CombiLift: Lean Manufacturing

In the spring of 2006 a FUSION programme commenced with CombiLift, Monaghan. The company had designed a unique 'Four Way' forklift, commanding 95% of the world market for such vehicles.

Dennis McKeag, Professor of Product Development, explained: "The company had acquired an old factory on the outskirts of Monaghan town and wished to develop it for volume production of their main product, the C4000 forklift. The company decided to work with the University to install a flow line production system and a FUSION graduate, Aidan Finnegan, was appointed as the agent of technology transfer between Ulster academics and CombiLift."

"Within a few months the flow line production system was established and an ambitious programme of lean manufacture was initiated. By the summer of 2007, 25 forklifts per week were coming off the production line; an internal quality and recording system had been implemented; the workflow philosophy, 5S Kaizen, was introduced and operational; a supplier development programme had been initiated and a roadmap for the future 'lean strategy' of the company was in place."

For further information on FUSION, please contact Sean McCaul, telephone 028 7167 5018 or e-mail sa.mccaul@ulster.ac.uk