Another IATF 16949 Internal Audit Class is wrapping up today in St Marys. This is the second course offered in St Marys recently to help manufacturers with customers within the automotive industry and complying to this quality standard. The 3-day course is led by Kevin Smith, President of Vie Associates. The next class is scheduled for August 8-10 in Erie. Class size is limited and these sessions fill … Continued
A Note from Bob Zaruta, NWIRC President/ CEO On behalf of the Northwest Industrial Resource Center (NWIRC) and the other six IRCs across Pennsylvania, I’d like to thank Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, along with PA Senators and State Representatives, for coming together in support of the Manufacturing PA Initiative recently approved in the new FY18 Pennsylvania state budget. The … Continued
The Lean Together™ working group from Mercer County recently took a field trip to Viking Plastics for their monthly session. The group focuses on the concepts of 2 Second Lean and the purpose of their visit was to see some of Viking’s successes, first-hand, including a drumbeat meeting. Viking CEO/President Kelly Goodsel and numerous employees were hosts of the … Continued
by Michael Griffith, Manufacturing Technology Engineer, NWIRC Manufacturers in northwestern Pennsylvania collectively provide products, parts and services to a wide range of industries including transportation, oil & gas, mining, industrial machinery, automotive parts, electronics, aerospace & defense, medical, rubber & synthetic fibers, and consumer products to name a few. Best practices not only suggest that manufacturers … Continued
by Susan Hileman, NWIRC Strategic Business Advisor Achieving buy-in from senior executives and decision-makers can be difficult without clearly defined expectations, roles, targets and goals. When those “senior executives and decision-makers” are Mom and Dad, that adds another layer of complexity. The newest generation—and next generation owner—often brings talents and ideas that are different from … Continued
by Bob Zaruta, President/CEO, NWIRC Industry 4.0 is here. The advancement of today’s manufacturing via the combination of automation, data exchange, cloud computing, and many other new manufacturing technologies. An increasing number of manufacturers, including small and mid-sized companies in Pennsylvania, are making investments and strides towards that goal. Are you ready, willing, and able … Continued
The next Energy Round Table, hosted by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), is scheduled for August 2nd from 9am-12noon at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center. The session topic is Improving Pump System Efficiency and Performance. Pump systems are integral to most major manufacturing, commercial and municipal operations, and are, collectively, a major user of … Continued
Most are familiar with Rosie the Riveter, the cultural icon who became symbolic for the new workforce during Word War II. Many within this workforce were women who went to work in factories replacing men going off to the war. But how did the new workforce get trained? Training within Industry (TWI) was an emergency … Continued
