Process Analysis and Setup of a MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) Vehicle Production Plant

BWW solicited the assistance of a team North Carolina State University engineers to help them save time and money by analyzing their MRAP manufacturing operations and recommending a plan that would demonstrate their ability to meet a possible output of 4100 vehicles per year for 5 years. Unconstrained by money or resources and considering the availability of a nearby automobile production plant, the team was able to calculate the required assets necessary for BWW to meet their intended production rate and submit, to the United State government, a legitimate bid for the MRAP contract. As the team conducted the analysis, numerous procedures and standards changed. The research focused around an in-depth understanding of the individual processes required to produce the vehicle. Simple mathematical calculations and the use of Just-In-Time Processing resulted in the conversion of the process from that which produced 1 vehicle in an approximate two week period, to that which was designed to produce 16 vehicles in a day. Using scaled drawing software, the team organized the resource requirements in a manner which incorporated a logical flow to the production line. Material handling and flow caused issues which were addressed in the drawings. Throughout the project, the team constantly acquired new information from BWW and implemented numerous adjustments to the calculations and facility layout. However, at the time when the project seemed to stray from the large facility, two primary research and implementation iterations had become evident.