AGCO Jackson, Minn., manufacturing’s use of
innovative, Glass assisted-reality technology generates significant
business, quality and process improvements
AGCO Jackson Operations, the Minnesota-based manufacturing
center for AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO), a worldwide distributor
and manufacturer of agricultural equipment, is the first
agricultural manufacturer to receive the AME Excellence Award
presented by the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME).
The Jackson facility manufactures complex, custom-configured
Challenger® and Massey Ferguson® agricultural machines, including
tractors and application equipment. The 2017 AME Excellence Award
was presented Oct. 10 at the AME 2017 International Conference in
Boston, Mass.
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AGCO Corporation is the only agricultural
manufacturer to receive the AME Excellence Award. Adoption of
advanced technology such as Glass assisted reality at AGCO's
Jackson, Minn., manufacturing center is one aspect of the company's
efforts that led to the recognition from the Association for
Manufacturing Excellence. (Photo: Business Wire)
AGCO was chosen based upon the company’s work converting the
Jackson facility to a mixed model line and the quality, efficiency
and productivity improvements that resulted in just over two years.
Empowering employees, adopting new tools and integrating innovative
technology using Glass, an assisted-reality, wearable headset
device, are key factors leading to the success. AGCO is the only
agricultural equipment manufacturer to use Glass technology in its
manufacturing processes.
“AGCO is proud to be an innovator and thought leader in the
production of agricultural equipment, and we’re honored to be
recognized as the first agricultural company to receive this
award,” says Peggy Gulick, AGCO’s director of business process
improvement. “The machines we manufacture are built to order, and
rarely are two exactly alike. In fact, with our mixed model
production approach, an employee may build an engine assembly in
the morning and turn to an applicator later in the day.
“For our workers, Glass provides instant access to parts lists,
assembly instructions, quality checkpoints and other work
instructions for the specific machine on the line at that time. No
one else in the agricultural equipment industry is utilizing this
technology the way AGCO is, and the results have been phenomenal,”
she adds. Mixed model lines also can present difficulties in part
stocking, setup, skills and training, Gulick pointed out as she
detailed AGCO’s best practices for lean and continuous improvement
during a presentation at the AME conference.
Significant Quality Improvements
The new state-of-the-art assembly line with in-process quality
testing, and the use of Glass implemented in the past two years,
resulted in a 40 percent improvement in early-hour repair frequency
for the tractors and applicators manufactured in Jackson. Other
improvements achieved within the facility include a 30 percent
reduction in inspection times, a 25 percent reduction in production
time for low-volume, high-complexity assemblies and the ability to
train staff 300 percent faster. Today, AGCO has more than 100 pairs
of Glass deployed at the Jackson plant and has begun integrating
Glass into other facilities around the world.
Empowered Employees Integral to Success
The AME Excellence Award is sponsored by the Association for
Manufacturing Excellence. The award involves a rigorous selection
process that begins with an extensive achievement report to
demonstrate continuous improvement, best practices, creativity and
innovation in manufacturing. Manufacturing facilities then are
further evaluated through an extensive site visit during which the
achievement report is validated. In selecting AGCO Jackson
Operations for the award, AME evaluators commended AGCO’s employees
and their continual drive toward operational excellence.
“Our employees take great pride in their work and in producing a
quality product, and they see many time-saving, step-saving and
process improvement benefits from Glass,” explains Eric Fisher,
general manager, operations in Jackson. “They’ve embraced this
technology and continue to identify additional ways to improve on
the production floor. Everyone on the Jackson team is empowered to
find better solutions to drive higher quality in our products and
processes, and their efforts are certainly having an impact on our
results.”
For more information about manufacturing innovations at AGCO,
visit https://news.agcocorp.com/news/glass,
https://youtu.be/xIkPb4fsb54, or to learn more about the Excellence
Award, visit www.ame.org/excellence-awards.
Tags: AGCO, Challenger, Massey Ferguson,
RoGator/TerraGator, North America, Technology, Tractors &
Implements
©2017 AGCO Corporation. Massey Ferguson is a worldwide brand of
AGCO. Challenger is a registered trademark of Caterpillar Inc. and
is used under license by AGCO.
About AGCOAGCO (NYSE:AGCO) is a global leader in the
design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural solutions and
supports more productive farming through its full line of equipment
and related services. AGCO products are sold through five core
brands, Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey Ferguson® and Valtra®,
supported by Fuse® precision technologies and farm optimization
services, and are distributed globally through a combination of
over 3,000 independent dealers and distributors in more than 150
countries. Founded in 1990, AGCO is headquartered in Duluth, GA,
USA. In 2016, AGCO had net sales of approximately $7.4 billion. For
more information, visit http://www.AGCOcorp.com. For company
news, information and events, please follow us on Twitter:
@AGCOCorp. For financial news on Twitter, please follow the hashtag
#AGCOIR.
About the Association for Manufacturing ExcellenceThe
Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) is the premier
not-for-profit organization dedicated to the journey of continuous
improvement and enterprise excellence. AME’s membership is composed
of a trusted network of volunteers who are committed to leveraging
the practitioner-to-practitioner and company-to-company
shared-learning experience. Through engaging workshops, plant
tours, webinars, summits and industry-leading conferences, AME
members are continually discovering and implementing new,
continuous improvement strategies and best practices. Join AME in
leading the “Renaissance of Manufacturing in North America.” For
more information, visit http://www.ame.org or email
info@ame.org.
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AGCO CorporationMeghann McNally,
770-232-8138Meghann.McNally@AGCOcorp.comorDee Weeda
CommunicationsDee Weeda, 641-344-0757dee@deeweedacomm.com
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