AGCO Jackson, Minn., manufacturing’s use of innovative, Glass
assisted-reality technology generates significant business, quality and
process improvements
DULUTH, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 11, 2017--
AGCO Jackson Operations, the Minnesota-based manufacturing center for AGCO
Corporation (NYSE:AGCO), a worldwide distributor and manufacturer of
agricultural equipment, is the first agricultural manufacturer to
receive the AME Excellence Award presented by the Association
for Manufacturing Excellence (AME). The Jackson facility
manufactures complex, custom-configured Challenger®
and Massey
Ferguson® agricultural machines, including tractors and
application equipment. The 2017 AME Excellence Award was presented Oct.
10 at the AME 2017 International Conference in Boston, Mass.
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AGCO Corporation is the only agricultural manufacturer to receive the AME Excellence Award. Adoption of advanced technology such as Glass assisted reality at AGCO'sJackson, Minn., manufacturing center is one aspect of the company's efforts that led to the recognition from the Association for Manufacturing Excellence. (Photo: Business Wire)
AGCO was chosen based upon the company’s work converting the Jackson
facility to a mixed model line and the quality, efficiency and
productivity improvements that resulted in just over two years.
Empowering employees, adopting new tools and integrating innovative
technology using Glass, an assisted-reality, wearable headset device,
are key factors leading to the success. AGCO is the only agricultural
equipment manufacturer to use Glass technology in its manufacturing
processes.
“AGCO is proud to be an innovator and thought leader in the production
of agricultural equipment, and we’re honored to be recognized as the
first agricultural company to receive this award,” says Peggy Gulick,
AGCO’s director of business process improvement. “The machines we
manufacture are built to order, and rarely are two exactly alike. In
fact, with our mixed model production approach, an employee may build an
engine assembly in the morning and turn to an applicator later in the
day.
“For our workers, Glass provides instant access to parts lists, assembly
instructions, quality checkpoints and other work instructions for the
specific machine on the line at that time. No one else in the
agricultural equipment industry is utilizing this technology the way
AGCO is, and the results have been phenomenal,” she adds. Mixed model
lines also can present difficulties in part stocking, setup, skills and
training, Gulick pointed out as she detailed AGCO’s best practices for
lean and continuous improvement during a presentation at the AME
conference.
Significant Quality Improvements
The new state-of-the-art assembly line with in-process quality testing,
and the use of Glass implemented in the past two years, resulted in a 40
percent improvement in early-hour repair frequency for the tractors and
applicators manufactured in Jackson. Other improvements achieved within
the facility include a 30 percent reduction in inspection times, a 25
percent reduction in production time for low-volume, high-complexity
assemblies and the ability to train staff 300 percent faster. Today,
AGCO has more than 100 pairs of Glass deployed at the Jackson plant and
has begun integrating Glass into other facilities around the world.
Empowered Employees Integral to Success
The AME Excellence Award is sponsored by the Association for
Manufacturing Excellence. The award involves a rigorous selection
process that begins with an extensive achievement report to demonstrate
continuous improvement, best practices, creativity and innovation in
manufacturing. Manufacturing facilities then are further evaluated
through an extensive site visit during which the achievement report is
validated. In selecting AGCO Jackson Operations for the award, AME
evaluators commended AGCO’s employees and their continual drive toward
operational excellence.
“Our employees take great pride in their work and in producing a quality
product, and they see many time-saving, step-saving and process
improvement benefits from Glass,” explains Eric Fisher, general manager,
operations in Jackson. “They’ve embraced this technology and continue to
identify additional ways to improve on the production floor. Everyone on
the Jackson team is empowered to find better solutions to drive higher
quality in our products and processes, and their efforts are certainly
having an impact on our results.”
For more information about manufacturing innovations at AGCO, visit https://news.agcocorp.com/news/glass,
https://youtu.be/xIkPb4fsb54,
or to learn more about the Excellence Award, visit www.ame.org/excellence-awards.
Tags:AGCO, Challenger, Massey Ferguson, RoGator/TerraGator,
North America, Technology, Tractors & Implements
©2017 AGCO Corporation. Massey Ferguson is a worldwide brand of AGCO.
Challenger is a registered trademark of Caterpillar Inc. and is used
under license by AGCO.
About AGCO
AGCO (NYSE:AGCO) is a global leader in the
design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural solutions and
supports more productive farming through its full line of equipment and
related services. AGCO products are sold through five core brands,
Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey
Ferguson® and Valtra®, supported by Fuse®
precision technologies and farm optimization services, and are
distributed globally through a combination of over 3,000 independent
dealers and distributors in more than 150 countries. Founded in 1990,
AGCO is headquartered in Duluth, GA, USA. In 2016, AGCO had net sales of
approximately $7.4 billion. For more information, visit http://www.AGCOcorp.com.
For company news, information and events, please follow us on Twitter:
@AGCOCorp. For financial news on Twitter, please follow the hashtag
#AGCOIR.
About the Association for Manufacturing Excellence
The
Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) is the premier
not-for-profit organization dedicated to the journey of continuous
improvement and enterprise excellence. AME’s membership is composed of a
trusted network of volunteers who are committed to leveraging the
practitioner-to-practitioner and company-to-company shared-learning
experience. Through engaging workshops, plant tours, webinars, summits
and industry-leading conferences, AME members are continually
discovering and implementing new, continuous improvement strategies and
best practices. Join AME in leading the “Renaissance of Manufacturing in
North America.” For more information, visit http://www.ame.org
or email info@ame.org.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171011005980/en/
Source: AGCO Corporation
AGCO Corporation
Meghann McNally, 770-232-8138
Meghann.McNally@AGCOcorp.com
or
Dee
Weeda Communications
Dee Weeda, 641-344-0757
dee@deeweedacomm.com
