Modern Manufacturing Methods

During my tenure as a Production Manager for Remington Arms Company from 2004 to the present, I have gained much knowledge in modern manufacturing methods. In conjunction with this experience I have completed numerous 6 to 8 hour individual training sessions in different aspects of Leadership through the BOCES Consortium of Continuing Education. These sessions dealt specifically with; MVMC SIM, Quick Set-up, Pull Systems, Lean 5S Workplace Organization, Visual Management, Lean Manufacturing Principles and Kan Ban Implementation. In addition, I attended 2 day seminar in Practical Machining Principles through the Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Sciences, an Edison Technology Center.

In manufacturing, every system normally undergoes several changes or evolutions. These changes may be brought on by new ideas, changes in management or driven by customer demand. In any case, the system must be well thought out, planned, implemented and controlled. This is accomplished by trained and competent manufacturing and management personnel. During the planning phase, factors such as product market, design, process, facilities, equipment and materials need to be considered. During the implementation phase, these resources must be allocated and put into place so that actual production can begin. The implementation phase must be in lock step with the controlling phase in that the system must be managed and controllable both during implementation and during production.

In any system, when the planning, implementation and controlling phases have been successfully undertaken, it is necessary for all personnel to follow up with continuous improvement activity. This activity helps ensure that the company will remain competitive for a long period of time. This paper addresses why it is necessary to improve manufacturing methods through a specific final assembly project from Remington Arms Co. It focuses on the need to use a formal system as a tool to set a baseline...