SKF company representative visited VMU Agriculture Academy
SKF (Luton, UK) company Operation manager and Visual management expert Colin Chapman 24-28 April 2023 visited Faculty of Engineering at Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA). SKF is worldwide know company (distributors can also be find in Lithuania). SKF opened its first UK sales office in London during 1910 and the following year bearing production commenced in Luton, at its first manufacturing facility outside of Sweden. Today, SKF Limited has 13 locations throughout the UK, including ten manufacturing facilities (four rolling bearings and six machined seals), with approximately 1,250 employees. One of SKF office is located in Lithuania as well.
SKF was listed as one of the world’s most sustainable companies by both the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI) and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for Europe. SKF has achieved a Platinum Medal from EcoVadis, one of the world’s most trusted providers of sustainable ratings for use in supply chains on 15th December 2022 (Gothenburg). This is the third year SKF has been awarded the Platinum medal and now ranks in the top 1 percent of all companies assessed by EcoVadis. In addition, SKF has received an A- Climate Change rating from the CDP, the global non-profit that runs the world’s largest climate and environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, states and regions.
University students have got acquainted with the principles of development of engineering management and types of engineering management in a world-class company. Students were introduced to CDP Climate Change and 5S visual management score that provides a snapshot of a company’s disclosure and environmental performance. The scoring methodology provides a comparable dataset across the market. Visual management technique enables production operatives to identify “abnormal vs normal” in the workplace using the “at a glance concept”. This in the fast pace of manufacturing saves time and reduces waste which in turn make the facility more profitable (delivering a quality product to the customer on time and in good quality. The sort stage of 5s sorts necessary from unnecessary (basically sorting through items of little to no value to items of value and need) clears the work place of clutter and only relevant and needed items remain.
5s is now part of the culture at SKF Luton which was first developed by the car manufacturer Toyota.
To earn leadership recognition, companies must show environmental leadership, disclosing action on climate change. Setting new standards and creating partnerships to contribute to the development of clean technology solutions, improvements in energy efficiency, and the needed reduction of CO2 emissions across industries. SKF solutions play a key role in reducing CO2 emissions across a range of industrial applications. SKF also committed to decarbonizing them entire production by 2030 and having net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in our full value chain by 2050.
