Industry visit to SKF Engg, Mysore.

On 21 April 2023 with 17 students and myself with drivers Vivek and Suresh, we were finally off to Mysore in our college bus at 6.30 am from Anekal campus to visit the SKF Engineering and Lubrication India Pvt Ltd in the KIADB Kadakola Industrial Estate, Mysore. I boarded from Electronic city bus stand. SKF is a global MNC manufacturing bearings and seals (from small button type to ones on OTR tyres) that started operations in Sweden in 1907 and is now spread across the globe.

 

Mr. Vijayakumar taking us through SKF history

The newly prepared road connecting Bangalore and Mysore was world class and  excellent. Our bus even touched touched 90+ kmph. In 2 hours by 9.45 am we were in Mysore city. After a good breakfast at Hotel Sidhartha in Mysore city, we were off by 10.30 am, our bus reached SKF plant at 11 am. 

The first part of the training was the initiation session in the training hall. Suraksha from HR was very attentive, caring and alert for the student needs. In the ten years of the plant being in existence from 2012, we were the first academic group to visit them. The interaction started with the Plant and Supply Chain head General Manager Mr. Vijayakumar talking to the students. It was a good introduction and gave a bird's eye view of SKF global operations and their financial might at $87 billion from operations in Europe, China, India, US and Latin America. SKF India turnover was around a billion USD, Mysore plant accounted for about Rs 200 crores. https://www.skf.com/in

 

SKF started its India trading operations in 1923 and this year is also the one hundredth year of SKF trading operations in India. The manufacturing activity in India started only in the 60s with plants in Pune, Bangalore, Mysore, Ahmedabad and Hardwar.

 

Over tea, Bala took us with great devotion and interest through the basics of Lean Operations. He was explaining all lean terms to the students in layman terms. We were also introduced to the environmental sustainability initiatives of SKF Mysore - very useful for the students. With a 2.2 MW solar plant, they were on the right track to reduce their Carbon footprint and ensure Carbon neutrality. The plant is also a zero discharge facility. Nandakumar and Prashanth Kumar Shetty also enlightened us quite deeply on the environmental sustainability aspects and production aspects in the plant. It was great to know that SKF Engg Mysore is a zero discharge plant.

 

With about 30% of the Mysore plant retained green, it was interesting to note how the plant had secured the coveted ISGBC LEED Gold rating. SKF Mysore is in addition accredited with ISO 14001 (environmental management) , ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety ) and ISO 50001 (Energy Management )

After a very good lunch, (irrespective of grade all employees get the same food), we were taken inside the plant from the raw material store to the moulding unit, injection unit, tool section and final joining section. In all these areas there were specific areas earmarked for visitors for walking. While crossing the walking paths, the zebra crossings inside the plant were something new for us. We were explained to great depth the operations that were happening, mostly relating to mechanical engineering. 

 

Bala taking us through the basics of Lean operations

SKF does not use natural rubber for their seals, everything is artificial rubber. We were also taken aback by the top-down commitment to the implementation of 5S across the shop floor and Kaizen improvements that were implemented. A good poka yoke demonstration was the FIFO method of assigning the mould unit that was going for the phosphating process.

 

Regarding their vendor policy, the plant head mentioned how the dual supplier policy was being practiced at SKF as they found it to be a safe policy whenever one supplier failed they could approach the second supplier and salvage the situation. 

 

Though robotic systems using AI were implemented in two of the lines, as the shift change was happening we were not fortunate enough to see the robotic production line. SKF has a very transparent system where they have great trust on their employees and does not use any surveillance mechanisms in the plant.

In the final interaction session the doubts from the students were cleared by Bala. The explanation of the 8 wastes and OEE was great, their value of OEE was 72%. The Andons on the shop floor and the waste management by different bins at different points for collecting the shopfloor waste was a great learning. The physical Kanbans were a great learning for the students.

 

By 3 pm the visit got concluded and after a brief tea and clicking pics, we were back in the bus to Bangalore.  Other than a small stop for tea we were all longing to reach Bangalore and our homes and hostel rooms. By 6 30 pm, in 3 hours, I got down in ecity and by 7 PM the bus reached the college. This visit went on fine without any incidents. Some of us were going through the newly opened Bangalore Mysore highway for the first time, it was a great experience for us. 

One interesting thing we noticed and which will remain in our minds is the extra effort SKF takes to improve safety in the campus and outside for its employees and guests. After the visit we were at the gate and all the formalities were over. The college bus was outside the gate and across the road. All students had to cross the road to board the bus. Our guide Suraksha requested us not to cross the road and instead asked the driver to take the bus around and come to our side so that we could board the bus safely. A simple step to make our lives more safer, but the impression it left on us was great. This was a great learning for all of us on the need to exercise safety in our daily lives and work environment.

 

The visit exposed the students to world class manufacturing and safety systems. Some of them were excited by the great learning they got from the plant. They were telling how inside the class they learn theory and here they could easily see and learn how the theory gets implemented. The lean tools were a great treat for the students. Some students are interested in internship opportunities. For the students, the very well organised 5S workplace and the environmental sustainability initiatives across the plant and the global recognitions for SKF is truly world class.

 

We look forward to more visits in the future to such global units. The technology being implemented was hard core mechanical, but the management part of the learning was entirely based on lean operations management. A big thanks to our PhD student Karthi for making this visit possible.

George  (these pics were provided by SKF)