The skills and training applied to the assembly line for Project Minotaur will combine CASE’s deep, proven expertise with some of the latest technology teaching and assist tools.

“We used to have a military line, and a lot of those experienced operators still work here,” said Katherine Aude, Launch Manager. “We expect to move them over, so we’ll have the cream of the crop working on the line, and sharing their knowledge with others.”

“In fact, we’re already working with them as counsel on how to best break up the work and assign it to the right stations.

Operator training overall will incorporate use of visuals for sequencing parts, displayed on computer monitors and/or possibly a Google Glass-type device, according to Clay Reinecke, Advanced Manufacturing Engineer.

“Information will be introduced in an order that has been synchronized with the delivery of required parts, or with where they’re stored. Work stations will be simplified, so overall moving parts are kept to a minimum, and tasks will be allocated to hand-held tools instead of larger, bulky ones whenever possible, so they’re easier to move around,” he added.

WCM, or World Class Manufacturing, will also inform the skills and processes applied to the assembly line.

“It guides how we take a product idea and industrialize it,” said Katherine. “Applying principles of efficiency, reliability, and safety can have an astonishingly positive impact not only on how we make things, but on the quality and reliability of what we produce.”

A final aspect of the new line will be capturing information before and during operation, and sharing it across media.

“We want the line to continually improve,” said Clay. “An innovative idea for orienting a part in a certain way, or saving a step or gesture will be made available to the entire team.”