One makes contact lenses with layers thinner than a human hair. Another produces sensors that help cars avoid collisions. And one makes grown-up “toys” — golf cars, Waverunners and four wheelers.
What linked three companies presenting at the Sept. 22 Next Generation Manufacturing annual conference? Foreign ownership and a commitment to efficient manufacturing through the use of technology.
Foreign-owned affiliates often bring new machinery and ideas to their U.S operations, but these firms — all heavy investors in Georgia — are increasingly relying on the communication between devices on the shop floor and their mainline computer systems to prevent problems before they occur, better allocate resources and more nimbly react to customer preferences.
A decade ago, the Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corp. of America factory in Newnan would have had technicians periodically taking laptops out to the lines to download information from the machines doing the heavy lifting. Now, that’s all happening in real time.
“We’ve cut our down time in half by getting ahead of the problems because the machines are talking to us,” Yamaha Vice President Phil Trickey said during a panel discussion that was part of a broader program focused on getting Georgia manufacturers to share best practices on strategic innovations. He added that connected systems can also help forecast supply-chain gaps and material shortages.
Alcon Inc., now part of Swiss drug maker Novartis AG, collects data on multiple points along its complex production line, with a product regulated by the Food and Drug Administration as a medical device. That data helps improve decision-making quickly in a business where errors aren’t an option.
“The ‘Internet of Things’ provides that information; the challenge now is for us to take that information and make sure it’s actionable information to add value,” said Ireland native Shay Foley, head of engineering for Alcon.
He added tha the need for feedback extends beyond the factory to the marketplace. Alcon has customer feedback channels in each country to keep the company up to date on consumer complaints and preferences. From new colors for contact lenses in Asia to sources of discomfort for patients, the faster the data is generated, the more quickly the company’s massive plant in Johns Creek, Ga., can react. (Alcon took over the former CIBA Vision facility after it merged with Novartis.)
Connectivity also enables firms to centralize processes and trim costs across global operations, said Mike Price of Elesys, a subsidiary of Japan’s Nidec, which supplies automotive sensors to manufacturers like Honda.
“Not that I’m very big on cutting jobs, but the ability to collect data from those plants instantaneously and have one core group look at it, analyze it and send out directions allows us not to have duplication of effort at each plant,” said Mr. Price, adding that nearly 5 million units per year roll off Elesys’s assembly lines in Suwanee, one of four factory locations in the company’s international system.
And that helps keep more manufacturing in high-cost places like the U.S. versus other low-cost locales, also by allowing companies to hold less inventory.
With more sales moving online, Yamaha foresees the need to get closer to customers — envisioning the day when the “push” business of selling a few models through dealer networks might become a “pull” business where consumers demand customized colors and styles.
All that said, some companies see cybersecurity and difficulty finding an appropriate workforce as hindrances to introducing even more connectivity to their plants. Others see their parent companies’ legacy systems holding them back.
Workforce was a key theme of the sixth annual event. Gulfstream Aerospace, the state’s largest manufacturer, highlighted apprenticeships with 60 high schoolers a year and a co-op program through which nearly all of its technicians are hired.
Just before lunch, a moment of reflection and tribute was held for Randy Jackson, the late chief administrative officer for Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, who died in May. He was esteemed for his long-term view of the workforce challenges facing Troup County. He led the company’s investment in a college and career academy and prodded county officials to do more to improve early childhood eduction to ensure the company’s access to a “world-class” labor supply in its backyard.
“We gave him reports on what we were doing, and he was always happy, but he was never satisfied,” said former Troup county commission Chairman Ricky Wolfe in a video from Mr. Jackson’s memorial service played at today’s event.
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