CHANTILLY, VA — The National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery (NC3R) has again agreed to co-sponsor the 2004 International Big R Show, which takes place Oct. 29-Nov. 1 in Las Vegas. In the past, NC3R has provided training sessions and partnered on many projects with the Automotive Parts Rebuilders Association (APRA), which hosts the Big R Show.
This year, NC3R will be conducting two half-day training sessions focused on avoiding the costs associated with work related illnesses and injuries and improving competitiveness. These training sessions will focus on ergonomics and warranty return cost analysis.
Ergonomics is a topic often overlooked by many remanufacturers. Close to one third of all serious occupational injuries are the result of repetitive motion or overexertion. The 2002 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index identified overexertion as the number-one cause of workplace injury with approximately $10 billion in direct costs to companies. In 2003, OSHA estimated that direct costs to companies associated with repetitive motion and overexertion injuries were in excess of $20 billion.
The NC3R session on ergonomics at the show will provide an introduction to the types of risk factors and injuries for which companies should be aware and concerned. It will address forming an effective ergonomics program and look at workstation analysis and design. The session will also explore how the proximity of work cells, non-standardized methods, and facility layout can impact ergonomics and production costs through excessive handling.
The other topic NC3R will address — warranty returns — represents a financial burden to many remanufacturing organizations. Many businesses look at warranty costs as unavoidable due to the reuse of components, replacement component reliability and the demands of their customer base. These factors represent a major challenge, but one that can be met when armed with a strategy and the appropriate analysis tools.
In many cases, warranty failures can be attributed to assignable causes that can be addressed through analysis, process modifications and additional test equipment. This seminar will focus on the process used to analyze and troubleshoot warranty returns with the goal of driving these costs to the bottom line of your revenues. Many organizations can realize tremendous financial gains depending on their number and type of warranty returns. NC3R will be providing real world examples that will apply to any remanufacturing environment.
For more information about the 2004 International Big R Show, go to: www.bigrshow.com.
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