Growth at Bosch Rexroth catches industry attention Staff Report
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Bosch Rexroth Fountain Inn
hat began in 1989 as a 250,000-square-foot facility for Bosch Rexroth in Fountain Inn has turned into a 535,000-square-foot plant covering more than 100 acres at the Southchase Industrial Park. It is the company’s largest facility in North America. “The team at Bosch Rexroth Fountain Inn has worked together over the past four years to double the size of our facility, while simultaneously driving significant improvements in our key performance metrics,” said Paul Cooke, president and CEO of Bosch Rexroth Americas, in a news release. “While we still have a long way to go to meet all of our ambitions, this team has shown what is possible by working together as a committed team to delight our customers.” Mike McCormick, vice president and plant manager in Fountain Inn, said investments over the last four years “improved our assembly technology and the related lean logistics to support it.” “In 2008, we used simple benchtop assembly methods with only basic hand tools,” he said, in the release. “Today, our assembly lines use numerous advanced technologies to simultaneously reduce cost and improve quality.” Bosch Rexroth’s Fountain Inn facility manufactures hydraulic pumps and motors used in construction, agriculture, mining, material handling, and oil
Information provided by Bosch Rexroth outlines five areas that contributed to the recognition from Assembly Magazine. Associates as the most valuable resource: In 2015, the associates generated more than 1,200 ideas to improve the performance of the facility. Assembly line efficiencies: The Fountain Inn team increased assembly line efficiencies by developing an assembly Sequencing Program that guides the operator through the assembly process, resulting in an improvement in the ratio of attended work time versus products and an 85% reduction in customer complant, the company said. Reduced time to market: In 2014, a crossfunctional team from engineering, sales, logistics, production and manufacturing engineering completed a complete redesign of the production process. The team cut the process time by more than 80%, the company said. Environmental efficiency: The Fountain Inn team implemented initiatives like a wastewater recycling effort. A total of 75 tons of waste is now recycled onsite instead of being sent off-site for treatment and disposal. Zero Landfill status was achieved by harvesting waste for resale, reuse, or waste-energy conversion rather than sending it to the landfill. Community involvement: With a focus on STEM education, together with local education leaders, they have invested nearly $500,000 in primary, middle, high school, and the local technical college.
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Bosch Rexroth in Fountain Inn has grown over the last four years. The plant’s efforts garnered the attention of Assembly Magazine, which named it the 2016 Assembly Plant of the Year. (Photo/Provided)
and gas exploration. The plant recently caught the attention of other manufacturers and was named Assembly Magazine’s 2016 Assembly Plant of the Year. The award was initiated in 2004 to showcase world-class production facilities in America, and the people, products and processes that make them successful. According to Assembly, all manufacturers that assemble products in the U.S. are invited to nominate their plants. “This recognition is a milestone on our journey toward continuous excellence in serving our customers,” McCormick said. “We know that our success is intimately linked to our ability to provide our customers with the best products and services. This, in turn, re-
quires intense focus on execution and performance. This drives innovation, especially in the assembly of our products.” The plant was chosen for the award because of its “robust combination of lean manufacturing principles, technological advances, environmental initiatives, employee training programs and community involvement.” Over the past four years, “they made significant advancements in key areas such as assembly technology and the lean logistics that support it, while doubling the size of the facility,” according to the release. Bosch Rexroth Fountain Inn employs 650 associates. Worldwide, the company employs 31,000 at 100 locations.
Source: Bosch Rexroth Fountain Inn.