NJMEP Helps Triangle Tube to Streamline Production Operations
Triangle Tube/Phase III Co. of Blackwood, New Jersey manufactures and
assembles a variety of condensing boilers, heat exchangers and hot
water heaters for residential, commercial and industrial use. The
Blackwood, New Jersey Company currently has 51 employees and generates
annual sales over $25 million.
Following an introduction via telemarketing efforts, NJMEP helped
Triangle to identify potential areas for improvement in costs, lead
times, inventory control and flow. NJMEP began by assessing the
existing operation and then devised and presented a solution design,
which incorporated Lean Awareness education, Value Stream Mapping, 5S,
Cellular, Pull, SMED and Lean Administration. Triangle’s staff and
associates were actively involved for the project’s duration, while the
NJMEP field agent provided project coordination, follow-up support and
implementation support. Positive Impact Associates was the third-party
resource.
The project was launched in January 2004 and concluded in May 2005, by
which time Triangle was able to significantly reduce WIP in various
areas; drastically cut lead times; increase production efficiencies;
and reduce scheduling problems. For example, direct fired WIP were
reduced from 16 units to two units, and lead times in the heat
exchanger department were cut from two weeks to two days.
As a result of the aforementioned improvements, the company was able to
meet all customer requirements. Triangle reduced overtime and its
associated costs; and decreased inventory carrying costs and
non-productive floor space that had been used for storage.
Triangle plans to continue working with NJMEP to devise and implement a
“phase two” Lean Plan to incorporate the balance of its product lines
and address waste in its operations.
“We are very pleased with the results in the Direct Fired Department,
where the output meets our goals, as well as in the Coil Department,
where we have implemented the new layout,” commented Daniel Lasserre,
Triangle Chairman and CEO. “The process flow is much smoother and more
logical than what we used for so many years,” he continued. “The
work-in-process inventory of coil bundles piling up everywhere has all
but disappeared,” Lasserre concluded.
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