How Management at Newman Technology Supports Professional Development

How does management at NEWMAN TECHNOLOGY support professional growth? Gain insights about flexibility, leaving for appointments during the workday, and more.

NEWMAN Technology manufactures door sashes and exhaust components for automotive manufacturers like Honda, Acura, and Subaru at plants in Albertville, Alabama, and Aiken, South Carolina. Owned by Japan-based Sankei Giken Kogyo Co Ltd. Ltd, NEWMAN Technology employs more than 2,100 workers at both facilities.

Plex Cloud ERP

Plex Cloud ERP is an ERP system designed to assist manufacturers in operating smarter, leaner, and faster. As the first cloud ERP built from the plant floor up, connecting suppliers, machines, people, and systems for insight to meet customers’ needs, this complete enterprise resource management solution includes production control, inventory management, manufacturing analytics, and supply chain management – as well as boasting an exceptional data warehouse that facilitates reporting and analytics.

Plex software’s comprehensive tool management and tracking capabilities give real-time visibility into the condition of tools at all times, providing real-time insight into wear, defects, quality issues, and maintenance plans assigned for these tools – providing assurance they will be ready for their next project or job. Enhanced traceability offers complete tracking capability of components, parts, subassemblies, and finished products through every production stage. At the same time, its shipping management system helps print labels using customer information to prevent packing or shipping errors.

Plex ERP’s business management features enable companies to oversee payroll, time off, and employee performance easily. Its HR module tracks employee disciplinary actions, expense reimbursements, and health and safety incidents. In contrast, its time and attendance integration modules enable employees to record work hours using badge scanners or biometric devices synced with the Plex ERP system.

The platform provides advanced features to enhance users’ productivity, such as an intelligent search engine and customizable dashboards that give instantaneous access to relevant information. It automates workflows and reduces manual effort. Furthermore, its flexible data model enables users to quickly create, edit, and analyze reports. In addition, its graphical user interface is also simple and intuitive for newcomers while being supported by world-class data centers that ensure its resiliency and redundancy – ideal for small and more significant businesses and easily scales up as businesses expand.

AIDA Gap Press Transfer Line

AIDA is one of the premier manufacturers of mechanical and servo presses and metal forming equipment, featuring gap frames, straight sides, high speeds, cold forging capabilities, transfer devices, and progressive dies to meet all metal forming needs. Their diverse product offering covers gap frames, straight sides, high speeds, cold forging capabilities, transfer and advanced die solutions, and material handling equipment ranging in tonnage capacity from 35 to 3,500 for precise tooling needs.

This company’s NC1 gap-frame mechanical servo press offers deep draw and forming capabilities. It slows when the machine reaches the bottom dead center before increasing the speed at other parts of its stroke. This enables an operator to maintain a more consistent product. Furthermore, this press can perform single-stroke stamping continuously and punch from coil stock material.

This type of servo system enables manufacturers to utilize lower ram speeds, which helps prevent cracking. Furthermore, this type of servo system allows them to halt the ram for nonworking portions of the stroke to save energy and shorten cycle times while saving energy by using intelligent power management and buffering systems that consume less energy than a traditional mechanical press of equal size.

Servo press systems can help create more precise parts with reduced dimensional tolerances and reduced costs, helping to cut costs. They can also enhance product quality by decreasing defects and increasing efficiency; additionally, servo presses allow more complex forms than would otherwise be achievable through mechanical or hydraulic machines to be produced.

AIDA will feature its single-point, direct drive gap frame servo press at the show: DSF-C1-A features high torque and low RPM servo motor connected directly to the driveshaft; manual step feed; and 20 preprogrammed stroke profile control options with over 20 predefined stroke profiles. Furthermore, there’s fast-acting hydraulic overload protection with a ten-millisecond reaction time and a compact, rigid frame design that minimizes deflection ratings.

AIDA servo-based metal forming press line is precisely engineered to run at a lower speed during the working portion of a ram cycle and return to full speed afterward, creating more consistent parts while using less power than a traditional mechanical or hydraulic press – ideal for high strength materials used in automotive production.

Lean Manufacturing

Lean Manufacturing provides many advantages, including processes responsive to customer demand, minimizing waste, and optimizing workflow. Businesses using lean production techniques often improve production without sacrificing quality or safety; inventory levels can also be reduced significantly, saving space and lowering costs, while streamlining operations frees up space for more machinery in their business and makes customers happier when products arrive quickly at reasonable prices – leading to loyal customers and increased revenues for them and the industry alike.

Lean Manufacturing begins by identifying and eliminating unnecessary work or waste, starting with creating a value stream map – an illustration that depicts all steps involved in producing products or services – so a company can see its current state, including waste within processes and ongoing work currently in progress. A value stream map also helps create goals for improvement – for instance, reducing completion times by 10 percent would make sense as an improvement goal.

One of the critical characteristics of Lean Manufacturing is creating a steady flow of work in progress. This can be accomplished using tools such as Kanban to manage work in progress and decrease inventory levels; or using pull systems – whereby an item is only created once there is an actual order for it; pull systems can also make managing supply chain and warehousing processes simpler.

Lean Manufacturing relies on continuous improvement and an organization-wide dedication to eliminating waste. Prioritization projects using the Theory of Constraints can assist companies in prioritizing improvement projects that address those hindering growth and profit the most – helping companies see tangible results more quickly.

Lean Manufacturing seeks to empower its employees by clearly understanding their roles and responsibilities, which can boost morale and productivity. Furthermore, this practice ensures workers do not become overburdened with tasks, leading them toward burnout or decreased performance – an especially crucial consideration in knowledge-intensive industries where workers must focus solely on performing the task.

Supply Chain Management

Supply chains are complex webs of operations that work to transform raw materials and components into finished goods that can be distributed to customers. From procurement and production, inventory management and storage, and logistics to transportation — or shipping — each element of this chain requires effective coordination, with special software employed for efficient administration to create efficiencies, lower costs, and gain competitive advantages for future operations.

Modern supply chains can be complex, yet solutions exist to streamline processes and make them more efficient. Companies can utilize Data Driven Supply Chain Management (DDSCM). This approach uses business analytics and data to optimize goods from manufacturers through warehouses, distribution centers, and retailers to ensure superior customer service, quicker deliveries, and reduced costs.

Managers no longer need to stock enormous amounts of incoming inventory in warehouses; instead, they can craft precise on-demand supply schedules that keep warehouse space free while maintaining high inventory levels to meet demand. This approach helps companies save money regarding real estate costs and overhead expenses.

Modern supply chain systems reduce costs and enable businesses to communicate effectively with suppliers while maintaining tight quality and inventory control. They help companies to prevent unwittingly engaging suppliers who violate environmental or social standards or operate from countries subject to international sanctions.

Management of supply chains is one of the critical tasks of businesses of any size. To do it efficiently and successfully, companies must clearly understand their goals and strategies while remaining adaptable and open to change. Seeing big-picture considerations and details quickly is vital for successful supply chain management. Companies willing to take risks with innovative approaches in managing supply chains may gain an edge over their competition and reap significant rewards that benefit both themselves and their customers.