Undergraduate Admission
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    Manufacturing Productivity Center Case Studies

    Home Controls Product Development
    MPC reviewed state of the art control technology for a major national controls manufacturer. The team's concept used wireless local area networking (compatible with the evolving BlueTooth protocol) to open new market opportunities.

    Appliance Parts and Procedures Development
    MPC performed field research and generated a range of new product concepts to simplify parts fabrication and improve installation efficiency for a major manufacturer of residential appliances.

    Technology Consortium
    MPC leveraged State of Illinois funding to create two groups (Chicago Area Die Sensor Users Group/CADSUG and Greater Chicago Sensor Group/GCSG) to enable technical staff to incorporate sensors into progressive stamping dies.

    Plant Layout Improvement
    MPC recommended modifications to a manufacturer's plant layout to increase efficiency and reduce cycle time. After a year, modifications had resulted in a 30% productivity improvement.

    Inventory Management Improvements
    MPC analysis enabled a firm that turned over inventory 4 times a year to implement a pull system and increase turnover to 10 times a year. As a result, sales increased significantly.

    Semiautomated Assembly
    MPC developed a plan for the annual manufacturer of one million electromechanical products by automating simple processes and allocating complex operations to workers. Production was increased, direct labor costs were slashed by 60%, the investment was amortized within 6 months and manufacturing costs decreased by over 40%.

    Lean Manufacturing
    To assist a client having difficulty responding to changing monthly demand, MPC introduced a demand flow system to a product family that shortened lead time and reduced inventory. The firm implemented the pilot program for the balance of products made at their plant.

    Mentoring Senior Management
    As a family business made the transition to a new generation of management, MPC mentored the new president weekly for a year, introducing approaches and systems that the executive implemented to manage this multi-divisional firm.

    Keeping the Plant Open
    A local manufacturing plant owned by a national firm was targeted for closure due to low profitability. MPC recommended a variety of actions to reduce costs, resulting in improvements that enabled the plant to remain in business.

    MPC Services
     MPC staff members make on-site visits to initiate a working relationship with prospective clients. Contact MPC in order to improve your firm's productivity and to learn more about what the Center can do for your firm:

    William Maurer
    312.567.3654
    maurer@iit.edu

    MPC Clients
     MPC clients range from small to medium to large businesses, primarily in the engineered products sector. Comprising the most dynamic and productive industrial sector in the Midwest, business to business, MPC clients include Kraft Foods, Navistar, Chicago Metal Rolled Products, Culligan, YKK, Allied Tube and Conduit, Omron Automotive, Parkview Metal Products, Tempel Steel, Duchossois Industries, Elkay Manufacturing, Pen-Tab, the Tooling and Manufacturing Association, and the U.S. Department of Defense.