GA Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) Georgia Tech

Kia Plant Tour Drives Student Interest Towards Careers in the Automotive Industry

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In April, a group of Georgia Tech students had the opportunity to tour the Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) automotive plant, an impressive facility spanning over 2,300,000 square feet located in West Point, Georgia. Hosted by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Atlanta Section, the tour provided students with an in-depth look into KMMG’s history and manufacturing process for the three Kia models produced in the plant: The Optima, Sorento, and most recently the Telluride, which debuted in spring of 2019.

Mike Stonecipher of GaMEP at Georgia Tech, Joy Johnston and Ted Arnold of KMMG welcome Georgia Tech students to the Kia Plant 

Before witnessing the plant’s assembly line in action, the students met with KMMG employees, Ted Arnold, Head of Quality Assurance, and Joy Johnston, Public Relations Specialist, to learn what sets KMMG apart from other automotive manufacturers. Arnold and Johnston highlighted several of the company’s quality accolades, including its recent award for ranking number one among all mass market brands for four consecutive years. The pair was quick to credit its success and continued growth to its incredibly diverse and highly skilled workforce.

“The Kia Georgia Training Center and Georgia Quick Start have played a key part in the Kia Continuous Improvement mindset, helping us to sustain a work environment dedicated to fostering teamwork, safety, and world-class training,” said Johnston while discussing some of the company’s core values and training methods.

Following a Q&A session, the students experienced the final part of the visit and what they had been anticipating since their arrival – a golf cart tour through the different stages of the Kia assembly facility. During the tour, the students were driven through multiple buildings on-site as Johnston explained the operations performed in each one. In addition to watching employees work together on the assembly line to build vehicles, the students got a firsthand look at how the plant incorporates automation into its process. Stopping at one point in front of a group of industrial robots, the students observed how the robots welded together the inner and outer panels of a vehicle.

“Seeing the automation that surrounds the process was really interesting,” commented Reed Clark, a Georgia Tech senior majoring in mechanical engineering. “I had never been in an automotive plant before so I enjoyed seeing how the assembly line works and watching all the car bodies and parts move overhead from one area to the next until you’ve ended up with a full-blown car. It was easy for me to identify all the different steps of production as they were happening on the assembly line.”

Accompanying the group of Georgia Tech students during the tour was Mike Stonecipher, Project Manager for the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) at Georgia Tech and Board Chair for the SAE Atlanta Section. Having significant work experience within the automotive field, Stonecipher is an industry expert and has been involved with the SAE Atlanta Section for the past five years. After being named Board Chair three years ago, he has played an integral role in revitalizing the section through strong leadership and strategic plan development and execution. Generating excitement and interest in the field of automotive has been an important goal of the SAE Atlanta Section’s strategic plan. To accomplish this, the SAE Atlanta Section works with Georgia Tech and GaMEP throughout the year to develop successful events that not only increase interest within the community of students, but also champion manufacturing in the state of Georgia.

“The SAE Atlanta section is heavily involved with promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and serving the automotive industry,” Stonecipher said. “We have some of the best colleges in the world developing the next generation of engineers and leaders.  As a result, one of our objectives is to support local manufacturers and students by providing an opportunity to connect.”

The Kia Plant tour is one event choice that aligns well with the SAE Atlanta Section’s objective. According to Patrick Sands, Public Relations Manager, KMMG is excited to offer students ranging from middle school age to college level an inside look at the automotive industry as well as provide an example of an advanced manufacturing opportunity that could be available to them once they join the job market.

“During a plant tour, students are able to see up-close-and-personal the quality that Kia puts into its products,” Sands said. “We hope these tours not only inspire students to think higher of the brand, but to also consider joining the Kia team once they graduate.”

 

About Kia Motors America

Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia Motors America continues to top quality surveys and is recognized as one of the 100 Best Global Brands and 50 Best Global Green Brands by Interbrand.  Kia serves as the “Official Automotive Partner” of the NBA and offers a complete range of vehicles sold through a network of nearly 800 dealers in the U.S., including cars and SUVs proudly assembled in West Point, Georgia.*

A GR-R-REAT Consortium Event!

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Recently, the Kellogg’s Bakery in Rome, Georgia, hosted the Northwest Georgia GaMEP Advanced Manufacturing Consortium for a deep dive learning event on, “Predictive Maintenance.” The speaker, Jeff Craig, Reliability and Maintenance Professional with Fuss and O’Neill Manufacturing Solutions, presented to the group on how to create a more efficient and accurate maintenance plan using tools to collect data and monitor equipment in real time.

Jeff Craig, Reliability and Maintenance Professional with Fuss and O’Neill Manufacturing Solutions, presents to the group on how to create a more efficient and accurate maintenance plan

Then the group took a tour of the bakery, testing out monitoring tools such as thermal imaging cameras and vibration sensors, many of which were inexpensive solutions that connect to smart phones to display images or record data.

Finally, the attendees met back to discuss the “plusses and deltas” of the tour, noting great ideas and examples seen in the host plant, but also sharing suggestions and opportunities for improvement.  Paula Glover, Enterprise Engineer with Shaw Industries said, “The deep dive event allowed me to benchmark and bring several ideas back to our plant that we could use almost immediately.”

Predictive Maintenance is just one tool of the Total Productive Maintenance system (TPM.) Equipment-related problems can frequently lead to safety, quality, productivity, and customer delivery issues. TPM is a proactive approach to equipment maintenance that alleviates the stress and frustration caused by breakdowns and reactive maintenance programs, leading to higher levels of uptime/output and lower costs. Sound like something your company could use? Contact your Region Manager for more information.

Interested in networking and benchmarking with other manufacturing companies at events and tours? Find out more about our peer-to-peer learning groups or check out our events page for an upcoming opportunities.

Shun Griffin Makes her Mark in Manufacturing Leadership

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Lukisha "Shun" Griffin Headshot.

Lessons from the first female Manufacturing Leadership Certificate graduate

With ample experience in manufacturing, Lukisha T. “Shun” Griffin (pictured above) recently became the first woman to earn GaMEP at Georgia Tech’s Manufacturing Leadership Certificate. Knowing she always had a knack for working with machines, Griffin, who is currently studying Industrial Engineering at Kennesaw State University (KSU), enrolled in the program to gain the skills necessary to further her career and become a manufacturing manager.

Having worked for big names in manufacturing such as Ford Motors and Berry Plastics, Griffin came to Atlanta after being recruited by Solvay and has worked her way up in the company’s ranks ever since. Griffin’s perseverance, determination, and strong work ethic have helped her succeed in her classes with great efficiency — she completed her certificate in only nine months! Griffin credits the Manufacturing Leadership Certificate’s interactive curriculum with teaching her how to practically apply the concepts she learned to advance her career. In this interview, Griffin reflects on her experience and how it has helped shape her career thus far.

What motivated you to take the Manufacturing Certificate while simultaneously enrolled in the Industrial Engineering program at KSU?

I knew I could accomplish this goal because the Manufacturing Leadership Certificate is designed for people who are working and want to take their career to the next step. My motivation to stay the course was knowing that I need the knowledge that these programs have to offer in order to become an expert in the manufacturing industry.

What did you expect to gain by taking the program and did it meet your expectations?

I have an extensive background in manufacturing and managing daily operations from the floor. However, I knew I had a lot to learn about leadership, the dynamics around managing assignments, the different metrics needed for standard operating procedures, and checks and balances to keep companies in the green with operations and deliverables. I went in with the mindset of being a sponge, knowing that whatever they had to teach me, I needed to learn. The program taught me so much and definitely exceeded my expectations.

What did you find most valuable about the program?

Creating Metrics to Drive Performance and Best Practices in Workforce Development: Building Your Team for World Class Performance are the courses that I dove into the most. They hit home for me because I manage the logistics of inventory and assist with the weekly scheduling for our group.

How have you used what you learned in the certificate program in your current position or in your current studies?

The classes also broadened my scope of implementing and facilitating group projects while managing the work in progress (WIP) and warehouse space. The training gave me a head start on what to expect moving forward with my Industrial Engineering degree. I have also been able to create live ongoing tracking metrics that my supervisor and I use weekly to stay on top of our experiments and projects.

Where do you see yourself career-wise in the next five years?

I chose a degree in Industrial Engineering because it provides access to many other options, but the Manufacturing Leadership Certificate is what determined my decision to stay in this career field. Five years from now, I plan to be completing my Master’s in Manufacturing Leadership at Georgia Tech.

In your opinion, what does it take to be successful in the manufacturing field?

When I was a young child, my father drilled two words into me: consistency and persistence. Along my journey, I realized that you also must enjoy and have a passion for what you do. My personal opinion is, if you are consistent and persistent in working hard, complete tasks and assignments with integrity, and are open to implementing continuous improvements along the way, you’ll be successful in the manufacturing field.

Is there a moment in your career that you thought you failed, but instead it lead to something better?

Yes, I have had moments where I felt like I had failed or had become stagnant in my career. I have learned that when we don’t receive the results or the recognition that we feel we deserve or have earned from others, we charge that as failure. I have grown to view those moments as learning curves and an opportunity to take advantage of the space and time to perfect whatever project I’m working on. The approval isn’t the goal – it’s the result!

This profile is part of a month long celebration of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), in honor of International Women’s Month. View profiles of other influential women in STEM careers here.

Learn about the Manufacturing Leadership Certificate

Innovation Test Track Competition

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SAC 2018 Innovation Test Track Award Ceremony
From left, John Evans, department chair of Industrial and Systems Engineering and director of the Thomas Walter Center for Technology Management at Auburn University, the 2018 Innovation Test Track (ITT) sponsor; Mike Stonecipher, organizer and emcee of 2018 ITT and automotive industry project manager for the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) at Georgia Tech; Jack Sisk, 2017 ITT event lead and member of Auburn University’s Industrial and Systems Engineering team; Paul Noble, CEO of AUTIT and competition winner; and judges Jane (Karwoski) McCracken, interim director, Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) at Georgia Tech; Tim Yerdon, president, Plymouth Technology Advisors, LLC; Jimmy D’Emilio, procurement manager, Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia; Rusty Kruciak, 2nd Generation Capital, Nashville, and Jianan Sun, Innovation Hub Solution Architect at Mercedes-Benz USA.

The Innovation Test Track Competition is held each year during the Southern Automotive Conference and encourages companies with innovative products or services that could benefit the automotive industry to pitch their concept to a panel of judges who have a background in innovation. This year, GaMEP project manager, Mike Stonecipher, helped organize the event and served as emcee for the awards ceremony. Stonecipher said, “Each of the finalists are technology leaders and demonstrate the passion required to make transportation and manufacturing innovative, safer, and exciting.”

The winner of the event was AUTIT (now known as Verusen), an Atlanta-based startup that uses artificial intelligence to help manufacturers accurately predict inventory needs and avoid buying excess inventory.

Read the full article in Southern Automotive Alliance Magazine.

Is Online Learning the Right Fit for You?

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Is Online Learning the Right Fit for You?

Online learning is not new to education or business. Actually, according to the 2015 National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 5.5 million people participated in some form of a class that was offered online.

Start screen for an online course.

This number continues to grow, according to the Online College Student Survey. There’s been an increase in online interest and a steady growth of 1% every year since 2012 (Clinefelter & Aslanian, 2015). The research by Moore and Kearsley (2005), states that online learning is the chosen platform for learning for adults between the ages of 25-50, due to perks that include, scheduling flexibility, increased access to courses on unique topics, and lower costs.

However, when a person thinks of online learning, depending on their learning style or prior learning experiences their outlook may be one of dread or excitement. As for me, I jump at the opportunity to not being committed to attend a class at a designated day, during a designated time. I enjoy the freedom to learn new information when my brain tells me it’s a good time to retain the information I am learning. Not everyone learns in an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. block.

Many who dread online learning think, “I’m not computer savvy enough,” but did you know, research shows that you don’t have to be a computer expert to take an online course? Actually, those who are not computer experts tend to perform better in online courses than those who are computer “savvy”.

When surveyed, people who said they preferred a traditional classroom setting stated that they valued the interaction with other students and could learn more through that interaction than through an online course. However, if your learning style is one of visual or auditory, you may actually prefer taking a course online rather than in a traditional classroom. During a well-designed online course, videos can be played multiple times, audio recordings reinforce what’s being taught, and you are given opportunities to practice new skills. Research conducted by Heather Kauffman (2015) showed that individuals who took a class online had an as high or higher success rate, than those who attended a traditional classroom course.

Do you think online learning could be for you? If you haven’t given it a try, I hope you will consider taking one of GaMEP’s online courses soon. GaMEP considers each course’s content carefully and determines the best way (or ways) to deliver the material to students. Several of our traditional courses are now available online, but we have developed some new online only subjects as well. Here’s a list of some of our newest online offerings:

  • Introduction to ISO 50001 + Basic Energy – Gain knowledge of foundational energy management terminology and concepts as well as basic elements of ISO 50001.
  • Introduction to ISO 50001 – Learn about ISO 50001 and how it relates to management responsibility, energy policy and planning, implementation and operations, and management review. 
  • SEP Update Course – Receive updates to the SEP suite of documents and be able to help organizations meet or audit the new requirements.
  • Integrating Additive Manufacturing with Traditional Manufacturing – Understand which factors to consider, including cost and logistics, when incorporating additive manufacturing into a traditional manufacturing operation.
  • Additive Manufacturing as a Secondary Process – Find out how manufacturers use additive manufacturing as a secondary or indirect process, including its advantages and disadvantages.
  • Industrial Network Integration – Discover common ways networks are used for manufacturing as well as practical network concerns and technology that allow industrial networks to function correctly.
  • Introduction to Composites – Learn about the basic materials used to make composites, how composites are processed, and the applications of composites in various markets.
  • Automated Systems and Control – Identify the common methods of industrial automation, describe the available technologies, and explain how they are applied in manufacturing.
  • Applications for Robots – Acquire an understanding of industrial robots, the pros and cons of using robots, and learn about their basic capabilities.

If you have any questions about the format of a course you are interested in, just send me a message. I am happy to help in any way that I can and make sure that you find the right course for you!

Written by Jennifer Stone, GaMEP Instructional Designer. Jennifer works with GaMEP project managers and region managers to develop effective traditional and on-line training course materials. She holds an Ed. S. in Instructional Design from the University of West Georgia, an M.S. in Educational Computing Technologies, and a B.S. in Elementary Education and Psychology from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

References:

Clayton, Blumberg, & Anthony. (2018). Linkages between course status, perceived course value, and students’ preference for traditional versus non-traditional learning environments. Computers & Education, 125, 175-181.

Clinefelter, D. (2015). Data from Survey of Online College Students Helps Institutions Thrive. ELearn, 2015(12), ELearn, 01 December 2015, Vol.2015(12).

Kauffman, H. (2015). A review of predictive factors of student success in and satisfaction with online learning. Research in Learning Technology,23(1), 1-13.

Thorpe, M. (1997). Distance education: A system view: MICHAEL G. MOORE and GREG KEARSLEY, Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1996. 290 pp ISBN 0-534-6496-4. Computers & Education, 29(4), 209-211.

National Student Clearinghouse Research Center Releases Fall 2016 Current Term Enrollment Estimates Report. (2016, December 22). Professional Services Close – Up, pp. Professional Services Close – Up, Dec 22, 2016.