The industrial revolution in the US took place in the late 1800’s. Product creation transformed from being built by artisans or craftsman to being built by manufacturing processes. In the early 1900’s Ford Motor Company started using assembly line techniques to build its cars. The rest of the world started...
There have been lots of news about Obama Care and what effects it will have on the cost of health care. Many companies are trying to figure out if their employee health insurance premiums are going to increase. So specifically, what effect will the affordable healthcare act have on manufacturing...
In the past, Packnet has posted updates on its efforts and results regarding our implementation of Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM). Quick Response Manufacturing is a continuous improvement strategy based on lead time and response time reduction. It complements other improvement strategies such as 5S or six sigma. We have talked...
The US has expressed concern over the escalating tension around the Diaoyu (China’s name) –Senkaku (Japan’s name) islands. The most recent issues sprung from China’s assertion that these islands come under the Chinese air defense zone. This claim immediately drew responses from Japan, the US, Taiwan and South Korea. The...
There are a number of programs that have helped businesses achieve growth with improved profitability. Some programs are focused mainly on manufacturing such as Total Productive Maintenance, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and Quick Response Manufacturing. There are other programs that are applicable to any business such as EOS, (Entrepreneurial Operating...
If you work for or are associated with a maintenance department, then you probably work on some sort of preventative maintenance program. Total Productive Maintenance is a step up from preventative maintenance. The lowest level of maintenance is “wait until something breaks”. While initially it seems to require the least...
Why can’t things be the way it was 30 - 40 years ago? Manufacturing jobs were abundant, wages and benefits were great! Unions had long term, safe contracts and layoffs were minimal. There seem to be many ideas floating around out there blaming corporate greed, poor taxation policies, NAFTA etc,...
When choosing a supplier for your company, cost is (and should be) a major factor in the selection process. This is true for all industries and across all markets. But sometimes companies only look at the piece part price on a quote and act as if that will give them...
There are a multitude of programs that can go under the umbrella of lean manufacturing. Theory of Constraint techniques don’t always get labeled under lean manufacturing practices, but often the most significant cost reductions can come by applying the principles of TOC. Theory of Constraints was introduced and developed by...
Packnet is continuing to expand it capabilities. We are bringing in 2 new pieces of equipment that will expand our capacity and upgrade our capability.Omnitech CNC RouterA second CNC router is set to arrive shortly; it is very similar to the router that we already have, but just a little...