Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/655335
FIRST CLASS l 15 FIRST CLASS l 15 modate multiple engine types. At the time we built it we knew we wouldn't remain committed to only making the MX-13. We knew we would adopt to an evolving market so we space-protected areas in the plant to fill with equipment as needed. "Now we're preparing for next-level growth expecta- tions, and part of that expansion is for the MX-11." As a result of their preparation, so seamless is the inte- gration of MX-11 production into processes that even an informed visitor might not be aware that it's in production at the 420,000-square-foot Columbus, Miss., plant. But PEC has been machining MX-11 engine blocks since late in 2013. Machining interchangeability For the most part, the same lines in use for MX-13 pro- duction can deliver MX-11 Engines as well. "Most of our equipment offers the necessary inter- changeability," says Walters. Walters explains that CNC machines using a fixturing turret, for example, can be easily "flipped" to provide appropriate tooling for either MX-11 or MX-13 Engines. "We have that flexibility as well on the assembly side and even in our material delivery processes," he adds. Adds Edwin Smeehuijzen, Assistant Plant Manager, "We have the flexibility to build just one MX-13 or thousands of MX-13s, then completely turn it the other way around and build just one or thousands of MX-11s, without compro- mising levels of efficiency. We really developed the flexibility for this new engine to be integrated into our processes." "You can walk around and see the space-protected areas we have in place to meet further growth expecta- tions," Walters notes. "And so far, those expectations have been right on target." Lessons from DAF Walters says the DAF plant, which has long been pro- ducing multiple engine types for the European market, pro- vided some lessons in integrating production of a second engine. "DAF has been the standard for excellence in the European engine market for 50 years," he says. "We learned some things we want to apply here, but there are some things from a process standpoint that we will do pec eMbraces Zero-Waste-to-landfill initiative The PACCAR Engine Company's Zero-Waste-to- Landfill initiative has proven to be an unmitigated success, according to Mike Arzamendi, the facility's communication manager, who reports that reduction in the plant's carbon footprint has been significant. Compacted Graphite Iron shavings recovered from the machining processes used on both PACCAR MX-11 and MX-13 Engines are being repurposed by local compa- nies that have developed uses for the material. Similarly, recovered paint is also being used by a local company that burns it as a fuel source, according to Arzamendi. "It's one thing to say you're green, that it's a corpo- rate value," he says. "It's quite another to say we have the technology and the practices in place to make such an ini- tiative successful." The 420,000-square-foot PACCAR Engine Company facility in Columbus, Miss.