Nippon Steel Pipe America
Seymour, Indiana
Nippon Steel Pipe America (NSPA) has been an industry leader in producing stainless and carbon steel tubes for the automotive industry since 1989. NSPA is equipped with four High-Frequency Weld Mills, Cold Draw (DOM), Cutting, Chamfering, and Forming capabilities at one facility. This gives NSPA an edge to produce quickly and maximize product flow for our customers. NSPA is committed to being innovative and applying leading technology to improve safety, quality, and production. NSPA’s mission is to provide superior steel products and value-added services that ensure our customer’s success.
Situation:
The current labor shortage has put a strain on all companies as well as NSPA. Therefore, NSPA was looking to increase training that would give our associates a broad view of manufacturing disciplines. Our idea was to involve associates across different departments and disciplines from within the factory with the hope that they would apply the training to their own areas. We also hoped as each associate went through the training and exercises of various disciplines of manufacturing, they would gain perspective from how other departments view or utilize these manufacturing principles.
Solution:
Purdue MEP provided training with very experienced instructors for the following topics: skills for success, print reading for manufacturing, measurement for manufacturing, quality tools and techniques, 5-S the visual workplace, problem solving: PCDA, A3, and root cause analysis, critical thinking, and OSHA-10 general industry.
Results:
Eighteen NSPA associates from nine different departments completed Purdue MEP’s Manufacturing Skills for Success training program. This training series was funded through Gov. Holcomb’s Next Level Jobs – Workforce Ready Grant saving NSPA over $20,000. Several projects have already taken place because of the knowledge gained from this training mainly in the areas of 5-S and Safety. These changes will bolster improved productivity and cost reduction within our facility.
Additionally, we hoped for a teambuilding aspect by having the different departments go through the training together. This has gone better than expected. There is definitely a greater sense of teamwork among the attendees of this program which has increased collaboration and morale.
Results metrics:
- 18 employees from 9 different departments completed the Manufacturing Skills for Success training program
- Saved over $20,000 in training costs through the Next Level Jobs - Workforce Ready Grant
- Improved productivity and cost reduction
- Increased teamwork, collaboration, and morale throughout the organization
“Purdue MEP gave us a great introduction to many useful tools for success in the workplace. The 5S section alone has helped us introduce many 5S cleaning stations and tool shadow boards to our work areas.”
- Michael Wells, Cold Draw Supervisor, Nippon Steel Pipe America
