Tour
X Rexnord Gear
Tour Code: TT-02
Day and Time: Bus leaves 7:30 AM, Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012
Length Including Travel Time: 5 ½ hours
Tour Code: WT-01
Day and Time: Bus leaves 7:30 AM, Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012
Length Including Travel Time: 5 ½ hours
Lean in Concurrent Product and Process Demand

A 100-year-old business learns new lean tricks
The Canal campus (Rexnord Gear) is 55 acres in downtown Milwaukee, with almost a million square feet of manufacturing space. It is a 100-year-old business that has the largest captive steel foundry in the western hemisphere on site, 70 tons a pour. On this tour you will see 1) the unique manufacturing capability to create gears up to 45 feet in diameter, 2) the breakthrough NPD process that created the V-Class product line for the Falk Brand of gear boxes and 3) Model Plant, the new manufacturing area that is the concurrent process development along with the product development of V-Class. The lean process and tools are a great example in a very high mix low volume environment.
X Rexnord Gear
Rexnord Gear is one of only three plants in the world producing large, precision industry gears up to 45 feet in diameter. The Enclosed Drives business, also on the campus, manufactures and assembles speed reducers for applications in mining, construction, the energy industry and other industrial applications.
Rick Rosser
Rick Rosser is vice president of operations at Rexnord Gear, and was previously the global director of operations for the Rexnord FlatTop division. Prior to working at Rexnord, Rick was with Harley-Davidson for eight years, where he had multiple roles with increasing responsibility across three different plants. Rick spent seven years in the U.S. Army, finishing as a combat engineer company commander before joining Harley-Davidson.
No competitors allowed
No cameras or other recording devices
Safety glasses must be worn
Leather-like closed toe shoes must be worn
Hearing protection must be worn


Captain Mark Kelly
Mike Abrashoff
Jason Jennings
Doctor Patricia A. Gabow
Daniel T. Ariens
Once again, the Idea Exchange Café will be open for the interactive sharing of best practices among all participants. There will be six facilitated sessions on a variety of relevant topics taking place over two days. Come for the coffee - stay for the ideas! (read more...)
