CHILLICOTHE, Ohio, March 15, 2019 – The Kenworth Chillicothe (Ohio) assembly plant recently received a 2019 Manufacturing Leadership Award for its successful, continuous improvement paint project, which implemented innovative protective coverings that further enhanced paint quality and increased operational efficiency in the paint process. The award was presented by the Manufacturing Leadership Council of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).
To capture an award in the Operational Excellence category, the Kenworth Chillicothe team used Six Sigma lean manufacturing principles to achieve measurable positive results, cut costs and waste, streamline and increase manufacturing performance, and improve overall equipment effectiveness.
“This award is quite an accomplishment for the employee team at Kenworth Chillicothe. We work closely with our suppliers to develop world class manufacturing processes that support production of the World’s Best trucks,” said Judy McTigue, Kenworth assistant general manager for operations.
“Our employees are dedicated to building the industry’s highest quality heavy duty trucks here at the Chillicothe plant. Our manufacturing engineering and quality teams implement innovative continuous initiatives improvement programs focused on delivering enhanced quality for fleets and truck operators,” said Rod Spencer, Kenworth Chillicothe plant manager.
Kenworth jointly developed foamed-backed custom hard covers with its partner HardGuard. The covers use “cling pod” technology for securing them to the exterior body panels of Kenworth trucks during the paint process. Once installed, the covers provided added protection of the painted surface starting at the forward edge of the cab door through to the, sleeper exit, and tool box doors.
A second type of protective cover – jointly developed with partner AGI Systems – utilizes a new patented polyurethane-based material that can be custom molded to any component. The covers provide increased component protection during critical assembly processes.
The Manufacturing Leadership Awards were formerly presented by the Frost & Sullivan Frost Manufacturing Leadership Council before moving to NAM.
Kenworth’s plants in Chillicothe, Ohio, and Renton, Wash. both have earned the prestigious International Standards Organization (ISO) 14001:2015 certification for effective environmental management systems established to help build Class 8 trucks in an environmentally sustainable manner. Kenworth’s medium duty products are produced at the PACCAR Ste. Thérèse, Quebec, manufacturing facility, which also holds ISO 14001:2015 status.
