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EMC² excels in all areas of Machine Design, Consulting and Engineering Project Management – including productivity and scrap rate analysis as well as machine prototype design, machine manufacture and project oversight.
Plant managers and engineering managers engage with Eric Messer and his team of machine design experts to understand process inefficiencies, make improvements, and realize a positive return on investment.

The automotive industry is extremely competitive, where suppliers at all levels constantly strive to improve processes to meet the expectations of their customers. One of the key areas of focus is the design and manufacture of machines that are used in the automotive parts manufacturing process. EMC2's case study demonstrates how one tier one automotive supplier was able to improve productivity and reduce scrap rates by implementing a series of process improvements.

This automotive parts supplier to a U.S. manufacturer of luxury sedans and light-duty trucks had been experiencing a decline in productivity and an increase in scrap rates, which was negatively impacting its bottom line. The management team knew that they needed to take action to address these issues and improve their processes.
The plant manager's target production was 960 quality-controlled parts to be manufactured in each eight-hour shift. Until meeting with EMC2, the team was only achieving 730 parts during each shift, which showed a 24 percent inefficiency and a 9 percent scrap rate on top of it. Parts were being scrapped due to burrs in the metal of the finished part, which caused welding issues further down the line. Additionally, management did not want to add temporary weekend shifts to the schedule in an effort to make up losses

The first step in the process improvement initiative was to conduct a thorough analysis of existing processes to identify areas of inefficiency. The analysis revealed that there were key opportunities for improvement:

• Machine design: Scrap rates were high due to burrs created on the machined parts when the cutting edge of the machine passed over the edge of each part. EMC2 created three prototype machines, each demonstrating varied results in increased efficiencies and all achieving the plant manager's desired outcome for production rates
• Human Resources: The machine operators on this particular parts production line were also found to be frequently distracted by excessive breaks from their work and required regular maintenance of the cutting edge of the parts machine. EMC2 recommended redeploying machine operators to other areas of the plant and replacing them with a robotic arm to perform the same function, thereby reducing inefficiencies.

The implementation of these process improvements had a significant impact on the company's productivity and scrap rates. The company was able to increase productivity by 26 percent – to 922 parts manufactured in each 8-hour shift –– and reduce scrap rates to 2 percent. The improvements also had a positive impact on the company's bottom line, resulting in increased profits.