Columbia Gear is a custom job shop, located in Avon, MN involved in the production of helical and spur gears for customers that include a number of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) in the construction, agriculture, motor vehicle and aircraft markets. A partnership between Minnesota Technology and Columbia Gear will develop training capacities and curriculum for Synchronous Flow Manufacturing (SFM). SFM is a pull manufacturing system based on constraint management theory, which helps manufacturers reduce cycle times, reduce inventories, and increase production velocity. A total of 262 employees will receive training, which will enable Columbia Gear to implement and sustain its SFM process improvements. The project will increase Minnesota Technology’s internal capacity to deliver cutting edge SFM skills training and process implementation services to other Minnesota firms wishing to incorporate synchronous flow into their manufacturing environments.
Local Contact: Wayne Pletcher, President and CEO, Minnesota Technology, 612-373-2900.
|
