Rolls Royce to Hosts Lean Manufacturing Training

One of the world leaders in Lean Manufacturing and jet engine design and production, Rolls Royce Aerospace, will be hosting an advanced training session at its Indiana plant on January 10-12, 2012. Presented by the Lean Factory Group, a non-profit organization with a mission to promote Lean methods in the United States, the course is focused on how to design an optimum Lean production line. The 3-day event includes a tour of the Rolls Royce Lift-Fan assembly plant, a factory designed from the ground-up on Lean principles, and which builds a large component for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. (Note: tour limited to US citizens only)

How to design a high-performing production line is at the heart of the Toyota Production System and Lean Manufacturing, and yet the method is unclear to many production managers and Lean practitioners. This workshop presents the proven line design methodology in a step-by-step fashion, starting with planning and data collection, and finishing with management guidelines once the line is running. Learning in the classroom is reinforced with both hands-on exercises with real production hardware, and live examples from the Rolls Royce plant itself.

“Lean Manufacturing has become a requirement in most industries today,” says Richard Rahn, President of the Lean Factory Group. “Even so, knowledge of how to design a mixed-model production line, one of the most fundamental skills needed by Lean practitioners, is often totally lacking.” One indicator of a sub-optimum line design is the excessive need for ‘Kaizen’ or continuous improvement. Organizations can invest years of effort on ‘Kaizen Events’ without address the root cause of the problem, a poor line design. “Improvement is a core Lean value”, says Rahn, “but why not do it right the first time?”

Students learn best by doing, and this Advanced Workshop includes the actual implementation of all of the line design tools in a simulation environment. Participants will design the production environment, and then build a mixed-model product. Participants will also compare what was learned in the classroom to what is actually done at a model Lean aerospace factory. The plant tours will be led by seasoned Rolls Royce experts.

Find out more and register at the Lean Factory Group website, http://www.leanfactorygroup.com.

Dates: January 10-12, 2012
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; lunch included
Location: Rolls Royce Training Center
Indianapolis, Indiana