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  #GloryAndDignity - How the Manufacturing Industry is Being Lifted by Everyday Actions

  Bringing #GloryandDignity back to manufacturing. It’s an aspirational concept, one that you might not associate with manufacturing. We see it every day, though, through the companies that share their stories with us when they visit our facility or our colleagues at trade events. The goal of lifting our industry to a higher standard by giving back to the community and to employees might not be intrinsic to all leaders - yet, more and more, we see shining examples of our friends in this business doing just that. The Seating Matters team is generating tools and resources to save lives before and after pressure injuries through an Injury Prevention Program aimed at correct seating, training, maintenance and education of staff. BCI is providing high-quality packaging solutions to their customers through a system of creating meaningful employment and skills training for 250 adults with disabilities. A structure of independent and interdependent teams at Vibco allows individuals valued for their strengths to complement and grow with each other while working toward the same mission. FastCap continues to share their own manufacturing improvement ideas through 2 Second Lean ...

• Restoring Glory and Dignity to U.S. Manufacturing

  For those of us working in an office, a manufacturing plant, a warehouse or a commercial retail environment, we spend about 2,350  hours a year at work.    As you reflect on your own working hours annually, think about how that might compare to the time you get to spend with your family.   For the M-F working adult, this generally leaves about 2,350 hours with your family after work M-F and Saturday-Sunday to be present as a father, mother, sister, brother, daughter or son.  While the percentages may vary greatly by individual, the amount of time one spends at work is significant.  Being fulfilled at work through accomplishment and influence has been shown to translate into positive energy at home.  Conversely, plodding, struggling and frustration at work without influence to make needed changes, results in people carrying negative energy and stress home to their families and or friends.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7wd9LDJxLU Cambridge Engineering, Inc. exists to glorify God by enriching the life of every person we touch.   We are working hard to build a better experience for people that we meet each day at ...

• FIX WHAT BUGS YOUR CUSTOMER - Getting LEAN beyond the manufacturing floor

  During a recent visit in Rhode Island, a customer and friend of our organization complained about the features of our WiFi thermostat and Iphone App. He just didn’t like the interface with the control application. He struggled with understanding if the HVAC equipment was running and he didn’t like not being able to program the system settings directly from the Iphone App. Our phone interface bugged him. What happens when our customer’s get repeatedly frustrated with experiencing our product, services or people? You know the answer. They’ll be gone. We have been learning and growing in our LEAN journey at Cambridge. My key learning has come in the form of exposure to the energy and passion of our Operations staff for documented improvements in our plant. I’ve been drawn into the LEAN vortex in operations because of our people and their commitment to improving things every day. Unfortunately, the passion for LEAN has not translated to the same awesome level of enthusiasm and commitment beyond the factory floor. Like many in the sales, the customer service and the marketing departments, ...

• Recognizing the Complexity of Industrial HVAC, Process Manufacturing, and Process Requirements

  Industrial facilities today don’t have to be new in order to be efficient Leading facility owners and operators are retrofitting existing facilities into models of efficiency and sustainability. Industrial facility retrofits are investments in efficient technologies that span all facility systems, including lighting, facility envelope, and HVAC. While most facility owners still pursue single technology improvements, market leaders bundle together energy saving technologies in a more comprehensive approach to get deeper savings and greater lifecycle value.     Challenges for facility leaders are complex Facility leaders recognize that industrial retrofits are largely about managing risk. Each facility project is unique and distinctive. Implementing a retrofit while protecting the production capabilities within the operation creates high visibility and requires a very clearly defined plan. Minimizing and eliminating all business interruption is always a top priority. It is also essential to protect the organization and meet or exceed all regulatory mandates to ensure safety for people. Facilities leaders seek trusted advisors and working arrangements that are in sync with all regulatory guidelines for facility compliance. This complexity can result in a built-in resistance to efficiency retrofits ...
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  Seating Matters Comes to Visit

  This post was guest-written by our friend in lean and life, Martin Tierney, from Seating Matters in Northern Ireland. In case you missed it, you can experience the amazing things Martin and his team are doing with lean in our blog post.   I recently visited Cambridge engineering to learn from their awesome team following their visit to Seating Matters in Ireland. We, too, are in manufacturing and wished to visit Cambridge to learn how they’ve implemented lean, developed their culture of respect and care for their colleagues and grown a successful business as a result.  This video only gives 5% (or less!) of the lessons I took away from visiting Cambridge. Their unique blend of hard work, creativity, respect for people, clever project management and an impressive drive for growth is something that cannot be bottled into a 5 minute clip.  They are truly bringing glory and dignity back to manufacturing. Their people and their leadership have created something truly special.  

• Is it “Heating & Ventilating Technology” or “Ventilating and Heating Technology?” That is the Question!

  As our clients navigate HVAC system design for high bay facilities such as distribution centers or industrial manufacturing plants, they are often asked to recommend a design that accomplishes 3 key deliverables. 1.) Meet variable ventilation requirements 2.) Meet heating requirements / (Consider air load and conductive load and comfort requirements) 3.) Evaluate redundancy to eliminate production and/or service interruptions As a manufacturer of high efficiency heating technologies (S-Series, SA-Series, Infrared) and ventilating technologies (M-Series, M-Series w/Cooling) we first seek understanding regarding how the building will be operated in order to recommend a heating platform, a ventilation platform, or both. While the core technologies are both 100% outside air, direct fired gas heaters, there are differences in system performance that will impact EE (energy efficiency), thermal comfort, and system installation cost. When there is a high level of CFM being exhausted due to processes inside a manufacturing facility, making up that building air loss with mechanical ventilation or inbound CFM is critical to balancing the air load of the building. Direct Fired Make-Up air systems with variable air ...