Bitrode Creates Care Team Initiative
Bitrode’s Quality Code includes a statement for employees to “take care of our family in and outside of these walls,” and Bitrode decided to proactively put that statement into practice by creating a new, employee-driven Care Team. Jeff Staelens, HR Director, announced the creation of the team by inviting all employees to an exploratory meeting, and the turnout impressed him.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the people interested in joining this team. Since it was such a large team, I wanted to make sure we focus on all aspects of the quality statement,” Staelens said. “I’m excited to make and fulfill realistic goals with this team that focus on helping people.”
The team is divided into three groups with different strategies to help their coworkers and community. One group of Bitrode employees will focus on how to help their fellow team within the company’s walls. For example, they may assist someone who has had recent surgery, has suffered a loss, or whatever life situation may come up. A second group will assist their coworkers outside of work, in case they may need a ride to work or have a minor repair need at home. The last group will be an effort to improve the community around Bitrode, whether by visiting nursing homes or participating in Missouri’s Adopt-A-Highway program.
Cindy Wood, a Bitrode employee of over 35 years, said that she joined the Care Team because the people she works with have always been the best part of her job. “All of us are in need of help sometime in our life, whether it be financial or emotional – or sometimes we just need a pat on the back. The Care Team seems like a good way to find out who needs help, and how we can help.”
The team has held 2 meetings so far and plans to kick off its first major projects in August.
Running Lean
The growing electric vehicle industry is pushing automotive companies to invest in more advanced battery pack testers. To keep up with growing energy demands, companies now require battery pack testers that can handle up to 900V/1000A/650kW.
Bitrode’s FTF Energy Storage Test System is the perfect solution. The FTF’s IGBT design equips it for high-performance and efficiency with 100% duty cycle at max power. No performance is lost under voltage control and quick disconnects on output leads save time.
The rising demand for more FTF products is changing how Bitrode approaches production. Bitrode transformed the traditional FTF to the new Lean line concept. The new Lean concept is a company-wide initiative to improve Bitrode’s products and services by reducing waste and variation.
Ryan Blood, Bitrode’s Plant Manager, said, “As we started to build FTFs in the new cell, we continued to identify waste in the process. So we broke down the overall build into small manageable chunks of work and decreased the tech assembly time by 1/3. The definition of Lean manufacturing that I live by is simply the maniacal pursuit of eliminating waste.”
Bitrode’s dedication to minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency has paved the way for automotive companies to rely on better Bitrode equipment designed for a competitive marketplace. It’s a win/win/win.
Visit Here to learn more about Bitrode’s FTF – High Power & Voltage Pack Testing System.
