Aces Pumps

5S and TWI Implementation

About

Ace Pump Corporation was established in 1945 and is a privately owned and managed company located in Memphis, TN. Ace Pump Corporation provides pumping solutions for the chemical application, off-highway equipment, air conditioning, and refrigeration markets. Ace pumps serve a variety of functions in industry today including: crop sprayers, concrete trucks, asphalt milling machines, anti-icing trucks, turf sprayers, and more.

The Challenge

Ace Pump is facing significant competitor pricing pressure in domestic markets and would like to expand export business.  The company is interested in growth, continued improvement, and recognizes the value of continued learning as well as the unbiased advice which can be offered from outside experts.  They have not been utilizing training provided in the past and recognize that they have a need for refresher training.  Ace Pump requested UT CIS propose training and implementation assistance in lean manufacturing techniques.  UT CIS proposed training and implementation assistance in the areas of 5S and Visual Controls, TWI, Lean Certificate, Problem Solving, and Kaizen facilitation.

MEP's Role

Ace Pump selected two of the five proposals from UT CIS. UT CIS provided training in all three modules of TWI (job instruction, job methods, and job relations) to key supervisors.  The training included practical exercises and assignments which required that Supervision practice the skills on real problems. TWI is designed to facilitate onboarding, help provide standard work, and identify areas for improvement. Training and implementation assistance was provided for a system of 5S and visual controls in a for a team in a pilot area to set a foundation for improvement opportunities in the areas of productivity, quality, safety, and worker engagement.  The pilot area served as a model for the balance of the facility.

Results

As a combined result of implementing a 5S program and introducing the TWI process Ace Pump experienced the following.

  • Increased sales of $1,000,000.
  • Added one employee
  • Retained two employees who would not have been needed due to lower than required sales.
  • Reduced overall operating costs by $40,000 annually.