International Diesel runs clean operation
Engine maker's Green Technology to virtually eliminate emissions
Sunday, July 17, 2005
When you think of diesel engines, you might picture billows of smoke pouring out of the smokestack of a big rig.
You might think the engines are produced in a dirty, oily factory with parts and casings scattered about. You might picture dirty rags and grease. After all, these engines are workhorses, powering the nation's heavy-duty vehicles. A little elbow grease and a few oil spots would just seem to be part of the task wouldn't it?
But take a tour of International Diesel of Alabama and your image of diesel engines will change. Listen to company executives talk about new technology that could virtually eliminate emissions from the powerful engines.
Take a stroll through the inside of the factory and marvel at the process and the pristine condition of the plant - not a grease spot to be found. See how they recycle casting chips and liquids to reclaim their investment.
Watch employees work on an assembly line that's capable of producing one engine every 45 seconds - 530 engines in an eight-hour shift.
And notice the equipment itself - white and spotless.
"It's employee driven; it's not management,'' says Donna Miller, plant manager of the Huntsville plant on James Record Road near Huntsville International Airport. "These people understand the opportunity we have and take care of the facilities.
"We don't have to go out there and tell them to clean up their work area - it's part of their work ethic. It's part of our culture and the quality work force that we have here. They all have a common understanding of what the expectations are and they do a fabulous job.''
And company executives believe that employee pride and empowerment shows up in the final product.
"First impressions start at the front door when you walk in,'' Miller said after several visitors toured the plant Wednesday to learn about the company's new Green Diesel Technology. "If you go into an area that's not well kept, what do you think about the product that's going through there?''
International announced in 1999 that it planned to build a plant at the Jetplex, and production started in 2001. Today, the plant employs about 350 people, with wages ranging between $18 and $23 per hour.
The Huntsville plant builds V-8 and V-6 engines, with the capacity to produce 250,000 engines annually.
The $400 million plant has nearly 700,000 square feet of production and office space. Miller, who has been at the Huntsville plant for two years, said a lot of planning went into the design and construction of the facility. Ergonomics and working conditions were primary concerns.
"What was thought through beforehand was how can we make the job so it's easily accessible to the worker,'' she said. "Particularly, we enclosed all the equipment so there's no mist in the air. We recessed the equipment into the floor about 12 inches so that an operator getting in there to work has easy access. We took a lot of employee consideration in mind when we developed this plant and laid it out.''
For example, work stations are designed so than an operator has to reach no more than 18 inches for anything needed.
Miller said the plant is part of a three-year study by the National Institute of Occupational Safety. "They're monitoring our ergonomics because they see what we've done and they want to be able to pass along all of those things to their organization and to other industries.''
International Diesel is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Truck and Engine Corp., headquartered in Warrenville, Ill. The company had revenues of $9.7 billion in fiscal 2004 and has a goal to become a $15 billion company by 2009.
It traces its history back to Cyrus McCormick and the invention of the mechanical reaper in 1831. McCormick Harvesting was later formed, and that became International Harvester in 1902. The name was changed to Navistar International in 1986, before the company's name of its truck and engine division was changed back to the more recognized International in 2000.
The company expects to continue growing through acquisitions and expansions into new markets, such as military business. And it's also counting on its new Green Diesel Technology to help it not only grow, but to help clean up the environment. By 2007, the company expects its engines to have 99 percent fewer emissions than engines made in 1988.
The cleaner engines are already running in school buses in California and Arizona. Miller says the technology presents a great opportunity for growth for both International and Huntsville.
"We think it's the best manufacturing process in the world,'' she said. "We've had a tremendous investment in this facility from day 1. We knew we could only be successful if we had employees who were empowered and had the knowledge and the passion to build high quality diesel engines. We've met all of our goals.''
Those goals include not only keeping International engines running, but keeping them clean.
Business Editor Wayne Smith can be reached by phone at 532-4415, or e-mail at waynes@htimes.com.
© 2005 The Huntsville Times
© 2005 al.com All Rights Reserved.