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Case Studies
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| Student: | Alistair Morison |
| Discipline: | Engineering |
| Degree: | Product design and innovation |
| University: | Strathclyde |
| Company: | Aggreko |
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Generator assembly line process improvements
Summary
During Alistair’s placement at Aggreko Manufacturing, Alistair worked on a project which improved efficiency on the assembly line of 1MW power generators, increasing productivity and reducing labour costs, and at the same time improving quality.
Alistair studied tasks completed by the electrical and mechanical fitters, to highlight inefficiencies such as a lack of equipment, defective parts, or parts when two workers clash on a task. He then broke the task down into component jobs and rearranged them in a logical sequence - standardising processes to make them as simple as possible. He made it easier to access tools, and repeated the process, refining it each time, to gradually eliminate inefficiencies – saving time and money.
Results
The overall manufacturing process has been reduced by 21 hours – saving just under £672 per unit, leading to a forecasted average saving of £400,000 per year for the next three years.
“I have been extremely impressed by Alistair’s high level of enthusiasm and commitment. Alistair’s project has been a major financial and moral success to our organisation. We would have no hesitation in bringing Alistair back as a summer student placement or in the future under the Graduates for Business Programme.”
Alex Hardie, Plant and Site Maintenance Co-ordinator, Aggreko |
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