Optimizing the Finishing Process at Saint-Gobain

The Students:
Aidan Eldridge ’25, MS ’25; Lauren Mitcheson ’25, MS ’25; Abigail Stack ’25, MS ’25; and Sean Sullivan ’25, MS ’25

The Advisor:
Walter Towner, teaching professor, The Business School

Background:
It’s no small task to increase the productivity of a manufacturing line. But that’s what four students set out to do for global company Saint-Gobain. The team members focused on improving the finishing processes on a production line in Worcester that makes large, circular abrasive wheels for cutting steel and other hard materials.

From the team’s final report: “The objective of this project was to collect data, identify bottlenecks, and develop solutions to improve the efficiency of the finishing process of the Large Diameter Cut-off (LDCO) wheels at Saint-Gobain. This project informed Saint-Gobain on the feasibility of integrating automation into their LDCO finishing line and ultimately reduce waste in the finishing process. Saint-Gobain’s LDCO wheels require a finishing operation to ream the inner diameter, add pin holes, smooth the outer diameter, ensure the wheel is balanced, and speed test the wheel. Not all LDCO wheels go through every step of this process.”

Methodology:
From the team’s final report: “During this project, our team utilized value-stream mapping, axiomatic design, the implementation of Lean Six Sigma principles, time-studies, 5S, facilities planning, and a time-value of money analysis.”

Outcome:
The students, all of whom graduated this year with BS degrees in Industrial Engineering plus MS degrees in Business fields, proposed steps such as adding laser technology, organizing tools, and standardizing operating procedures to make the line more efficient. The team estimated their proposed changes could increase production and revenue for Saint-Gobain. “It was really cool. All the concepts we used in this project were concepts we had learned in courses,” says Mitcheson. Adds Eldridge, “Almost everything we suggested, Saint-Gobain is trying out.”