Project Details
[Return to Previous Page]Optimization of drill product line at Latrobe PA plant (real business impact & in person visit!)
Company: Hyperion Materials and Technologies
Major(s):
Primary: IE
Secondary: CMPSC
Optional: CMPEN, EE, ME
Non-Disclosure Agreement: YES
Intellectual Property: YES
Description: > Hyperion Materials and Technologies is a global leader in the production of advanced hard materials. We have facilities in 19 countries and have a portfolio of 50K products. > As part of the capstone project, you will be working on our drill product line within our Precision Solution business, which combines materials science and engineering expertise with manufacturing, grinding, and finishing services to offer precise finished components made from hard and super-hard materials for business application. We produce drill products at our Aggressive Grinding plant based in Latrobe, PA and expect a significant increase in demand, so we are proactively seeking to reduce the current cycle time (i.e. the time it takes an item to complete all production steps) by as much as 50%. > Achieving this goal is expected to generate substantial cost savings and unlock new revenue opportunities, directly impacting our bottom line and customer satisfaction. > We would like a team of Penn State students to help us develop a simulation of our production environment to enable the testing and analysis of different scenarios that could reduce cycle time of production. We are open to the students developing various solutions to achieve this, including automation. > In addition, to testing solutions to reduce overall lead time, we would like the students to research and assess the feasibility and ROI of introducing machine tending automation to centerless grinding machines. > This project offers a unique opportunity to work on a real-world challenge with tangible business impact. Students will receive hands on experience through visiting the plant, collecting the data required, and building a model from the ground up - contributing directly to the future of our operations. Deliverables: > Simulated model of current state > Scenario analysis and recommendations on an improved future state > Defined data requirements and data collection approach for simulated model > A roadmap for future improvement phases > Market study, recommendation, testing, and economic analysis of machine tending automation
