TE Connectivity Ltd., a global provider of connectivity and sensor solutions, announced that its automotive manufacturing plant in Oostkamp, Belgium, received the “Factory of the Future 2016” award, which is sponsored by the Flemish Government. The prestigious award is facilitated by Agoria, the largest technology federation in Belgium, in collaboration with its collective research center Sirris. TE was recognized during an awards ceremony held Feb. 4 in Antwerp.
The “Factory of the Future 2016” award was launched in 2015 and is part of the Flemish Government’s “Made Different” program, which aims to strengthen the manufacturing industry in the region. Companies that receive the award have been investing for a number of years in state-of-the-art manufacturing technology, digitization, innovation and sustainability, and are now among the top manufacturers in this area.
TE’s Oostkamp facility is the company’s global competence center for inductive components used for a number of automotive applications, including hybrid and electric cars. The plant also produces a wide range of contacts and connectors for motor management, comfort and safety applications. TE’s Oostkamp plant has put a focus on smarter and quality production. The factory transformed its operations through a culture of continuous improvement, progressive end-to-end engineering and lean manufacturing resulting in improved lead times and quality, human-centered work, as well as the development of employees aimed at unleashing their potential. Collaboration between teams drives short development cycles for new products and machinery that meets customer requirements.
“This award recognizes our employees and their relentless commitment to providing an extraordinary customer experience,” said Eric Verhelst, plant manager of TE’s Oostkamp plant, who attended the ceremony and received the award on TE’s behalf. “TE has a strong engineering tradition. The award acknowledges our manufacturing and engineering expertise as well as our focus on technology and innovation. Additionally, we created a unique communication structure throughout the factory, where our employees are able to react quickly to any situation. We also digitized appropriate support systems at all levels of the factory.”
