Kenworth’s Chillicothe, Ohio and Renton, Washington assembly plants recently received 2021 Manufacturing Leadership Awards in Engineering & Production Technology. The awards were presented by the Manufacturing Leadership Council of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).
The new DC electric, tension-control fastener is more reliable, helping streamline and support more efficient manufacturing.
Kenworth Chillicothe was honored for its Tension Control Tooling Improvement project. The plant’s project team upgraded the torque fastener tool to achieve enhanced efficiency for the 5th wheel installations in Kenworth Class 8 trucks.
For this project, the team partnered with Atlas Copco to develop a direct-current (DC) electric, tension-control fastener that’s reportedly the first of its kind in the fastener industry. The DC tension-control fastener is streamlining the manufacturing process.
The new tooling technologies used in this fastener are now expected to be used at all Kenworth assembly plants.
“Our manufacturing engineering and quality teams constantly seek new solutions to enhance our world-class manufacturing processes,” said Chris Davis, Kenworth Chillicothe plant manager. “Our top priority is to deliver Kenworth trucks that will provide years of productive service for fleets and truck operators.”
Kenworth Renton was also recognized for its Sealed Beam Headlamp Aimer project. The plant’s project team developed custom tooling to enhance efficiency for the installation of headlamps in Kenworth legacy models.
It partnered with Washington State University (WSU) senior-year mechanical and electrical engineering students as part of their capstone project. Together, the Kenworth engineers and WSU students created new tools that provide a significant time savings for headlamp installation.
The Renton plant used 3D printing technology during final design processes to make replacement parts for the new tools both cost effective and readily available.
A new tool, develpped by Kenworth and WSU students, for safer and easier headlight installations.
“This award-winning project was an excellent example of cooperation between industry and education. The Washington State University students worked closely with our project team and made a significant contribution producing real-world results that increased production line efficiency,” said Darrin Child, Kenworth Renton plant manager.
Kenworth’s plants in Chillicothe and Renton have both 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.
“These two prestigious NAM Manufacturing Leadership awards for operational excellence are a special tribute to the employees at the Kenworth Chillicothe and Renton plants,” said Judy McTigue, Kenworth assistant GM for operations. “Our employees are dedicated to achieving enhanced quality and productivity with the goal of providing The World’s Best trucks to our customers.”
Filed Under: Fastening + joining