Wärtsilä has officially opens its Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Vaasa, Finland. The MTC is a new concept for Wärtsilä, and is aimed at securing and further developing its manufacturing competencies, and sharing manufacturing know-how throughout the global Wärtsilä network.
The MTC concept is designed to enhance Wärtsilä's ability to effectively develop and globally share its core manufacturing competencies, including machining, forging, casting, welding, production & assembly automation, and digital manufacturing technologies. This will produce value-adding benefits by supporting component design, and manufacturing and supplier development. It will also optimize Wärtsilä's efforts towards "first time right" quality, "as promised" delivery times, and competitive costs.
"The most important thing we can do is to improve the manufacturability of our products. By utilizing our enhanced manufacturing knowledge during the product design stage, and by taking manufacturing and assembly techniques into account as part of the design process, we not only secure first time right design from a manufacturing point of view, but we also enable our costs to become increasingly competitive. The MTC will also enable faster test component deliveries," said Harri Kytöharju, Project Manager, MTC, Wärtsilä Industrial Operations.
In addition to modern machine tools and teaching facilities, the new 600 m2 center will house three faculties for training, test part manufacturing & design analysis, and method & tool testing. It is envisioned that dedicated training of some 50 courses per year will be held at the centre, for maximum 12 persons per course.
The inauguration of Wärtsilä's new Manufacturing Technology Centre, located adjacent to the Wärtsilä factory in the Vaasa city centre, is indicative of the initiatives being put in place throughout the company to enhance its competitiveness. By providing the latest manufacturing technology knowledge for increased competence in design for manufacturing, supplier development, and component manufacturing, Wärtsilä will have a state-of-the-art platform to meet future market demands.
"We need to be innovative in our business; operationally, business-wise and also technologically, to maintain and even extend our strong position in the market," said Erik Pettersson, Vice President, Wärtsilä Industrial Operations.
(www.wartsila.com)