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Technical Community Network Provides Manufacturing Solutions

SME's Technical Community Network (TCN), now one year old, has some things to celebrate. To date, nearly 12,000 people participate in communities relevant to their specific technology interests. Together they discuss, explore, and advance technologies to their own personal benefit, and to the benefit of the entire manufacturing enterprise. The Technical Community Network experience has also helped these members address and solve specific problems within the companies and industries they serve.

Working with The Boeing Company (Chicago) and LockheedMartin (Bethesda, MD), GKN Aerospace (Herndon, VA) ran into problems with hand-deburring tasks related to the production of its F/A-22 mid-fuselage airframe structures. The company wanted to find a better way. As part of the solution, SME's TCN helped bring GKN engineers together with others they would, otherwise, have never met. Through the Machining and Material Removal Community, specifically, its Deburring, Edge Finishing & Surface Conditioning (DESC) tech group, GKN engineers were able to link with others able to help them develop a process that solves a number of issues, while incorporating mass finishing techniques and meeting Boeing's needs for the F/A-22, an impressive and extremely flexible fighter.

Autozone, an automotive aftermarket parts and supply retailer, wanted to bring its many suppliers on board with lean manufacturing practices, and sought a way for them to quickly and effectively learn about and implement lean practices. To solve this problem, Autozone brought its suppliers into the SME Product and Process Design & Management Community to help fast-track its initiative. Today, many Autozone suppliers from all over the world are regularly connected with lean professionals, consultants, and believers. SME is helping Autozone move its lean supply chain program forward faster by bringing its suppliers together with a diverse group of manufacturers whose new perspectives are helping them find new ways to solve old problems.

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