CASE STUDY
The Budd Group’s Filtration Program Optimizes Auto Production
Budd Group Helps Auto Maker Maximize Uptime
The Problem
An automobile manufacturer’s production facility relies on a wide range of filtration and production-related consumables, such as HVAC air filters, specialty filters and custom
protective covers for paint robots to keep its lines running. Over time, the plant struggled with:
- Lack of inventory control for critical filtration products and other production-related consumables.
- Inefficient, calendar-based change-out frequencies for air filters and other consumables that didn’t reflect real conditions on the line. Filters would either be changed too early, wasting products, or too late, forcing shutdowns in the middle of a shift.
- Increased production interruptions and higher defect rates when filtration performance dropped or maintenance had to stop the line to change filters and protective covers.
- Maintenance labor inefficiencies, as technicians spent time hunting for products and making last-minute changes instead of performing planned preventive maintenance.
The Budd Group saw that a leading auto manufacturer’s filtration gaps were hurting uptime and raising defects. They addressed it with best-in-class systems to keep the line moving.
Our Solution
The Budd Group implemented a Total Filtration Management program tailored to the manufacturer’s production environment. Key elements include:
- The Budd Group staffed a team at the plant to receive, manage and stage all filtration-related products, such as HVAC filters, specialty filters and custom robotic covers for the production and maintenance teams.
- Instead of relying on fixed calendar intervals, The Budd Group used scientific KPIs, including airflow readings, pressure differentials across filters and particle counts, to determine optimal change frequencies. This allowed filter and cover changes to be scheduled during non-production time, minimizing line interruptions.
- The Budd Group created clearly labeled emergency cabinets and kitted sets of products. Everything maintenance teams need for a specific production area is bundled together and staged near the line, reducing time spent searching for products.
The Results
Through its Total Filtration Management program, The Budd Group helped the automobile manufacturer to:
- Reduce unplanned production downtime by aligning filter and product changes with non-production windows and ensuring critical parts are always on hand at the line.
- Optimize product consumption, using data to avoid premature filter changes and overuse of consumables while preventing the late changes that cause shutdowns.
- Improve quality by maintaining cleaner production environments with monitored air flow, pressurization, and particle counts, leading to fewer defects tied to airborne contaminants.
- Free up maintenance labor by providing ready-to-use materials for preventive maintenance, enabling technicians to focus on higher-value tasks.