Description of Case

A pollution prevention/waste minimization opportunity assessment was conducted for a metal finishing and fabricating facility (Company X). The scope of the business activity of that company included the design, production, assembly, and sale of rubber-coated rollers for office automation equipment; the design, production, and sale of valve stem seals, oil seals and O-rings for automotive engines and components; and the design, production, and sale of custom-molded commercial-grade rubber products. Company X is a supplier for several major automobile, copier, and printer industries.  The main activities of Company X took place in three buildings: machining (Building I), plating operations (Building II), and rubber mixing and molding operations (Building III).

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Description of Case

For companies competing in the medical device sector, time to market is a critical concern, as is getting designs to meet the rigorous compliance requirements set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although all kinds of factors can put a crimp in a company’s ability to move quickly, manual processes—particularly those related to managing and tracking engineering changes—can inject inefficiencies into product development that can hamper even the most innovative and well-run businesses.

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Introduction of Case

Beyond its revolutionary teardrop shape and aggressive design goal of up to two hundred miles per gallon on a hybrid electric/gasoline engine, the Urbee is blazing new ground with a prototyping strategy that involves 3-D printing, not just for individual components, but for the entire body of the car. More…

Introduction of Case

Companies have become adept at applying lean concepts to operations and manufacturing, but the methodology has remained elusive in the area of product development as research and development (R&D) groups still tend to rely on the traditional iterative practice of design, build, and test as a path to innovation.

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Introduction of Case

When your business is aftermarket automotive accessories, the engineering task is fairly straightforward but still a challenge. At Steeda Engineering &  Manufacturing, the R&D group’s main mandate is to come up with high-quality product designs that transform a car’s looks or performance while simultaneously being cost-effective to manufacture, thus ensuring that the company can consistently turn a profit.

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