Continuous Improvement Deep Dive: How One Company Amped Up Production & Reduced Waste

Increasing product volume and reducing scrap to the point of achieving Zero Waste to Landfill are competing objectives for many manufacturers. For Brewer Science, a leader in innovative materials and processes for the semiconductor industry, producing high quality products and remaining sensitive to the environment is critical to our success and the success of our customers.

Get a deep understanding of how Brewer Science increased product volume by 67% and reduced scrap by 83% through continuous improvement best practices and risk mitigation.

In this real-world case study, Brewer Science’s Executive Director, Tom Brown and Engineering Systems Manager, James Korich, will take you through four key elements—training, automation, effective risk analysis and mitigation, and success modes that were instrumental in helping the company achieve its goals.

Brewer Science will also discuss how it continues to create a fresh approach to continuously improve beyond the scope of the original initiative, while maintaining an industry manufacturing mandate of “zero rework.”

Takeaways:

• Gain insight into how to apply continuous improvement methodologies to achieve aggressive goals in scrap reduction and volume increases
• Understand the key decision points and the trade-off analysis that underlies any continuous improvement initiative
• Learn how to apply risk analysis and mitigation techniques in real world examples and other analysis techniques to improve manufacturing performance

Speakers

Tom Brown, Executive Director, Corporate Productivity & Sustainability, Brewer Science

Tom received his BS in Engineering Management in 1993 from the University of Missouri-Rolla. Upon graduation, Tom began his career at Brewer Science as a part-time employee in sales and now serves as the Executive Director of Operations. Tom is part of directing the strategies of two business units while maintaining direct responsibility for Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, EH&S and Supply Chain. Of all the exceptional aspects of Brewer Science, Tom is most impressed by working in “an environment that continually challenges you to be your best and puts you into positions that forces you to stretch beyond what you thought was possible.” He says he feels “blessed to work with so many people who share a desire to make a difference—in each other’s lives, in the company, in the community, and in the industry.

James Korich, Engineering Systems Manager, Brewer Science

James Korich received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University in 1994 and completed an MBA degree from Webster University in 2000. Korich came to Brewer Science with extensive knowledge in product quality, manufacturing process consistency, and is a Six Sigma Master Black Belt. At Brewer Science, Korich is currently serving as the Engineering Systems Manager where he is responsible for the efficient and effective operation of the Manufacturing Engineering Group. He played a vital role as team leader in designing and implementing blending systems and solvent filtration systems at Brewer Science’s Vichy facility.

Technical Details

This webinar will be conducted using a slides-and-audio format.  After you complete your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with details for joining the webinar.

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