newsletter - Elmo Rietschle

Successful projects
The comprehensive FIP Project was
launched in April 2006 with the relocation
activities of Wittig Transport business to
Bradford in England. Two years later, after
completion of the electrical installations in
the new research lab, the project was finally
concluded at the end of March 2008.
Johann-Sutter-Straße
Assembly of the first twin-shaft machines
was commenced here in January 2007. After
further comprehensive structural alterations
and moving work, mechanical production
commenced with processing of the first cast
parts around mid-2007. Guided by the principles
of lean manufacturing, pre-requisites
for a smooth, streamlined material flow for
the production of twin-shaft machines (PD II)
were realized in Johann-Sutter-Straße. Full
procedures for operative procurement, production,
assembly, test stands, paint shop
and dispatch for the twin-shaft machines are
all located in a single block of buildings. The
service division, apart from the repair section,
was also relocated to Johann-Sutter-
Straße. The PD II works management, the
service offices and the Industrial Engineering
Division are all accommodated on the office
floor, renovated to create a congenial working
atmosphere.
Roggenbachstraße
Comprehensive building measures and
moving activities also commenced in the
Roggenbachstraße in the spring of 2007
with the relocation of processing centers.
Combining mechanical production and the
assembly of single-shaft machines (PD I) in
one part of the building (Eastern Hall) created
ideal conditions for lean manufacturing.
focus | August 2008 | 12
Factory Improvement Project (FIP)
Project Manager Friedrich Justen, DEng., outlines the final results of the project.
Friedrich Justen, Doctor of Engineering
Factory Improvement Project (FIP)
Project Manager
Formerly GF Wittig
Project launch: April 2006
to March 2007 Integration Manager
since 1 March 2007 Engineering Director
from 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007
Submitted the FIP Project
As in Johann-Sutter-Straße, procurement,
production, assembly, test stands, painting
and dispatch will all be concentrated in
a single building here. The lab moved from
the basement to the first floor of Western Hall,
which used to house the processing centers.
A new, spacious development lab for displacers
was set up here.
Some of the office divisions were also
affected. The Finance/Controlling departments
are now on the second floor of the
blower production facility in Grienmatt. The
Purchase Department now occupies the former
offices of the Finance/Controlling Department
in Roggenbachstrasse, and the Commercial
Dispatch Department moved to the
premises formerly occupied by the Purchase
Department. This castling has enabled the
QM/QS Department to jointly use the former
office of the Dispatch Department. The
entire Engineering Department for displacers
is now located on the 3rd and 4th floors in
the Roggenbachstraße. The staff council
changed sides in the shift, from the railway
to the road side. Only Human Ressources
remained where it has always been.
Grienmatt
In Grienmatt, in the systems area (casting
building), the Wittig systems were integrated
into the assembly and the office premises.
Medical technology assembly from France
was also integrated here.
AirCenter assembly has been moved from
the casting building to the blower production
facility. The PLZ AirCenter and the dynamic
type machines were combined and moved to
the former lab.
In the L-shaped building in Grienmatt, offices
for corporate employees were made available
on the 2nd floor in the former customer
service offices. A showroom was also established
here. During the course of this year the
archives distributed until now from Schopfheim
are to be combined to a central archive
on this floor.