Lean manufacturing is a systematic way to reduce waste, save time and create high performance organizations. Sometimes it can save lives, too. Case in point: At the Letterkenny Army Depot at Chambersburg, Penn., employees fabricate reinforced armor door kits for upgrading High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) deployed in Iraq. By beefing up the armor protection on these vehicles, these employees are working hard to save the lives of and prevent injuries to American soldiers.

Despite their already-humming manufacturing pace, the depot crew applied Lean manufacturing practices to step up production even more. As a result, they recently delivered almost 900 door kits four weeks early and came in $1 million under budget. They also worked into the process an annual savings of $1.4 million dollars—enough to provide 27 free HMMWVs per month to the Army since August 2006. How did they do it?

"When the call came in to deliver the door kits, we were experiencing production rates twice as high as normal," said Randall Quinn, Chief, Environmental Management Division. "Even though we didn't build new facilities to accommodate increased production, instituting Lean manufacturing methods enabled us to meet the needs of our soldiers in Iraq."

Lean Tools Put to Use

Lean manufacturing at Letterkenny is the result of the depot’s commitment to the Army's Lean Six Sigma management approach. Members of the Lean team use Lean tools to reduce floor space, flow time and distance traveled to reduce waste and increase productivity.

More than 80 percent of the workforce at Letterkenny has participated in at least one Lean Six Sigma Rapid Improvement Event (RIE). RIEs are exercises designed to identify inefficiencies quickly and recommend immediate corrective action.

Lean manufacturing revolutionized pollution prevention at the depot, too. Iterative improvements to lean initiatives have vastly improved waste reduction and eliminated sources of pollution. In fiscal year 2006, Letterkenny reported a 58 percent solid waste diversion rate in the amount of 4,756 tons. It accomplished this goal by implementing aggressive reuse, recycling and reclamation programs.

Lean manufacturing revolutionized pollution prevention at the depot, too. Iterative improvements to lean initiatives have vastly improved waste reduction and eliminated sources of pollution. In fiscal year 2006, Letterkenny reported a 58 percent solid waste diversion rate in the amount of 4,756 tons. It accomplished this goal by implementing aggressive reuse, recycling and reclamation programs.

One of these programs included collecting diesel fuel drained from vehicles being overhauled and recycling this fuel for reuse in the main heating plant. This action saves disposal costs and reduces the need to purchase new fuel oil. The depot also set up a program to sell its used motor oil through a qualified recycling agent.

In addition to recycling waste, Letterkenny reduced the amount of waste it generates. Since the beginning of FY 2005, the depot has eliminated the use of any new chemical formulations containing methylene chloride, trichloroethylene and other hazardous chemicals. As a result, the depot met its environmental management system goal of reducing use of hazardous chemicals in existing products by 75 percent.

Aggressive waste elimination and management with Lean process improvements is netting Letterkenny Army Depot big savings in production time, impact on the environment and dollars. The Lean manufacturing production methods combined with environmental initiatives save the depot almost $15 million per year. Improvements made to the existing manufacturing facilities and the incorporation of Lean manufacturing approaches produce real world results vital to the success of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. As the Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for Air Defense and Tactical Missile Systems, Letterkenny civilian professionals continue a 60 year tradition of providing critical support to the Army.

Army Superior Unit Award

The Army Superior Unit Award was recently presented to Letterkenny for outstanding meritorious performance of a unit during peacetime (defined as any period during which wartime or combat awards are not authorized in that area) in a difficult and challenging mission under extraordinary circumstances. The unit must display such outstanding devotion and superior performance of exceptionally difficult tasks to set it apart from and above other units with similar missions.

Related Links
www.aec.army.mil
www.grainger.com/mfg

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