft
and Missile Systems. “One of our key focuses is to see how quickly
we can solve manufacturing problems in a more efficient and timely
way.”
Above:
An F/A-18E Super Hornet undergoes final assembly operations at
Boeing St. Louis. Boeing is making significant improvements to aircraft
assembly through the use of new technologies and processes. Examples
include determinant assembly, which eliminates requirements for
tooling, and computer terminals that contain work instructions.
Advanced manufacturing is a vital component in Boeing’s development
of new technologies and processes in assembly for the C17, FA 18
and F-15 programs. Take high-speed machining, for instance. In the
past, Boeing typically focused on improved metal removal rates.
Now, the company is developing technologies that improve assembly
of its aircraft from a system approach. Boeing is facilitating its
assembly process by automating the drilling, reaming, fastening
and the application of sealants.
“Now, we’re not just looking at feeds and speeds issues. We are
machining for assembly now as opposed to just machining for improved
metal removal rate. When you think about that, not only are we impacting
and changing the technology, but we also impact the resources required,
because a different skill set is required of our operators,” Williams
says.
For instance, assembly teams used to consult large, bulky printed
work instruction manuals. Now, the teams consult web-based instructions
that are electronically displayed. To give them the needed skills,
team members are trained for competencies on computers and computer
systems.
“We have it such that they know what is required next in each sequence
of building the job. Advanced manufacturing means they are higher
on the value chain. That is really driving a change in our resource
management as related to training and deployment of technology,”
Williams says.
St.
Louis Community College to Open Advanced Manufacturing Center
at Florissant Valley
One of the vital components of advanced manufacturing is a
highly skilled workforce. To help train and educate such workers,
St. Louis Community College is currently developing the new
Advanced Manufacturing Center at Florissant Valley.
The center will feature 31,000 square feet of new and renovated
laboratories and classrooms and is scheduled to be complete
in 2002. The center will be equipped with high-end CAD and
design hardware and software for product and PC board design,
plastics, metal, and micro-electronics manufacturing machines,
and dimensional metrology, quality measurement, testing, and
process controls laboratories.
When complete, college officials hope the Advanced Manufacturing
Center will become the preeminent leader and provider of engineering
technologies and manufacturing education and training in the
metro St. Louis area and in the state.
For more information, contact Patricia Matreci at 314/539-5144
or pmatreci@stlcc.cc.mo.us
or visit their website, www.stlcc.cc.mo.us.
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C. B. Adams is a St. Louis-based writer, communications consultant
and adjunct faculty member at University of Missouri–St. Louis.
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