NOTE: Should a new plant tour be announced after you have registered, you will have the ability to change your selection.

What you will see and learn about:

• Tigear & small quantis gear boxes
• Cellular flow
• (5S) Shadow boards, color coding, visual management
• Kanbans
• Kaizens

Note:

• Closed-toe, closed-heel shoes must be worn. No high-heels.  Safety shoes preferred but not required.
• Safety glasses will be provided.

What you will see and learn about:

• Concentric, shaft mount & parallel industrial speed reducers
• (5S) Shadow boards & color coding
• Kanbans/Supermarkets – Manufactured components, subassembly bins, hardware carts, POU racks
• TPM SOP and labeling conventions
• Setup monitoring – clocks, charts
• (Flow) Packing components in manufacturing cells
• Lean lab- dedicated area for Lean training, meetings and tools

Awards:

• 2011 Baldor customer service award - mechanical plant
• 2008 Baldor Chairman's Safety Award
• 2008 NSC Occupational Excellence Achievement Award
• 2004 South Carolina Manufacturer of the Year

Note:

• Closed-toe shoes must be worn. No high-heels.
• No cameras are permitted.
• No cell phones are permitted.
• Safety glasses will be provided.

Monday, April 22
Time 9:10 am - 11:45 am

What you will see and learn about:

• Axial piston pumps and motors for industrial and mobile applications; large industrial vane motors typically used in drilling applications
• Bosch Production System which focuses on eight key principles: Process Orientation, Pull System, Perfect Quality, Flexibility, Standardization, Transparent Process, Waste Elimination, and Associate Involvement.
• Greenfield Bosch Production System plant layout, with focus on the principles of Transparency and Process Orientation
  

Awards:

• 2010 Silver Crescent Award (Best mid-size plant in SC)

Note:

• Closed-toe shoes must be worn.
• Safety glasses will be provided.

Monday, April 22
Time 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
TOUR FULL

What you will see and learn about:

• C7 diesel engines and Marine diesel engines
• Diesel engine assembly
• Caterpillar Production System
• Continuous Improvement Card process
• Hot test of engines
• Engine painting

Note:

• Solid sole shoes covering the entire foot must be worn. No high-heels.  Leather (non-canvas) athletic footwear is acceptable. 
• Walking casts, crutches and orthopedic devices are not permitted.  Canes are permitted.
• No rings allowed (remove rings or apply tape).
• Clear Safety glasses and hearing protection required and will be provided.

Monday, April 22
Time 12:00 pm - 4:30 pm
TOUR FULL

What you will see and learn about:

• Design, prototyping and manufacturing of 15, 17 and 18 cu.ft. top-mount refrigerators. High-volume, cost-driven (9,000 refrigerators produced each day)
• Electrolux Manufacturing System

Note:

• Closed-toe, closed-heel shoes must be worn.
• Legs and arms must be covered. No shorts, short-sleeved or sleeveless shirts.
• Safety glasses and ear protection will be provided by facility.

Monday, April 22
Time 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm
TOUR FULL

What you will see and learn about:

• GE Commercial Engine High Pressure Turbine Blades
• More details coming soon

Note:

• Must be a US Citizen or green card holder to attend. All attendees must bring their driver's license or passport with them.
• Safety shoes required.
• Rings and watches are not allowed on the floor.
• Long hair must be tied up and earrings in excess of ½ inch must be removed.
• Long pants and shirts are required.

Monday, April 22
Time 9:00 am - 11:45 am
TOUR FULL

What you will see and learn about:

• Largest heavy duty gas turbine manufacturing plant in the world, producing the majority of its heavy duty gas turbines for global export
• Buckets & coated nozzles operations; bladed wheel assembly; liners, transition pieces, & cap assembly; rotor assembly; unit assembly; prep to ship
• Advanced machining operations
• Specialized assembly techniques
• Lean six sigma practices
• Strong EHS focus

Note:

• Closed-toed, closed-heel shoes must be worn, not exceeding 2 inches and no spiked / skinny heels.
• No skirts; slacks must be worn.
• Safety glasses will be provided & must be worn during the tour.
• No cameras allowed (phones are allowed but they will be asked to turn them off during the tour.
• Tobacco-free campus – this includes the parking lots
• Attendees must bring photo ID, foreign nationals must bring passport.

Monday, April 22
12:30 pm – 3:15 pm
TOUR FULL

What you will see and learn about:

• Inbound/Outbound distribution center operations in a 1.1 million square foot building
• 271,000 SKU's; plans to grow to 350,000 by 2014
• Conveyor automation
• Order accuracy exceeding 99.9%
• Department metric boards
• Bright idea board
• Shadow boards
• 5s

Monday, April 22
8:30 am – 11:15 am
TOUR FULL

Monday, April 22
1:00 pm - 3:45 pm
TOUR FULL

What you will see and learn about:

• Turbine blades, nozzles, disks and other associated engine components, supporting commercial and military platforms
• Honeywell Operating System (HOS)
• Kaizen methodology
• 5s
• Health Safety & Environmental systems

Awards:

• VPP STAR Mentor Site
• Honeywell HOS – Bronze Site 2012
• Honeywell HS&E Excellence award winner 2008, 2011

Note:

• Steel-toe shoes are required.  Safety shoe covers available if needed for closed-toe shoes but quantities are limited and cannot be guaranteed.  No high-heels.
• Safety glasses and hearing protection will be provided
• Must be U.S. Citizen or have a Green Card

Monday, April 22
7:30 am – 12:45 pm

What you will see and learn about:

• Smart meters and collection devices for the utilities industry
• Lean manufacturing techniques and evolution of advanced metering production process including:
  • Just in Time Inventory Management
  • Cellular Layout Manufacturing
  • Automated Information Delivery
  • Total Quality Management

Note:

• Close-toed shoes must be worn. 
• There will be extensive walking on the tour.

Monday, April 22
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
TOUR FULL

What you will see and learn about:

• Fabric formation plant processing multiple types of raw materials including polyester, nylon, and fiberglass used in building and reinforcement products such as roofing, duct tape, billboard, carpet, and flexible ducting
• Milliken Performance System - process which ties safety, maintenance, training, and continuous improvement efforts together to drive plant performance 
• 100% associate engagement

Awards:

• Star site in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program
• EHS Today's America's Safest Company award – 2004, 2010

Note:

• PPE will be provided.  Please bring prescription safety glasses if you need these.
• Footwear: Fully-enclosed leather-type shoes are required. Heels must be less than 2” high and at least 1” wide at base. No canvas or mesh anywhere on the exterior part of the shoe.
• Clothing: Top wear must completely cover shoulder, underarm, and stomach areas. Full length pants are required. Avoid wearing loose clothing that may become caught in moving equipment.
• Jewelry: All jewelry must be removed. This includes all watches, rings, bracelets, anklets, necklaces that extend past the chin, non-studded earrings, and any earring that extends off the earlobe.
• Hair: Restrained close to the head and above the shoulders in production areas.
• Neckties, lanyards or other hanging accessories: All must be tucked inside top wear (between 2nd and 3rd buttons) before going to production areas.  Hoods must be tucked inside garment or removed.  Belts and sashes must also be restrained from hanging away from the body.
• Leave backpacks and purses on the bus. 
• No cell phones cameras, video, or voice recorders are permitted on site.
• Bring picture identification (i.e. Driver's License).

Monday, April 22
8:15 am – 12:15 pm
TOUR FULL

What you will see and learn about:

• Fabric finishing plant for product end uses such as napery/table linen, medical, uniforms, performance interior, performance apparel, and specialty industrial
• 5-Why Root Cause Analysis
• DMAIC
• Lean
• Six Sigma
• 5S
• Visual Controls
• Kaizen Newspapers
• Change Over Wheels/Kanbans
• Policy Deployment/Cascaded Goals
• Pareto Analysis
• Milliken Performance System - process which ties safety, maintenance, training, and continuous improvement efforts together to drive plant performance 
• 100% associate engagement

Awards:

• Star site in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program
• EHS Today's America's Safest Company award – 2004, 2010

Note:

• PPE will be provided.  Please bring prescription safety glasses if you need these.
• Footwear: Fully-enclosed leather-type shoes are required. Heels must be less than 2” high and at least 1” wide at base. No canvas or mesh anywhere on the exterior part of the shoe.
• Clothing: Top wear must completely cover shoulder, underarm, and stomach areas. Full length pants are required. Avoid wearing loose clothing that may become caught in moving equipment.
• Jewelry: All jewelry must be removed. This includes all watches, rings, bracelets, anklets, necklaces that extend past the chin, non-studded earrings, and any earring that extends off the earlobe.
• Hair: Restrained close to the head and above the shoulders in production areas.
• Neckties, lanyards or other hanging accessories: All must be tucked inside top wear (between 2nd and 3rd buttons) before going to production areas.  Hoods must be tucked inside garment or removed.  Belts and sashes must also be restrained from hanging away from the body.
• Leave backpacks and purses on the bus. 
• No cell phones cameras, video, or voice recorders are permitted on site.
• Bring picture identification (i.e. Driver's License).

Monday, April 22
Time 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
TOUR FULL

What you will see and learn about:

• Carbon brushes for motors and generators used in power generation (including wind turbines), DC locomotives, mining, OEM motors and aftermarket replacement parts
• Visual and focused factory with custom planning by production line matching demand to capacity to satisfy customer needs
• Lean initiatives
• Behavior based safety
• Employee involvement

Note:

• Closed-toe, closed-heel shoes must be worn. Heels cannot exceed 2” in height.
• Safety glasses required
• Wrist jewelry and loose-fitting clothing not allowed

Monday, April 22
Time 12:15 pm - 3:30 pm
TOUR FULL

What you will see and learn about:

• Electronics and sensors in the Gasoline Systems and Automotive Electronics divisions; mainly oxygen sensors
• Bosch Production System which focuses on eight key principles: Process Orientation, Pull System, Perfect Quality, Flexibility, Standardization, Transparent Process, Waste Elimination, and Associate Involvement.

Awards:

• Among the Top 5 North American locations for EHS Sustainability Program
• C/PSR-NA HERO Award, Reduced Worker's Compensation Cost by implementing an exemplary Ergonomics Program

Note:

• Closed-toe shoes must be worn.

Monday, April 22
Time 7:45 am - 11:30 am
TOUR FULL

What you will see and learn about:

• Hydraulic valves (Small spool, HIC cartridge and proportional valve manufacturing and assembly)
• 5S Process
• Zero D! Quality Mindset
• Advanced Poke-Yokes Man-Machine Instructions
• Sauer-Danfoss Productivity Process (SD Lean Process)
• Visual Management

Note:

• Flat, closed-toe, leather shoes (steel toes, slip resistant preferred or facility will provide safety toes) must be worn.
• Safety glasses and ear plugs will be provided.

Monday, April 22
Time 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
TOUR FULL

What you will see and learn about:

• Golf ball production (TaylorMade Lethal and Rocketballz Urethane golf balls for Marketplace and PGA Tours). Approximately 8,000 dozen produced each day.
• Lean manufacturing principles
• 5S
• Kanban
• Kaizen

Note::

• Closed-toe, closed-heel shoes must be worn.
• Legs must be covered. No shorts.
• No competitive golf company apparel or hats.
  

Monday, April 22
Time 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
TOUR FULL

What you will see and learn about:

• 0 – 8” (200mm) Tapered Bearings, <18” Match Bearing Assemblies, & Rail Bearings used in the following markets: industrial distribution, off-highway, heavy truck, power transmission, aerospace
• Core Manufacturing Technologies: Grinding, Assembly, Phosphate and Engineered Surfaces
• Lean manufacturing, including but not limited to: Hoshin Planning, Value Stream Mapping, 4 Step Process – (1) 5S, (2) Set-UP Standardized Work, (3) Cyclical Standardized Work, (4) Zone Control, Leader Standard Work, Visual Management, Pull Systems, Cellular Mfg., Set-up Reduction, TPM, Problem Solving
• New process/product implementation

Note:

• Closed-toe, closed-heel shoes must be worn. Heels cannot exceed 2” in height.
• Safety glasses and ear plugs will be provided

Monday, April 22
Time 11:45 am – 3:45 pm
TOUR FULL

What you will see and learn about:

• A joint venture between Eaton Corporation and Nittan Valve Co. Ltd of Japan
• Engine valves for Asian OEM's in North America, Europe and Australia; produce about 60 million valves per year for Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Subaru
• Visual control systems used to monitor hourly performance
• Daily Prioritization Boards to prioritize issues in the plant
• Team leader activities conducted to support operations
• Quality Operating System used to track product line progress in areas of safety, quality, productivity and costs

Awards:

• has been awarded over 20 quality and delivery awards from both Honda and Toyota along with various environmental and corporate citizenship awards from the same two customers

Note:

• Closed-toe shoes must be worn.  Slip resistant shoes are recommended.
• Safety glasses and hearing protection are required
• No loose hanging jewelry
• Longer hair must be pulled back