This represents the largest investment in machinery and the development of skills since 2008 and will bring together the entire production of four-stroke engines under a single roof, involving a transformation of all production phases to ensure improvements in quality and time-to-market of the products
Trieste, 29 October 2014 – Wärtsilä, the world’s leader in the provision of power generation solutions for the marine and energy sectors, announces a plan to transform the organisation of production in the Trieste factory to improve operative efficiency, increase quality and improve customer satisfaction, at the same times as assuring a major reduction in costs and in the time-to-market of the products.
This plan foresees the revision and rationalisation of the production layout, logistical flows and manufacturing processes, concentrating the entire production of four-stroke engines under one roof.
The transformation will begin immediately and will continue until the first quarter of 2016; it will involve all the employees of the Product Company Italy, who will benefit from the process in terms of efficiency and training.
“The strong market competition and the continuing economic stagnation make the maintenance and expansion of market share in the different sectors strategic, and the improvement of the company’s level of competitiveness thus becomes essential”, explains Sergio Razeto, CEO of Wärtsilä Italia. “The transformation plan being launched today represents Wärtsilä’s greatest investment in machinery, plant and layout since 2008, and will have a positive impact on our operative performance in terms of quality, productivity, product price and flexibility in delivery times, as well as on the continuing professional training and development of skills of our personnel”.
“Through this modernisation and innovation plan, Wärtsilä’s factory in Trieste will become a point of reference, a benchmark for excellence with regard to the production of four-stroke engines in our portfolio and the associated components.”
“We expect the implementation of the transformation plan to assure a development in skills and the rationalisation of manufacturing processes, which in turn will lead to increased customer satisfaction and greater competitiveness in the market”, declares Stefan Wiik, manager of the Product Company of Wärtsilä Italia.
“The optimisation of the layout will make it possible to assure ‘lean’ manufacturing processes and a reduction in flow times for components and engines, optimising the movement of materials and reducing stock undergoing processing. Moreover, the high level of automation of the new work stations will lead to improvements in productivity. In this context, the guarantee of high safety standards will be a guiding value in the realisation of investments”, adds Andrea Bochicchio, director of the Delivery Centre in Trieste.
The plan for transformation foresees the replacement of some machinery and plant, the concentration of the manufacturing activities in the “Grande Meccanica, Assembly and Test Areas”, together with the service and operational logistic areas, and the closing down of some obsolete plant in Grande Meccanica. No reductions in the workforce are planned, and all the employees of the Trieste establishment will be involved in a training programme accompanying the transformation of the manufacturing processes.