Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies Executive Challenges Manufacturers to Evolve to the next Level of Lean Manufacturing

PLYMOUTH, Mich., June 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1990, research wizards Jim Womack, Daniel Jones, and Daniel Roos penned a book called "The Machine That Changed the World" that helped launch a lean revolution on manufacturing plant floors across America. The treatise, which made lean manufacturing a global phenomenon, spawned widespread industrial changes built on a foundation of reducing waste through programs like Six Sigma, 3P and Kaizen projects.

But 25 years after the fact, have American manufacturers plateaued when it comes to efficiency and lean?

That is the question Dr. Theodore G. Duclos, president, Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies, will explore in his keynote address at Frost and Sullivan's 11^th annual Manufacturing Leadership Conference in Carlsbad, Calif. on June 3. Duclos will help play host to some of the industry's most innovative executives at the conference and will challenge them to pursue a new paradigm in lean manufacturing to keep the concept vital and relevant.

"Lean manufacturing is as critical as ever, and yet we are reaching the limits of the efficiencies we can expect to achieve because of the capital investments and processes we rely upon," Duclos pointed out. "We need to rethink lean, take it to the next level. And, frankly, that next level should be to look at the control of the manufacturing processes at scales smaller than one piece flow."

Duclos will introduce his audience to the idea that sustainable manufacturing should mimic biological processes to produce products from the materials in the environment. Although manufacturers have achieved tremendous gains in waste reduction and efficiency using lean programs like Six Sigma and 3P, limitations in the supply chain and plant floor capital have made ongoing gains increasingly hard to achieve. By adopting processes that simulate natural methods, companies can streamline their industrial organizations to become the leanest systems possible.

Ultimately, Duclos notes, manufacturing facilities may one day turn to the natural environment for inspiration in the entire production process of raw materials to finished goods. The raw materials to make seals, for example, are found in abundance in the environment and the capture of CO₂, its conversion to methane and the polymerization of methane right at the production site will result in an extremely lean and sustainable closed loop production cycle.

"It is important to talk about manufacturing and sustainability together because the future of manufacturing in the very long run depends on us developing a sustainable manufacturing model," Duclos highlights. "There are many opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint. We need to look more closely at our surroundings for ideas."

The Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC), part of Frost & Sullivan, offers an integrated portfolio of leadership networking, information and professional development products, programs, and services for industrial executives worldwide. MLC's mission is to help senior executives define and shape a better future for themselves, their organizations and the industry at large. MLC's portfolio consists of: the Manufacturing Leadership Community website, an online global business network; the Manufacturing Leadership Council, an invitation-only executive organization; the annual Manufacturing Leadership Summit conference; the Manufacturing Leadership Awards program; and the Manufacturing Leadership Journal. For more information, visit: http://www.gilcommunity.com.

About Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies
Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies is the Americas joint venture between Freudenberg and Co. in Germany and NOK Corp. in Japan. Freudenberg-NOK is a leading producer of advanced sealing technologies for a variety of markets including: aerospace; agriculture; appliance; automotive; construction; diesel engine; energy; food and beverage; heavy industry; and pharmaceutical. Founded in 1989 under the legal name Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership, Freudenberg-NOK is headquartered in Plymouth, Mich. and operates more than 20 facilities. For additional information, please visit www.fnst.com.

About Frost & Sullivan:
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SOURCE Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies

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