INNOVATIONS IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

B e s t M a n u f a c t u r i n g P r a c t i c e s

REPORT OF SURVEY CONDUCTED AT

TOMAK PRECISIONLEBANON, OH

RB TOOL & MANUFACTURING CO.CINCINNATI, OH

BEST MANUFACTURING PRACTICES CENTER OF EXCELLENCECollege Park, Maryland

www.bmpcoe.org

1998 Award Winner

AUGUST 2004

This report was produced by the Office of Naval Research’s Best ManufacturingPractices (BMP) Program, a unique industry and government cooperative technologytransfer effort that improves the competitiveness of America’s industrial base bothhere and abroad. Our main goal at BMP is to increase the quality, reliability, andmaintainability of goods produced by American firms. The primary objective towardthis goal is simple: to identify best practices, document them, and then encourageindustry and government to share information about them

The BMP Program set out in 1985 to help businesses by identifying, researching, andpromoting exceptional manufacturing practices, methods, and procedures in design, test,

production, facilities, logistics, and management – all areas which are highlighted in the Department ofDefense’s 4245.7-M, Transition from Development to Production manual. By fostering the sharing ofinformation across industry lines, BMP has become a resource in helping companies identify their weak areasand examine how other companies have improved similar situations. This sharing of ideas allows companies tolearn from others’ attempts and to avoid costly and time-consuming duplication.

BMP identifies and documents best practices by conducting in-depth, voluntary surveys such as these atTOMAK Precision in Lebanon, Ohio and RB Tool & Manufacturing Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, conductedduring the week of August 30, 2004. Teams of BMP experts work hand-in-hand on-site with the company toexamine existing practices, uncover best practices, and identify areas for even better practices.

The final survey report, which details the findings, is distributed electronically and in hard copy to thousandsof representatives from industry, government, and academia throughout the U.S. and Canada – so theknowledge can be shared. BMP also distributes this information through several interactive services whichinclude CD-ROMs and a World Wide Web Home Page located on the Internet at http://www.bmpcoe.org. Theactual exchange of detailed data is between companies at their discretion.

TOMAK Precision and RB Tool & Manufacturing Company share the same ownership and operate under analmost identical business structure. RB Tool & Manufacturing Company’s capabilities and expertise in angled millingand assembly and TOMAK Precision’s capabilities and expertise in grinding and honing are different, but make a goodfit. The two companies complement each other in developing and expanding their total customer base.

TOMAK Precision is a major supplier of hydraulic valve components and precision ball pistons to theaerospace industry. By using technologically advanced equipment and in-house developed proprietaryprocesses, TOMAK Precision manufactures components parts requiring surface finishes of 2 micro inches and50 millionths of sphericity. The company is ISO 9001:2000 and AS 9100:2004 certified, continuously invests innew, state-of-the-art machinery, and consistently manufactures large quantities of precision ball pistons orother high precision components. Among TOMAK Precision’s best examples were its Ball Grinding,Equipment, Investment Strategy, Customer Partnership, and Front Office Flow.

RB Tool & Manufacturing Company designs, builds, and markets specialized packaging machines, spare parts,fixtures and tooling for a wide variety of customers, including the packaging, food, automotive, consumerproducts, medical, semi-conductor, material handling, and industrial products industries. The company’s successis based on customer satisfaction and boasts on-time delivery of 97.5%. Among RB Tool & ManufacturingCompany’s best examples were its Sharing Work, Spare Parts Level of Support, and Repeat Job Toolbox.

The BMP Program is committed to strengthening the U.S. industrial base. Survey findings in reports such asthese on TOMAK Precision and RB Tool & Manufacturing Company expand BMP’s contribution toward its goalof a stronger, more competitive, globally-minded, and environmentally-conscious American industrial program.

I encourage your participation and use of this unique resource.

Anne Marie T. SuPrise, Ph.D.DirectorBest Manufacturing Practices

F o r e w o r d

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TOMAK Precision

1. Report SummaryBackground......................................................................................................... 1Point of Contact: ................................................................................................ 1

2. Best Practices

ProductionBall Grinding ........................................................................................................ 3Equipment Investment Strategy ......................................................................... 4Hard Turning ........................................................................................................ 4

ManagementCustomer Partnership .......................................................................................... 5Front Office Flow .................................................................................................. 6Outsourcing Strategy ........................................................................................... 7

3. Information

ProductionSemi-Lights Out Manufacturing.......................................................................... 9

APPENDIX A - Table of Acronyms ........................................................................ A-1APPENDIX B - BMP Survey Team ......................................................................... B-1APPENDIX C - Critical Path Templates and BMP Templates ......................... C-1APPENDIX D - Program Manager’s WorkStation .............................................. D-1APPENDIX E - Best Manufacturing Practices Satellite Centers .................... E-1APPENDIX F - Navy Manufacturing Technology Centers of Excellence.........F-1APPENDIX G - Completed Surveys ........................................................................ G-1

C o n t e n t s

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TOMAK Precision

F i g u r e s

Figures

Figure 2-1. Ball Piston ......................................................................................... 3Figure 2-2. Mahr Federal Form Scan Machine ................................................... 4Figure 3-1. Skull Pins .......................................................................................... 9

S e c t i o n 1

Report Summary — TOMAK Precision

1

Background

Located in Lebanon, Ohio, TOMAK Precision is amajor supplier of hydraulic valve components andprecision ball pistons to the aerospace industry.TOMAK Precision was founded in 1953 as theMEART machine company. Through a series of nameand owner changes, the company became TOMAKPrecision in 1981. As business demands and thecustomer base increased, TOMAK Precision movedinto a new, 20,000 square foot building in 2000.Continuously investing in new, state-of-the-art ma-chinery, the company consistently manufactureslarge quantities of precision ball pistons or otherhigh precision components. The company’s goal isto purchase at least one, new, major piece of equip-ment each year. By using technologically advancedequipment and in-house developed proprietary pro-cesses, TOMAK manufactures component parts re-quiring surface finishes of 2 micro inches and 50millionths of sphericity.

TOMAK Precision is not only a believer, but alsoa practitioner of developing partnerships with itscustomers. TOMAK evaluates potential customersbefore deciding on a partnership, which also givesthe customer a chance to evaluate TOMAK. TOMAKvisits a potential customer, reviews and providessolutions to a problem part, provides samples of itswork, and allows the customer to visit the TOMAKfacility to review the work. A close working rela-tionship becomes established, enabling TOMAK tofocus on requirements and deliver timely and costeffective proven solutions to its partner.

In an ongoing effort to satisfy customers’ needs,TOMAK Precision is ISO 9001:2000 and AS9100:2004 certified. These certifications assure cus-tomers of TOMAK’s commitment to the quality andintegrity of its products. TOMAK Precision is onthe preferred supplier list for Columbus Products,Parker Hannefin, Eaton Fluid Products, JohnsonControls, and Frisby Aerospace. Preferred supplierstatus with these companies means that productsreceived from TOMAK Precision are received on a“dock-to-stock” basis with no incoming inspectionrequired.

TOMAK Precision maintains a philosophy of con-tinuous improvement and, with the innovation anddedication of its employees, has succeeded in elimi-nating waste in its daily activities. The BMP sur-vey team considers the practices in this report tobe among the best in industry and government.

Point of Contact:For further information on items in this report,

please contact:Mr. Al “AJ” SchaeperTOMAK Precision2600 Henkle DriveLebanon, Ohio 45036Phone: (513) 932-7941Fax: (513) 932-8791E-Mail: aj@tomak.comWebsite: www.tomak.com

S e c t i o n 2

Best Practices

3

Production

Ball Grinding

In order to meet the demands of its customers inthe aerospace industry, TOMAK Precision developeda precision machining and lapping process that con-sistently produces ball pistons with roundness of0.00005 inch or less and achieves a surface finish offour micro inches or lower.

Since 1953, TOMAK Precision has had a long his-tory of manufacturing aerospace parts requiring pre-cision machining and grinding. Over the past fewdecades, there has been an increasing demand forhigher precision parts, especially in the aerospaceindustry, where the production of hydraulic valveshas necessitated the manufacture of parts withcloser dimensional tolerances. TOMAK Precision’s

largest niche in the marketplace is in the manufac-ture of parts containing spherical geometries. Pre-cision machining and grinding operations producean estimated 50,000 ball pistons or piston pumpsannually as shown in Figure 2-1. The ball pistonstypically range in size from .10 inch to 1.0 inch indiameter. Until a few years ago, ball-grinding op-erations using conventional radius grinder equip-ment could, at best, produce spheres with round-ness tolerances of 0.0001 inch. To achieve a highquality surface finish, an extensive amount of handpolishing was required to remove finish chatters.

To remain competitive in the marketplace,TOMAK Precision needed to consistently producehigh quality precision parts, and developed a manu-facturing process that produced spheres withsmaller roundness tolerances and an improved sur-face finish. TOMAK Precision achieved this by mak-ing modifications to standard grinding methods be-ing used in industry. Although it is often required

to perform precision ma-chining and grinding usingmaterials with high tough-ness to produce complex ge-ometries, TOMAK Precisionnow manufactures sphericalparts with surface finishes totwo micro inches, and 50millionths of sphericity. Thecompany employs the MIL-STD quality system to alllevels of production and usesstate-of-the-art test units toensure quality monitoringand inspection.

As a result of its efforts,TOMAK Precision now pro-duces hydraulic valve partsthat exceed customers’ re-quirements, and is one ofonly a few companies thathave the capability to manu-facture high precision andhigh quality ball pistons fora relatively low cost.Figure 2-1. Ball Piston

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Equipment Investment Strategy

Due to increasing customer demands for parts withsmaller dimensional tolerances, TOMAK Precisiondecided to partner with its customers by making acapital investment in test equipment that improvedits capability to accurately measure parts. This leddirectly to the development of a precision machin-ing and lapping process that consistently producesball pistons with roundness of 0.00005 inch or less.

TOMAK Precision has a long history of manu-facturing hydraulic valve parts for the aerospaceindustry that require precision machining andgrinding. Ball pistons are one of TOMAKPrecision’s core products. Ball pistons have aspherical geometry that must be produced to round-ness tolerances that meet customers’ require-ments. Historically, customers required ball pis-tons that had 50 to 100 millionths sphericity. Totest for roundness, TOMAK Precision testedsamples with an Orthotest “ball” gage, which uti-lizes a “two point” check, accurate to 25 millionthssphericity. Until a few years ago, this test wassufficient for the manufacture of ball pistons.

TOMAK Precision wanted to grow its businessand expand its customer base, and recognized thatproducing ball pistons usingexisting roundness toler-ance criteria would not beacceptable to all of its cus-tomers. One company be-gan to reject ball pistonsthat had 60 to 70 millionthssphericity. While workingwith the customer to re-solve the discrepancies,TOMAK Precision learnedthat the customer was us-ing a Mahr Federal FormScan Machine, modelMMQ6100, to measure theroundness of the ball pis-tons produced by TOMAKPrecision (Figure 2-2). Theset-up of the equipment al-lowed for single point con-tact of the test sample withaccuracy to 0.000001 inch.

Committed to improvingits partnerships, TOMAKPrecision decided to “get on

the same page” with its customers and made a capi-tal investment in more accurate test equipment.This approach was consistent with the company’slong-term strategy to invest in new equipment eachyear. Ultimately, this strategy led to the purchaseof the same type of equipment used by its customerat a cost of approximately $15,000. This decisionnot only provided TOMAK Precision with an in-creased test capability to measure precision ma-chined parts, but it helped refine the current ballgrinding and lapping process. This process now al-lows the company to consistently produce sphereswith roundness tolerances of 50 millionths of sphe-ricity or less. TOMAK Precision continues to re-search methods to further refine its precision ma-chining and lapping process. This has resulted inthe production of parts with as little as 20 to 30millionths of sphericity and solidified its position inthe marketplace as a sole source supplier of ballpistons for many aerospace companies.

Hard Turning

TOMAK Precision is a principle supplier of hydrau-lic valve ball pistons to the aerospace industry. Toimprove the quality of the ball pistons, while concur-

Figure 2-2. Mahr Federal Form Scan Machine

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rently increasing its profit margin, TOMAK Preci-sion developed a Hard Turning process that replacedconventional grinding methods.

For more than 48 years, TOMAK Precision hasmanufactured parts using conventional grindingequipment. As a principle supplier of hydraulicvalve ball pistons to the aerospace industry, it alsodeveloped a capability to perform precision machin-ing and lapping. TOMAK Precision has alwaysprided itself on maintaining strong relationshipswith its customers and has continuously sought toimprove the quality of its products. To meet itscustomers’ needs, TOMAK Precision invested inmachining and test equipment, and developed newmanufacturing processes that consistently producedhigher quality ball pistons. TOMAK Precision alsorecognized that it was important to remain com-petitive and expand in the marketplace. The com-pany needed to find ways to reduce its operatingcosts and increase profit margin.

To meet its goals, TOMAK Precision re-exam-ined its manufacturing process and identified ar-eas that had potential for cost savings. Ball pis-tons require a material that can be heat treated toproduce a hardened surface. Until a few years ago,TOMAK Precision used conventional grinders toproduce hardened ball pistons that met acceptablestandards and were cost effective. The manufac-ture of ball pistons using the old grinding methodinvolved six handling operations, which includedgrinding a piston groove, neck, and ball, chamfer-ing the top and bottom of the piston, and then tum-bling it to break the edges. To reduce its operat-ing costs, TOMAK Precision developed a processthat allowed the ball pistons to be turned ratherthan ground. Although the company recognizedthe advantages of using Computer NumericallyControlled (CNC) equipment to reduce the num-ber of handling operations and cycle time, thematerial could not be “hard turned” due to limita-tions in the tooling. TOMAK Precision partneredwith one of its tooling vendors to develop inserts(tooling) that could be used on a CNC machine forhard turning the ball pistons. After experiment-ing for approximately one year, TOMAK Precisiontook advantage of improvements in carbide tech-nology. The company devised a tooling set-up thatallowed the CNC machine to use its vendor’s in-serts, even though these inserts were not adver-tised for use in applications involving the turningof hard materials (Rockwell hardness of 58C or

greater). Convinced that it could make the pro-cess work, TOMAK Precision purchased two highprecision lathes that were dedicated to hard turn-ing the ball pistons.

By using a Hard Turning process, TOMAK Pre-cision significantly reduced its cycle times and op-erating costs. For a lot of 1,000 ball pistons,TOMAK Precision realized a reduction of almost35% in work hours and 25% in costs. Hard Turn-ing yielded numerous benefits including fewermachines required, less time in inspection, lesshandling, lower operating costs, and reduced costof rework. As a result of its efforts to partner withits vendors and improve its manufacturing pro-cesses, TOMAK Precision improved the quality ofits product and built its profit margin. Addition-ally, the company changed some of its other grind-ing processes to Hard Turning, which led to moreconsistent part production and greater flexibilityin adding CNC machinists to its workforce.

Management

Customer Partnership

TOMAK Precision has redefined the way it doesbusiness by developing close working relationshipswith its customers. This relationship rewards thecustomer with a totally dedicated supplier that clearlyfocuses on their requirements, and rewards TOMAKPrecision with a more diversified customer base andlarger share in the marketplace.

In early 2002, TOMAK Precision aggressivelystarted to redefine the way it did business by devel-oping close working relationships with its custom-ers. These relationships rewarded customers witha totally dedicated supplier that clearly focused ontheir requirements. TOMAK Precision was re-warded with a more diversified customer base anda larger share of the marketplace.

Prior to 2002, TOMAK Precision conducted busi-ness by filling customers’ orders that required ex-tremely high tolerances (primarily in ball pistonsand related components) with finishes to four mi-cro inches and 50 millionths sphericity. Waiting fororders to come in was not guaranteed, especially intoday’s changing marketplace. Although TOMAKPrecision had a history of superior performance, onlyfilling orders to print was considered inadequate in

6

developing new customers and reaching full mar-ket potential. Being in order-taking mode did notguarantee orders, and TOMAK Precision struggledto get new work. The company decided to restruc-ture its growth path and offered its customers morethan just the precision parts it had successfully pro-duced for the past 49 years.

TOMAK Precision took a more aggressive ap-proach at developing orders by establishing a Cus-tomer Partnership program. Building on its corestrength of producing precision ball pistons, the com-pany identified core competencies of precision ma-chining and grinding, complex geometries and toughmaterials, problem solving, quality assurance, on-time delivery, and affordability. TOMAK Precisionbecame ISO/AS accredited, then recognized thateach customer had specific requirements and prob-lems that needed to be solved, ultimately becominga win-win relationship with its customers. As withany successful relationship, both partners must bewell suited for each other. TOMAK Precision evalu-ates potential customers before making them a part-ner; this also allows the customer the opportunityto evaluate TOMAK Precision. TOMAK visits apotential customer, reviews and provides solutionsto a problem part, provides samples of its work, andallows the customer to visit its facility to reviewthe work. TOMAK Precision’s initial investmentcan reach $10K to $20K before a customer partner-ship is formed. However, within this framework, aclose working relationship is being established, en-abling TOMAK Precision to clearly focus on the re-quirements and deliver proven solutions to its part-ner in a timely and cost effective manner.

Through its screening and selection process,TOMAK Precision has partnered with four new com-panies that account for approximately 30% of thetotal work — a goal in line with the company’s re-defined business plan. The new customers are morediversified, extending to the medical industry, anda variety of other precision products are also beingproduced. TOMAK Precision expects to continuenew Customer Partnerships long after the initialorder and delivery of parts.

Front Office Flow

TOMAK Precision has applied the same Lean con-cepts used in the factory to its Front Office environ-ment, thus reducing travel distances, eliminating bottle-necks, and improving efficiencies for handling quotes,processing orders, and responding to inquiries.

TOMAK Precision’s Front Office Flow is charac-terized by the efficient handling of quotes, orders,and inquiries from its customers. The companyhas applied Lean concepts to its office environmentto streamline processes and reduce non-valueadded tasks.

As with most small companies, TOMAKPrecision’s Front Office consists of four or five peoplewho handle a variety of tasks and are cross-trained.Most important to the business is the quick turn-around of quotes, order processing, and respondingto inquiries. Delaying the handling of any of thesetasks causes delays or losses in acquiring work andgreatly impacts the reputation and credibility of acompany, even more so with a small company. Mostsmall companies do not apply Lean concepts to theirFront Offices as aggressively as on the factory floor.

At TOMAK Precision, the same Lean concepts ap-plied to the factory have been applied to the FrontOffice, thus reducing travel distances for processingquotes and orders, reducing non-value added work,and avoiding bottlenecks. The process starts at sta-tion #1 when a request for quote is received from acustomer. The request is entered into a database fortracking and sent to station #2 where a rough out-line of the manufacturing process is generated andthe quotation is calculated. The quotation goes tostation #3 for approval by the company President,and then goes to station #4 where the quote data isentered into the database and sent to the prospec-tive customer. The entire process travels less than20 feet and is typically completed in less than twodays. If a request for quote is placed on an optionalfast track, it is processed in only one hour. Whenorders are received, they follow the same flow as theprocessing of quotes. However, instead of returningit to the customer, TOMAK Precision’s productionmanager picks up the order and starts production.When the work is complete and the parts are readyfor shipping, the job package is returned to the FrontOffice for data entry and job closeout.

TOMAK Precision’s Front Office Flow process pro-vides the company visible verification of quotes andorders, as well as inquires that are still in the pro-cess cycle requiring action. Because steps were takento eliminate non-value added tasks and removebottlenecks, the Front Office Flow process is stream-lined for efficiency and quick turnaround. As a re-sult, TOMAK Precision maximizes its response timeto its customers while continuously building its repu-tation and credibility.

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Outsourcing Strategy

An important aspect of doing business with TOMAKPrecision is its sound Outsourcing Strategies that mini-mize the cost of doing business with external sources ina batch processing environment. The benefits obtainedthrough batch processing and outsourcing practices al-low TOMAK Precision to achieve profit margin goalsand reduce costs to its customers.

TOMAK Precision has developed soundOutsourcing Strategies for heat treat, plating, andmagnetic particle inspection in a batch processingenvironment that meets profit margin goals anddelivers parts at reduced costs to its customers.

Approximately 75% of all parts produced byTOMAK Precision are routed to an external sourceat some point during the manufacturing cycle toperform required heat treating, plating, or special-ized testing, and are then returned to TOMAK Pre-cision for final processing and shipping. TOMAKPrecision’s business strategy to establish long-term(three- to five-year) contracts with its customersallows the company to benefit from the economies

of batch processing, and pass these benefits of re-duced costs onto its customers. Batch processingallows TOMAK Precision to lower its internal costand reduce set-up costs per piece. Most customerswillingly accepted and absorbed the higher costsassociated with short-term contracts. Times havechanged, and reducing cost is a primary driver forstaying competitive in the marketplace.

As a result, TOMAK Precision carefully analyzedits outsourcing practice to take full advantage of lotsizes versus costs. For example, heat treating onepart would cost the same as heat treating 2,600parts, if the external source charged $600 for a mini-mum lot size weighing a given amount. Makingwrong choices on quantities routed to externalsources can have a dramatic impact on achievingprofit margin goals. TOMAK Precision establishedits own internal discipline of acquiring and review-ing the latest data from external sources on costand lot sizes, as well as reviewing duplicate sourcesto get the most competitive pricing. The benefitsobtained through batch processing and outsourcingpractices allow TOMAK Precision to achieve profitmargin goals and reduce costs to its customers.

S e c t i o n 3

Information

9

Production

Semi-Lights Out Manufacturing

TOMAK Precision performs a wide range of preci-sion machining and grinding, particularly for the aero-space industry. When the company decided to pro-duce skull pins, which are used in the medical industry,it quickly realized that a change in manufacturing pro-cesses was needed to be cost effective. A Semi-LightsOut Manufacturing process was developed which ulti-mately proved very successful and profitable.

TOMAK Precision has had a long history of manu-facturing parts requiring precision machining andgrinding. While a significant portion of its businesssupports the aerospace industry, TOMAK Precisionactively pursues other markets to expand its busi-ness. The company began a partnership with a medi-cal company that was interested in placing ordersfor skull pins (Figure 3-1). Before a final agreementwas reached, TOMAK Precision recommended a testrun be performed to ensure the product could bemanufactured to meet the customer’s requirementsand produced at a reasonable cost. The customermade an initial investment of just under$6,000; however, the cost of the work wasnearly double that amount. Rather thanabandon this line of work, TOMAK Pre-cision re-examined its processes andworked to develop a plan that could makethe partnership successful.

During the test run period, it was de-termined that the cycle time to producethe part was approximately 58 seconds.Based on the machine operator’s wagerate and the material cost, it was deter-mined that the unit cost was at least $1.30.Given that the customer was only willingto pay $1.08 per part, TOMAK Precisionrecognized that cost reduction measureswere needed. Although TOMAK Preci-sion considered producing the parts in alights out (non-attended) mode, it becameapparent that chip control and cutoff nibremoval would be a problem. Although a

simple shield was used to protect the insert (tool)from damage, the material and shape of the skullpin generated a large chip nest and precluded run-ning the operation in a lights out mode; hence, acompromise solution was developed. Small modifi-cations were made to the Computer NumericallyControlled (CNC) machining equipment, and toolingdata was programmed into the machine that alertedthe operator when tool life was about to be exceeded.Under these conditions, TOMAK Precision conducteda small run of 10 units in a Semi-Lights Out (semi-attended) mode to determine if the approach wouldbe feasible. As the company gained confidence usingthis process, unattended runs for periods of a fewhours were conducted as they increased the numberof parts from 10 to 70.

As a result of making changes to its tooling andperforming its machining process in a Semi-LightsOut mode, TOMAK Precision reduced cycle times,resulting in almost a 50% increase in productionquantity and allowing the company to be profitable.TOMAK Precision and its customer reached an agree-ment that led to the production of 80,000 skull pinsin 2003. With its continued effort to improve on cus-tomer partnerships, TOMAK Precision estimates itwill produce 120,000 parts in 2004.

Figure 3-1. Skull Pins

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RB Tool & Manufacturing Company

1. Report SummaryBackground....................................................................................................... 11Point of Contact: .............................................................................................. 11

2. Best Practices

ProductionRepeat Job Toolbox ............................................................................................. 13Sharing Work ...................................................................................................... 13Spare Parts Level of Support .............................................................................. 14

FacilitiesNew Building Justification................................................................................. 15

3. Information

ProductionShop Floor Control System................................................................................. 17

APPENDIX A - Table of Acronyms ........................................................................ A-1APPENDIX B - BMP Survey Team ......................................................................... B-1APPENDIX C - Critical Path Templates and BMP Templates ......................... C-1APPENDIX D - Program Manager’s WorkStation .............................................. D-1APPENDIX E - Best Manufacturing Practices Satellite Centers .................... E-1APPENDIX F - Navy Manufacturing Technology Centers of Excellence.........F-1APPENDIX G - Completed Surveys ........................................................................ G-1

C o n t e n t s

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RB Tool & Manufacturing Company

F i g u r e s

Figures

Figure 2-1. CAD Drawing of New Building Floor Layout ................................ 15Figure 3-1. On-Time Delivery ............................................................................ 17

S e c t i o n 1

Report Summary — RB Tool & Manufacturing Co.

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Background

RB Tool & Manufacturing Company was foundedin 1957 as the Rack Buchert Manufacturing Co. Themain emphasis of this small business was to pro-vide packaging machines and spare parts for thesemachines to the Procter & Gamble Company. Asbusiness expanded and product lines increased, RackBuchert changed its name to RB Tool & Manufac-turing Company. Located in a new 20,000 squarefoot modern facility in Cincinnati, Ohio, RB Toolcontinues to build packaging machines for Procter& Gamble; however, the company expanded its busi-ness base to design, build, and market specializedpackaging machines, spare parts, fixtures and tool-ing for a wide variety of customers. RB Tool nowbuilds machines, tools, and fixtures for the packag-ing, food, automotive, consumer products, medical,semi-conductor, material handling, and industrialproducts industries. The company has grown to over$5M in annual sales and employs more than 30 highlyskilled personnel.

RB Tool’s success is based on customer satisfac-tion. The company boasts on-time delivery of 97.5%with its philosophy, “if we can’t meet your deliveryrequirement, we won’t take your job.” The successof this philosophy is evidenced by RB Tool’s contin-ued expansion and growing customer base. As amachine builder of specialized equipment, RB Toolworks with its customers to understand their needsand the applications of the desired equipment. With

this knowledge, RB Tool makes accurate predictionsof what, if any, component parts of the equipmentwill wear and require an inventory of spares. RBTool then stocks those spare parts and provides 24-hour turnaround time for the spares to the customer.This service greatly minimizes down time of thecustomer’s equipment and products.

RB Tool & Manufacturing’s philosophy of con-tinuous improvement led to the development andimplementation of its Repeat Job Toolbox, Shar-ing Work, and Spare Part Level of Support, whichenable the company to quickly respond to its cus-tomers’ needs. The BMP survey team considersthe practices in this report to be among the best inindustry and government.

Point of Contact:For further information on items in this report,

please contact:Mr. Scott SchaeperSales EngineerRB Tool & Manufacturing Company2680 Civic Center DriveCincinnati, Ohio 45231Phone: (513) 521-8292Fax: (513) 521-0407E-Mail: kawsinc@aol.comWebsite: www.rbtool.com

S e c t i o n 2

Best Practices

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Production

Repeat Job Toolbox

RB Tool & Manufacturing Company established aprocess to identify key products that would be costeffective to justify the allocation of space to storeset-up software, fixtures, and tooling. This processenables RB Tool & Manufacturing Company to strikea balance between efficient use of space and resources,while delivering repeat products at a lower price witha reduction in lead times.

As a low volume producer of metal fabricationspare parts and prototypes, RB Tool & Manufactur-ing Company (RB Tool) has a mixture of one-time-only business and irregular repeat business. His-torically, RB Tool managed its order processingorder-by-order. A customer would accept a proposal,RB Tool would perform a complete set-up for theparts, program the Computer Numerically Con-trolled (CNC) machines, assemble the necessarytooling (ordering it if necessary), and make any re-quired fixtures. This process was followed whetherthe part had been made in the past, might be madeagain in the future, or if it was a new part.

Analyzing seven years of customer data, RB Toolfound there was a class of products for which therewas evidence of repeat business. Determining thatproducts with a history of repeat business wereworth an investment, the company created a Re-peat Job Tool Box if one of the following criteriawas met:

• Consistent orders for more than 50 pieces peryear

• Product required a special fixture (e.g., partsmade from castings)

• Part was sufficiently complex that it madesense to save the CNC program (typically forparts priced more than $500)

The Repeat Job Toolbox consists of the CNC pro-gram, special fixtures and tooling, and any specialgauges for these products. If special tooling isneeded, a reorder point is established to ensurethat tooling is reordered in time to support thenext order.

Because of the nature of its business, space, andfinancial considerations, RB Tool realized that itwould not be feasible to create a toolbox for all prod-ucts. However, by striking a balance, RB Tool re-duced set-up costs by 40% for the most frequentlyordered products without exceeding the space allo-cated for the Toolboxes. The benefits to RB Tool’scustomers are at least a 5% price reduction and a23% reduction in lead times.

Sharing Work

RB Tool & Manufacturing Company and sistercompany, TOMAK Precision, are two independentlyoperated companies with very different capabilities,but share and receive work from each other. Shar-ing Work enables each company to level its workloadand also perform the work that best utilizes eachcompany’s capabilities and expertise.

RB Tool & Manufacturing Company (RB Tool) andTOMAK Precision are two independently operatedcompanies with very different capabilities, but coop-erate successfully in Sharing Work. What may beone company’s deficiency for supporting a particularjob may be the other company’s strength. As a re-sult, RB Tool benefits by avoiding outsourcing be-cause of a lack of certain capabilities or shortage inmanpower resources. In turn, customers benefit fromthe expertise and capabilities of both companies.

Prior to Sharing Work, each company bid on jobsand accepted orders independently, with little re-gard for the contributions of the other company.They independently sought external sources to per-form a process where they lacked capabilities andresources, or they resorted to costly and time-con-suming manual operations. External sourcing re-quired close attention and monitoring to ensuredeliverables and pricing were held within definedrequirements to satisfy the customer. In somecases, jobs were turned down because of too manyuncertainties — something neither company wantedto pass on to its customers.

RB Tool and TOMAK Precision realized that aunique arrangement existed between them — bothcompanies share the same ownership yet they had

14

not taken advantage of this opportunity. The compa-nies have an established relationship and operateunder an almost identical business structure. RBTool’s capabilities and expertise in angled millingand assembly and TOMAK Precision’s capabilitiesand expertise in grinding and honing are differ-ent, but a good fit. The differences complementedeach other in developing and expanding their totalcustomer base, an excellent match from a busi-ness standpoint. Each company’s marketing strat-egy is included with the other company’s capabili-ties and resources. Requests for quotes, workorders, and inquiries from customers are still pro-cessed by the primary company performing mostof the work, and each job is reviewed to determinethe type and amount of work that can be shared.When dips in the workload occur at one company,the other company can shift its work to fill thedaily shortfall, and move the work to the otherfacility rather than move employees.

In the past, TOMAK Precision manually per-formed machining (mill work for cylinder blocks).By Sharing Work, RB Tool supplies the mill work,thus reducing cost by 38% and lead time from eightto 10 weeks to five to six weeks. Sharing Workenables greater penetration of customers, and thework is performed at the facility that can most effi-ciently complete the job providing more value tothe customer. Since implementing the SharingWork process, the companies have realized a 60%increase in sales per customer. An average of 7% ofRB Tool’s sales is generated by TOMAK Precision,and 5% of TOMAK Precision’s sales are generatedby RB Tool.

Spare Parts Level of Support

In a contract-manufacturing environment, build-ing inventory in advance of the order is usually some-thing to avoid. However, RB Tool & ManufacturingCompany developed an approach to identify candi-date parts for special customers when it is a win-win decision to build some inventory in advance ofanticipated demand. This process minimized cus-tomers’ downtime and risk, while providing RB Tool& Manufacturing Company a premium price andincreased flexibility to level shop load.

A significant part of RB Tool & ManufacturingCompany’s (RB Tool’s) metal fabrication business isfor relatively low-volume spare parts to support

customer manufacturing/operational processes.These metal parts eventually wear and need replace-ment. In the past, customers relied on the heroicefforts of RB Tool to machine and assemble replace-ment parts as quickly as possible to minimize thedowntime they experienced for lack of a critical part.This was a problem when RB Tool had raw castingcomponents with six-month lead times. At the sametime, as a low-volume contract manufacturing fa-cility, RB Tool was constantly faced with unevenpeaks in demand, often causing the need for over-time or the risk of missing delivery dates.

In 2001, RB Tool analyzed seven years of historywith key strategic customers and the repair partsthey purchased on a consistent basis. Backed withthis kind of usage data and knowledge of the impactthe lack of a repair part had on its customers’ op-erations, RB Tool defined and proposed a slightlydifferent business model for its strategic custom-ers. Critical spare parts with lead times measuredin months would now be provided within 24 hours.In return for this higher level of service, the cus-tomer agreed to pay a reasonable premium know-ing that costly delays caused by spare part replace-ment would now be avoided.

RB Tool’s history with its strategic customers andtheir agreements to pay a premium for 24-hour re-placement, enabled the company to build up to sixmonths of inventory prior to receiving an order. Thisgave RB Tool a ready supply of work when produc-tion volume was low, and allowed the company tobuild inventory at a more economical lot size. RBTool orders raw materials in larger quantities andout-sources more economic quantities of plating/coating. This work is more repetitive than otherprototype work and relatively well suited to secondshift, where there is less management support avail-able. Following are RB Tool’s criteria for providingthis level of support:

• Strategic customers must have a history ofgood relations and anticipation of growingbusiness

• Products must be repair parts that requirereplacement due to consistent wear

• Orders had to exceed 200 pieces annually orextensive sub-tier supplier lead times wereassociated with casting

RB Tool also extended the process into its supplychain. The company asked its suppliers to agree tostaggered delivery of larger order sizes. The unitprice of supplier parts was based on the larger quan-tity, but invoicing was staggered at a certain pre-

15

defined quantity per month (regardless of how thesupplier scheduled actual production). As a resultof the higher level of service and partnering, RBTool realized a 30% increase in sales from 10 stra-tegic customers. Despite additional inventory costs,the combined premium price and reduced manufac-turing costs have doubled the profit margin for thespare parts portion of RB Tool’s business.

Facilities

New Building Justification

RB Tool & Manufacturing Company realized manybenefits from its new facility. The company processeslarger parts and assemblies and operates more effi-ciently, resulting in an annual savings of almost$200,000.

Before 2001, RB Tool & Manufacturing Company(RB Tool) was located in an older, three-story build-ing. The top floor was used as office space; the middle

floor was used for milling, deburring, welding, andthe manufacturing desk and inspection; and thebottom floor was used for turning, assembly, andinventory storage. The total building space was13,500 square feet with 10,000 square feet dedicatedto manufacturing. The separation of the office fromthe manufacturing areas caused disruption to theflow of work and communication. Inventory storedon the first floor was moved outside before the workday began to make room to perform manufactur-ing; at the end of the day, the work was moved backin, and the parts that were manufactured on themiddle floor were transferred to the first floor foradditional processing or assembly. The forklift couldnot access the manufacturing equipment becauseof the proximity of the other equipment and enclosedareas of the floor, limiting the size and weight ofparts that could be processed. The limitations ofthe old facility were recognized, but managementdid not feel it could justify spending a large sum ofmoney on a new facility.

RB Tool studied its operations and realized thatsignificant savings could be achieved with a mod-

ern facility. By locating alloperations on one floor, aforklift operator was nolonger needed just to moveparts or materials betweenfloors, and inventorywould not have to bemoved twice a day. The in-creased efficiency of theoperations would result ina 10% increase in workflow. By identifying anddocumenting the savings,it became apparent thatthe new building was eas-ily justified with a yearlysavings of almost $200,000after deducting the cost ofthe new building. Largerparts and assemblies couldbe processed, resulting inadditional work opportuni-ties. In addition, the fork-lift driver was re-assignedas a truck driver, whicheliminated the need forcourier services.

The new shop floor lay-out (Figure 2-1) was devel-Figure 2-1. CAD Drawing of New Building Floor Layout

16

oped to bring material in one door, and then move itin a large circle through production operations untilit reached the assembly area. It was then shippedout the same door that the raw material entered.Quality Assurance functions are located in the cen-ter of the circle. Windows from the office areas lookout onto the shop floor and create the link betweenthe office and the shop floor. Trouble spots are nowreadily visible to the shop floor manager. RB Tool

now has 20,000 square feet of building space, with15,000 square feet dedicated to manufacturing.Larger assemblies and parts are now processed cre-ating more sales opportunities. Inventory storagespace has been increased from 1,000 to 3,000 squarefeet which allows the storage of more raw materialfor emergency response to customers’ spare partsneeds. RB Tool’s new facility has brought expandedbusiness and more efficient operations.

S e c t i o n 3

Information

17

Production

Shop Floor Control System

RB Tool & Manufacturing Company’s Shop FloorControl System is not overly complex, and relies onexcellent judgment from the Shop Foreman and vigi-lance from the final Assembly Supervisor. However,for a modest capital investment, this system hasproven effective for supporting a low-volume metalfabrication spares/prototype business.

RB Tool & Manufacturing Company (RB Tool)scaled its Shop Floor Control System enabling it toachieve 97.5% on-time delivery with a minimal in-vestment in information technology support (Figure3-1). With a focus on low-volume metal fabricationof quick turn prototypes and spare part replacement,the company incorporated a visual system that en-ables the Shop Foreman to quickly identify customerdue dates and prioritize work in the shop.

RB Tool specializes in low-volume precision metalfabricated parts and assemblies that are typically pro-

totypes or replacement spare parts (e.g., fixtures).Therefore, the routing required through the shopfloor is modest. The company developed an overallsystem that includes an off-the-shelf package,JobBOSS, that creates Control Sheets, ProductionFolders, and Assembly Folders for each customer job.As a job is accepted, it is entered into JobBOSS, whichtracks the order entry information (inclusive of thecustomer’s due date) and a listing of any sub-compo-nents involved in the final product.. This informa-tion is used to print Control Sheets for the job whichlist the components and final due date. Two copiesof the Control Sheets are printed so one can be in-cluded in the Assembly Folder, which stays in thefinal assembly area; the other Control Sheet is placedin the Production Folder, which is kept and updatedon the shop floor. Each folder also contains copies ofthe drawings needed to accomplish the requiredmachining or the assembly.

The Assembly Supervisor is responsible for moni-toring customer due dates that hit the two-weekhorizon, and ensuring that proper steps are taken tocomplete those components in time for final assem-bly and delivery. The Shop Foreman also monitors

general priorities onthe shop floor to en-sure that the appropri-ate machine/resourceis used for each joband efficiency is main-tained at each station.Between the Assem-bly Supervisor and theShop Foreman, thework is prioritized forthe customers’ duedates and pulledthrough to the assem-bly staging area intime to meet final as-sembly and delivery.

RB Tool & Manufacturing CompanyOn-Time Delivery (last 7 years)

50.0%

55.0%

60.0%

65.0%

70.0%

75.0%

80.0%

85.0%

90.0%

95.0%

100.0%

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Figure 3-1. On-Time Delivery

A p p e n d i x A

Table of Acronyms

ACRONYM DEFINITION

CNC Computer Numerically Controlled

RB Tool RB Tool & Manufacturing Company

A-1

Team Member Activity Function

Don Hill BMP Field Office-Indianapolis Team Chairman317-849-3202 Indianapolis, IN

Victor Norris BMP Center of Excellence Technical Writer301-405-9990 College Park, MD

Team A

Larry Halbig BMP Field Office-Indianapolis Team Leader317-891-9901 Indianapolis, IN

John Bergersen BMP Center of Excellence301-405-9990 College Park, MD

Team B

Larry Robertson Naval Surface Warfare Center - Crane Team Leader812-854-5336 Crane, IN

Michal Thalacker BMP Center of Excellence908-236-8349 College Park, MD

A p p e n d i x B

BMP Survey Team

B-1

A p p e n d i x C

Critical Path Templates and BMP Templates

This survey was structured around and concentrated on the functional areas of design, test, production,facilities, logistics, and management as presented in the Department of Defense 4245.7-M, Transition fromDevelopment to Production document. This publication defines the proper tools-or templates-that consti-tute the critical path for a successful material acquisition program. It describes techniques for improvingthe acquisition process by addressing it as an industrial process that focuses on the product’s design, test,and production phases which are interrelated and interdependent disciplines.

The BMP program has continued to build on this knowledge base by developing 17 new templates thatcomplement the existing DOD 4245.7-M templates. These BMP templates address new or emerging tech-nologies and processes.

“CRITICAL PATH TEMPLATES

TRANSITION FROM DEVELOPMENT TO PRODUCTION”

C-1

FOR

PRODUCT

FUNDINGMONEY

PHASING

TQM

COST

ASSESMENT

DESIGN TEST PRODUCTION FACILITIES LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT

DESIGN

REFERENCE

MISSION PROFILE

TRADE

STUDIES

DESIGN

PROCESS

PARTS &

MATERIALS

SELECTION

COMPUTER-

AIDED

DESIGN

BUILT-IIN

TEST

DESIGN

REVIEWS

BREAD BOARD

DEVELOPMENT

BRASS BOARD

DEVELOPMENT

PROTOTYPE

DEVELOPMENT &

REVIEW

DESIGN

REQUIRREMENTS

DESIGN

POLICY

DESIGN

ANALYSIS

SOFTWARE

DESIGN FOR

TESTING

CONFIGURATION

CONTROL

DESIGN

RELEASE

CONCEPT

STUDIES &

ANALYSIS

SPECIFICATION

DEV/ALLOCATION

VALIDATION

DESIGN FOR

ASSEMBLY

INTEGRATED

TEST

FAILURE

REPORTING

SYSTEM

UNIFORM

TEST

REPORT

SOFTWARE

TEST

DESIGN

LIMIT

LIFE

TEST, ANYLIZE &

FIX (TAAF)

FIELD

FEEDBACK

TEMP

DEVELOPMENT/

EXECUTION

SOFTWARE

SIMULATOR

MANUFACTURING

PLAN

QUALIFY

MANUFACTURING

PROCESS

PIECE PART

CONTROL

SUBCONTRACTOR

CONTROL

DEFECT

CONTROL

TOOL

PLANNING

SPECIAL TEST

EQUIPMENT (STE)

COMPUTER-AIDED

MANUFACTURING

(CAM)

MANUFACTURING

SCREENING

PRODUCTION

FABRICATION

ENVIRONMENTAL

ISSUES

MODERNIZATION

FACTORY

IMPROVEMENTS

PRODUCTIVITY

CENTER

FIELD VISITS/

SITE SURVEYS

SUPPORTABILITY

ANALYSIS

MANPOWER &

PERSONNEL

SUPPORT &

TEST

EQUIPMENT

TRAINING

MATERIALS &

EQUIPMENT

SPARES

TECHNICAL

MANUALS

LOGISTICS

ANALYSIS

DOCUMENTATION

MANUFACTURING

STRATEGY

DATA

REQUIREMENTS

PRODUCTION

BREAKS

PREPARE

REQUIREMENT

DOCUMENTS

DESIGN/

MILESTONE

REVIEW PLANNING

TECHNOLOGY

BASE

ANALYSIS

DIM. MANUF.

SOURCES & MAT.

SHORTAGE (DMSMS)

PERSONNEL

REQUIREMENTS

TECHNICAL

RISK

ASSESSMENT

DETERMINING

DEFINING NEED

FOR SYSTEM

QUALITY

ASSURANCE

MAKE OR BUY

DECISIONS

SCHEDULE

& PLANNING

TRANSITION PLAN

NEW PMWS

TEMPLATES

A p p e n d i x D

The Program Manager’s WorkStation

The Program Manager’s WorkStation (PMWS) isan electronic suite of tools designed to provide timelyacquisition and engineering information to the user.The main components of PMWS are KnowHow; theTechnical Risk Identification and Mitigation System(TRIMS); and the BMP Database. These toolscomplement one another and provide users with theknowledge, insight, andexperience to make in-formed decisions throughall phases of product de-velopment, production,and beyond.

KnowHow providesknowledge as an elec-tronic library of techni-cal reference handbooks,guidelines, and acquisi-tion publications whichcovers a variety of engi-neering topics includingthe DOD 5000 series.The electronic collectionconsists of expert sys-tems and simple digitalbooks. In expert sys-tems, KnowHowprompts the user to an-swer a series of ques-tions to determinewhere the user is withina program’s develop-ment. Recommendations are provided based onthe book being used. In simple digital books,KnowHow leads the user through the process viaan electronic table of contents to determine whichbooks in the library will be the most helpful. Theprogram also features a fuzzy logic text search ca-pability so users can locate specific informationby typing in keywords. KnowHow can reduce docu-ment search times by up to 95%.

TRIMS provides insight as a knowledge basedtool that manages technical risk rather than costand schedule. Cost and schedule overruns aredownstream indicators of technical problems. Pro-grams generally have had process problems longbefore the technical problem is identified. To avoid

this progression, TRIMS operates as a process-ori-ented tool based on a solid Systems Engineeringapproach. Process analysis and monitoring pro-vide the earliest possible indication of potentialproblems. Early identification provides the timenecessary to apply corrective actions, thereby pre-venting problems and mitigating their impact.

TRIMS is extremelyuser-friendly andtailorable. This toolidentifies areas of risk;tracks program goalsand responsibilities;and can generate a va-riety of reports to meetthe user’s needs.

The BMP Databaseprovides experience as aunique, one-of-a-kindresource. This databasecontains more than2,500 best practices thathave been verified anddocumented by an inde-pendent team of expertsduring BMP surveys.BMP publishes its find-ings in survey reportsand provides the userwith basic background,process descriptions,metrics and lessons

learned, and a Point of Contact for further infor-mation. The BMP Database features a searchingcapability so users can locate specific topics by typ-ing in keywords. Users can either view the resultson screen or print them as individual abstracts, asingle report, or a series of reports. The databasecan also be downloaded, run on-line, or purchasedon CD-ROM from the BMP Center of Excellence.The BMP Database continues to grow as new sur-veys are completed. Additionally, the database isreviewed every other year by a BMP core team ofexperts to ensure the information remains current.

For additional information on PMWS, please con-tact the Help Desk at (301) 403-8179, or visit theBMP web site at http://www.bmpcoe.org.

D-1

A p p e n d i x E

Best Manufacturing Practices Satellite Centers

There are currently ten Best Manufacturing Practices (BMP) satellite centers that provide representa-tion for and awareness of the BMP Program to regional industry, government and academic institutions.The centers also promote the use of BMP with regional Manufacturing Technology Centers. Regional manu-facturers can take advantage of the BMP satellite centers to help resolve problems, as the centers hostinformative, one-day regional workshops that focus on specific technical issues.

Center representatives also conduct BMP lectures at regional colleges and universities; maintain lists ofexperts who are potential survey team members; provide team member training; and train regional per-sonnel in the use of BMP resources.

The ten BMP satellite centers include:

California

Izlay (Izzy) MercankayaBMP Satellite Center ManagerNaval Surface Warfare Center, Corona DivisionCode QA-21, P.O. Box 5000Corona, CA 92878-5000(951) 273-5440FAX: (951) 273-5315izlay.mercankaya@navy.mil

District of Columbia

Brad BotwinBMP Satellite Center ManagerU.S. Department of CommerceBureau of Industry & Security14th Street & Constitution Avenue, NWH3876Washington, DC 20230(202) 482-4060FAX: (202) 482-5650bbotwin@bis.doc.gov

Illinois

Robert LindstromBMP Satellite Center ManagerRock Valley College3301 North Mulford RoadRockford, IL 61114-5699(815) 921-2073FAX: (815) 654-4343r.lindstrom@rvc.cc.il.us

Iowa

Bruce ConeyBMP Satellite Center ManagerIowa Procurement Outreach Center2273 Howe Hall, Suite 2617Ames, IA 50011(515) 294-4461FAX: (515) 294-4483bruce.coney@ciras.iastate.edu

Louisiana

Alley ButlerBMP Satellite Center ManagerMaritime Environmental Resources & InformationCenterGulf Coast Region Maritime Technology CenterUniversity of New OrleansUAMTCE, Room 163-Station 1225100 River RoadNew Orleans, LA 70094-2706(504) 458-6339FAX: (504) 437-3880alley.butler@gcrmtc.org

Ohio

Larry BrownBMP Satellite Center ManagerEdison Welding Institiute1250 Arthur E. Adams DriveColumbus, Ohio 43221-3585(614) 688-5080FAX: (614) 688-5001larry_brown@ewi.org

E-1

Pennsylvania

John W. LloydBMP Satellite Center ManagerMANTEC, Inc.P.O. Box 5046York, PA 17405(717) 843-5054FAX: (717) 843-0087lloydjw@mantec.org

South Carolina

Henry E. WatsonBMP Satellite Center ManagerSouth Carolina Research Authority - Applied Re-search and Development Institute100 Fluor DanielClemson, SC 29634(864) 656-6566FAX: (843) 767-3367watson@scra.org

Tennessee

Mike MonnettBMP Satellite Center ManagerY-12 National Security ComplexBWXT Y-12, L.L.C.P.O. Box 2009Oak Ridge, TN 37831-8091(865) 241-5631FAX: (865) 574-2000monnettmg@y12.doe.gov

Virginia

William MotleyBMP Satellite Center ManagerDAU Program Director, Manufacturing ManagerDefense Acquisition University9820 Belvior Road, Suite G3Ft. Belvior, VA 22060-5565(703) 805-3763FAX: (703) 805-3721bill.motley@dau.mil

E-2

A p p e n d i x F

Navy Manufacturing Technology Centers of Excellence

The Navy Manufacturing Technology Program has established Centers of Excellence (COEs) to providefocal points for the development and technology transfer of new manufacturing processes and equipmentin a cooperative environment with industry, academia, and the Navy industrial facilities and laboratories.These consortium-structured COEs serve as corporate residences of expertise in particular technologicalareas. The following list provides a description and point of contact for each COE.

Best Manufacturing Practices Center ofExcellence

The Best Manufacturing Practices Center of Ex-cellence (BMPCOE) provides a national resourceto identify and share best manufacturing and busi-ness practices being used throughout government,industry, and academia. The BMPCOE was estab-lished by the Office of Naval Research’s BMP Pro-gram, the Department of Commerce, and the Uni-versity of Maryland at College Park. By improvingthe use of existing technology, promoting the in-troduction of improved technologies, and providingnon-competitive means to address common prob-lems, the BMPCOE has become a significant fac-tor to counter foreign competition.

Point of Contact:Dr. Anne Marie T. SuPriseBest Manufacturing Practices Center ofExcellence4321 Hartwick RoadSuite 400College Park, MD 20740Phone: (301) 405-9990FAX: (301) 403-8180E-mail: annemari@bmpcoe.org

Institute for Manufacturing and SustainmentTechnologies

The Institute for Manufacturing and SustainmentTechnologies (iMAST) is located at the Pennsylva-nia State University’s Applied Research Laboratory.iMAST’s primary objective is to address challengesrelative to Navy and Marine Corps weapon systemplatforms in the areas of mechanical drive trans-mission technologies, materials processing tech-nologies, laser processing technologies, advancedcomposites technologies, and repair technologies.

Point of Contact:Mr. Robert CookInstitute for Manufacturing and SustainmentTechnologiesARL Penn StateP.O. Box 30State College, PA 16804-0030Phone: (814) 863-3880FAX: (814) 863-1183E-mail: rbc5@psu.edu

Composites Manufacturing TechnologyCenter (Operated by South CarolinaResearch Authority)

The Composites Manufacturing Technology Cen-ter (CMTC) is a Center of Excellence for the Navy’sComposites Manufacturing Technology Program.The South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) op-erates the CMTC and The Composites Consortium(TCC) serves as the technology resource. The TCChas strong, in-depth knowledge and experience incomposites manufacturing technology. The SCRA/CMTC provides a national resource for the devel-opment and dissemination of composites manufac-turing technology to defense contractors and sub-contractors.

Point of Contact:Mr. Henry WatsonApplied Research and Development InstituteComposites Manufacturing Technology Center934-D Old Clemson HighwayEagles Landing Professional ParkSeneca, SC 29672Phone: (864) 656-6566FAX: (864) 653-7434E-mail: watson@scra.org

F-1

Electronics Manufacturing ProductivityFacility (Operated by American Competi-tiveness Institute)

The Electronics Manufacturing Productivity Facil-ity (EMPF) identifies, develops, and transfers in-novative electronics manufacturing processes to do-mestic firms in support of the manufacture ofaffordable military systems. The EMPF operatesas a consortium comprised of government, indus-try, and academic participants led by the Ameri-can Competitiveness Institute under a CooperativeAgreement with the Navy.

Point of Contact:Mr. Michael FredericksonElectronics Manufacturing ProductivityFacilityOne International Plaza, Suite 600Philadelphia, PA 19113Phone: (610) 362-1200, ext. 215FAX: (610) 362-1288E-mail: mfrederickson@aciusa.org

Electro-Optics Center (Operated by ThePennsylvania State University’s AppliedResearch Laboratory)

The Electro-Optics Center (EOC) is a national con-sortium of electro-optics industrial companies, uni-versities, and government research centers thatshare their electro-optics expertise and capabilitiesthrough project teams focused on Navy require-ments. Through its capability for national elec-tronic communication and rapid reaction and re-sponse, the EOC can address issues of immediateconcern to the Navy Systems Commands. The EOCis managed by the Pennsylvania State University’sApplied Research Laboratory.

Point of Contact:Dr. Karl HarrisElectro-Optics CenterWest Hills Industrial Park77 Glade DriveKittanning, PA 16201Phone: (724) 545-9700FAX: (724) 545-9797E-mail: kharris@psu.edu

Navy Joining Center (Operated by EdisonWelding Institute)

The Navy Joining Center (NJC) provides a nationalresource for the development of materials joining ex-pertise and the deployment of emerging manufactur-ing technologies to Navy contractors, subcontractors,and other activities. The NJC works with the Navy todetermine and evaluate joining technology require-ments and conduct technology development and de-ployment projects to address these issues. The NJCis operated by the Edison Welding Institute.

Point of Contact:Mr. Harvey R. CastnerEWI/Navy Joining Center1250 Arthur E. Adams DriveColumbus, OH 43221-3585Phone: (614) 688-5063FAX: (614) 688-5001E-mail: harvey_castner@ewi.org

National Center for Excellence in MetalworkingTechnology (Operated by Concurrent Tech-nologies Corporation)

The National Center for Excellence in MetalworkingTechnology (NCEMT) provides a national center forthe development, dissemination, and implementationof advanced technologies for metalworking productsand processes. Operated by the Concurrent Technolo-gies Corporation, the NCEMT helps the Navy anddefense contractors improve manufacturing produc-tivity and part reliability through development, de-ployment, training, and education for advanced met-alworking technologies.

Point of Contact:Mr. Richard Henry, P.E.National Center for Excellence in Metalwork-ing Technologyc/o Concurrent Technologies Corporation100 CTC DriveJohnstown, PA 15904-1935Phone: (814) 269-2532FAX: (814) 269-2501E-mail: henry@ctcgsc.com

F-2

Energetics Manufacturing TechnologyCenter

The Energetics Manufacturing Technology Center(EMTC) addresses unique manufacturing processesand problems of the energetics industrial base toensure the availability of affordable, quality, andsafe energetics. The EMTC’s focus is on technolo-gies to reduce manufacturing costs, improve prod-uct quality and reliability, and develop environmen-tally benign manufacturing processes. The EMTCis located at the Indian Head Division of the NavalSurface Warfare Center.

Point of Contact:Mr. John BroughNaval Surface Warfare CenterIndian Head Division101 Strauss AvenueBuilding D326, Room 227Indian Head, MD 20640-5035Phone: (301) 744-4417DSN: 354-4417FAX: (301) 744-4187E-mail: broughja@ih.navy.mil

Center for Naval Shipbuilding Technology

The Center for Naval Shipbuilding Technology(CNST) supports the Navy’s ongoing effort to iden-tify, develop and deploy in U.S. shipyards, advancedmanufacturing technologies that will reduce thecost and time to build and repair Navy ships. CNSTprovides a focal point for developing and transfer-ring new manufacturing processes and technolo-gies; benefits that will accrue not only to the Navy,

but to industry as well. CNST is operated andmanaged by ATI in Charleston, South Carolina.

Point of Contact:Mr. Ron GloverCenter for Naval Shipbuilding Technology5300 International Blvd.Charleston, SC 29418Phone: (843)760-4606FAX: (843)760-4098E-mail: glover@aticorp.org

Gulf Coast Region Maritime TechnologyCenter (Operated by University of NewOrleans, College of Engineering)

The Gulf Coast Region Maritime Technology Cen-ter (GCRMTC) fosters competition in shipbuildingtechnology through cooperation with the U.S. Navy,representatives of the maritime industries, and vari-ous academic and private research centers through-out the country. Located at the University of NewOrleans, the GCRMTC focuses on improving designand production technologies for shipbuilding, reduc-ing material costs, reducing total ownership costs,providing education and training, and improvingenvironmental engineering and management.

Point of Contact:Mr. Frank Bordelon, New Orleans Site DirectorGulf Coast Region Maritime Technology CenterResearch and Technology ParkCERM Building, Room 409University of New OrleansNew Orleans, LA 70148-2200Phone: (504) 280-5609FAX: (504) 280-3898E-mail: fbordelo@uno.edu

F-3

A p p e n d i x G

Completed Surveys

As of this publication, 140 surveys have been conducted and published by BMP at the companies listedbelow. Copies of older survey reports may be obtained through DTIC or by accessing the BMP web site.Requests for copies of recent survey reports or inquiries regarding BMP may be directed to:

Best Manufacturing Practices Program4321 Hartwick Rd., Suite 400

College Park, MD 20740Attn: Anne Marie T. SuPrise, Ph.D., Director

Telephone: 1-800-789-4267FAX: (301) 403-8180

annemari@bmpcoe.org

Litton Guidance & Control Systems Division - Woodland Hills, CA

Honeywell, Incorporated Undersea Systems Division - Hopkins, MN (now Alliant TechSystems, Inc.)Texas Instruments Defense Systems & Electronics Group - Lewisville, TXGeneral Dynamics Pomona Division - Pomona, CAHarris Corporation Government Support Systems Division - Syosset, NYIBM Corporation Federal Systems Division - Owego, NYControl Data Corporation Government Systems Division - Minneapolis, MN

Hughes Aircraft Company Radar Systems Group - Los Angeles, CAITT Avionics Division - Clifton, NJRockwell International Corporation Collins Defense Communications - Cedar Rapids, IAUNISYS Computer Systems Division - St. Paul, MN

Motorola Government Electronics Group - Scottsdale, AZGeneral Dynamics Fort Worth Division - Fort Worth, TXTexas Instruments Defense Systems & Electronics Group - Dallas, TXHughes Aircraft Company Missile Systems Group - Tucson, AZBell Helicopter Textron, Inc. - Fort Worth, TXLitton Data Systems Division - Van Nuys, CAGTE C3 Systems Sector - Needham Heights, MA

McDonnell-Douglas Corporation McDonnell Aircraft Company - St. Louis, MONorthrop Corporation Aircraft Division - Hawthorne, CALitton Applied Technology Division - San Jose, CALitton Amecom Division - College Park, MD (now Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems Division)Standard Industries - LaMirada, CA (now SI Manufacturing)Engineered Circuit Research, Incorporated - Milpitas, CATeledyne Industries Incorporated Electronics Division - Newbury Park, CALockheed Aeronautical Systems Company - Marietta, GALockheed Missile Systems Division - Sunnyvale, CA (now Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space)Westinghouse Electronic Systems Group - Baltimore, MD (now Northrop Grumman Corporation)General Electric Naval & Drive Turbine Systems - Fitchburg, MARockwell Autonetics Electronics Systems - Anaheim, CA (now Boeing North American A&MSD)TRICOR Systems, Incorporated - Elgin, IL

Hughes Aircraft Company Ground Systems Group - Fullerton, CATRW Military Electronics and Avionics Division - San Diego, CAMechTronics of Arizona, Inc. - Phoenix, AZBoeing Aerospace & Electronics - Corinth, TXTechnology Matrix Consortium - Traverse City, MITextron Lycoming - Stratford, CT

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

G-1

Resurvey of Litton Guidance & Control Systems Division - Woodland Hills, CANorden Systems, Inc. - Norwalk, CT (now Northrop Grumman Norden Systems)Naval Avionics Center - Indianapolis, INUnited Electric Controls - Watertown, MAKurt Manufacturing Co. - Minneapolis, MNMagneTek Defense Systems - Anaheim, CA (now Power Paragon, Inc.)Raytheon Missile Systems Division - Andover, MAAT&T Federal Systems Advanced Technologies and AT&T Bell Laboratories - Greensboro, NC and Whippany, NJResurvey of Texas Instruments Defense Systems & Electronics Group - Lewisville, TX

Tandem Computers - Cupertino, CACharleston Naval Shipyard - Charleston, SCConax Florida Corporation - St. Petersburg, FLTexas Instruments Semiconductor Group Military Products - Midland, TXHewlett-Packard Palo Alto Fabrication Center - Palo Alto, CAWatervliet U.S. Army Arsenal - Watervliet, NYDigital Equipment Company Enclosures Business - Westfield, MA and Maynard, MAComputing Devices International - Minneapolis, MN (now General Dynamics Information Systems)(Resurvey of Control Data Corporation Government Systems Division)Naval Aviation Depot Naval Air Station - Pensacola, FL

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center - Huntsville, ALNaval Aviation Depot Naval Air Station - Jacksonville, FLDepartment of Energy Oak Ridge Facilities (Operated by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.) - Oak Ridge, TNMcDonnell Douglas Aerospace - Huntington Beach, CA (now Boeing Space Systems)Crane Division Naval Surface Warfare Center - Crane, IN and Louisville, KYPhiladelphia Naval Shipyard - Philadelphia, PAR. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company - Winston-Salem, NCCrystal Gateway Marriott Hotel - Arlington, VAHamilton Standard Electronic Manufacturing Facility - Farmington, CT (now Hamilton Sundstrand)Alpha Industries, Inc. - Methuen, MA

Harris Semiconductor - Palm Bay, FL (now Intersil Corporation)United Defense, L.P. Ground Systems Division - San Jose, CANaval Undersea Warfare Center Division Keyport - Keyport, WAMason & Hanger - Silas Mason Co., Inc. - Middletown, IAKaiser Electronics - San Jose, CAU.S. Army Combat Systems Test Activity - Aberdeen, MD (now Aberdeen Test Center)Stafford County Public Schools - Stafford County, VA

Sandia National Laboratories - Albuquerque, NMRockwell Collins Avionics & Communications Division - Cedar Rapids, IA (now Rockwell Collins, Inc.)(Resurvey of Rockwell International Corporation Collins Defense Communications)Lockheed Martin Electronics & Missiles - Orlando, FLMcDonnell Douglas Aerospace (St. Louis) - St. Louis, MO (now Boeing Aircraft and Missiles)(Resurvey of McDonnell-Douglas Corporation McDonnell Aircraft Company)Dayton Parts, Inc. - Harrisburg, PAWainwright Industries - St. Peters, MOLockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems - Fort Worth, TX (now Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company)(Resurvey of General Dynamics Fort Worth Division)Lockheed Martin Government Electronic Systems - Moorestown, NJSacramento Manufacturing and Services Division - Sacramento, CAJLG Industries, Inc. - McConnellsburg, PA

City of Chattanooga - Chattanooga, TNMason & Hanger Corporation - Pantex Plant - Amarillo, TXNascote Industries, Inc. - Nashville, ILWeirton Steel Corporation - Weirton, WVNASA Kennedy Space Center - Cape Canaveral, FLResurvey of Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Operations - Oak Ridge, TN

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

G-2

2004

Headquarters, U.S. Army Industrial Operations Command - Rock Island, IL (now Operational Support Command)SAE International and Performance Review Institute - Warrendale, PAPolaroid Corporation - Waltham, MACincinnati Milacron, Inc. - Cincinnati, OHLawrence Livermore National Laboratory - Livermore, CASharretts Plating Company, Inc. - Emigsville, PAThermacore, Inc. - Lancaster, PARock Island Arsenal - Rock Island, ILNorthrop Grumman Corporation - El Segundo, CA(Resurvey of Northrop Corporation Aircraft Division)Letterkenny Army Depot - Chambersburg, PAElizabethtown College - Elizabethtown, PATooele Army Depot - Tooele, UT

United Electric Controls - Watertown, MAStrite Industries Limited - Cambridge, Ontario, CanadaNorthrop Grumman Corporation - El Segundo, CACorpus Christi Army Depot - Corpus Christi, TXAnniston Army Depot - Anniston, ALNaval Air Warfare Center, Lakehurst - Lakehurst, NJSierra Army Depot - Herlong, CAITT Industries Aerospace/Communications Division - Fort Wayne, INRaytheon Missile Systems Company - Tucson, AZNaval Aviation Depot North Island - San Diego, CAU.S.S. Carl Vinson (CVN-70) - Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific FleetTobyhanna Army Depot - Tobyhanna, PA

Wilton Armetale - Mount Joy, PAApplied Research Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University - State College, PAElectric Boat Corporation, Quonset Point Facility - North Kingstown, RIResurvey of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center - Huntsville, ALOrenda Turbines, Division of Magellan Aerospace Corporation - Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Northrop Grumman, Defensive Systems Division - Rolling Meadows, ILCrane Army Ammunition Activity - Crane, INNaval Sea Logistics Center, Detachment Protsmouth - Portsmouth, NHStryker Howmedica Osteonics - Allendale, NJ

The Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia Region - Johnson City, TNGeneral Dynamics Armament Systems - Burlington, VT (now General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products)Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems-Surface Systems - Moorestown, NJFrontier Electronic Systems - Stillwater, OK

U.S. Coast Guard, Maintenance and Logistics Command-Atlantic - Norfolk, VAU.S. Coast Guard, Maintenance and Logistics Command-Pacific - Alameda, CADirectorate for Missiles and Surface Launchers (PEO TSC-M/L) - Arlington, VAGeneral Tool Company - Cincinnati, OH

University of New Orleans, College of Engineering - New Orleans, LABender Shipbuilding and Repair Company, Inc. - Mobile, ALIn Tolerance - Cedar Rapids, IAABC Virtual Communications, Inc. - West Des Moines, IAResurvey of Electric Boat Corporation, Quonset Point Facility - North Kingstown, RIUnited Defense, L.P. Ground Systems Division - Aiken, SCAuto-Valve, Inc. - Dayton, OH

United Defense, L.P. Armament Systems Division - Aberdeen, SDTOMAK Precision - Lebanon, OHRB Tool & Manufacturing Company - Cincinnati, OH

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

G-3

2003