| Prestolite Electric, Inc. |
| COMPANY/LOCATION: | Prestolite Electric, Inc., Decatur, Alabama |
| PRODUCT: | Starter motors, direct current electric drive motors, starter solenoids, contacters, and distributors |
| YEARS IN BUSINESS: | 31 |
| EMPLOYEES: | 350 |
| ANNUAL SALES: | $30 million |
| SITUATION: | After having heard about the manufacturing assistance programs at the Oak Ridge Centers for Manufacturing Technology through an outreach program from the Tennessee Valley Authority's Office of Planning and Development Services, members of the management staff of Prestolite held a meeting and looked at some projects for which they could use the assistance programs. Management and production staff from the company came to Oak Ridge and visited ORCMT. |
| PROJECT:
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Among the projects that Prestolite discussed with ORCMT staff were finding of a replacement for cadmium in coatings for electrical contacts, an alternative for a cleaning solvents that was being phased out because it contained CFCs, and a technical assessment for implementing Total Quality Management practices to improve production. |
| RESULTS: | The consultation with ORCMT staff saved Prestolite about $40,000
in capital equipment expenses. Information provided by ORCMT allowed
the company to (1) continue using its current equipment by using a solvent
that did not contain CFCs and was not considered a hazardous material;
and (2) helped the company find the replacement for cadmium in their coating
process.
Carl Liggett, operations manager for Prestolite, said the ORCMT staff responded to the company's needs very promptly and extremely professionally. "There are a lot of very smart people at ORCMT with a lot of very good information and practical advice for a broad range of problems that manufacturers face. I was impressed," Liggett said. |
PARTNERS:
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| Technical assistances provided to the private sector by the Oak Ridge Centers for Manufacturing Technology (ORCMT) and its manufacturing extension partners throughout the United States. |