Bata Innovation Lab (BIL) recently entered into a formal agreement with the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo in Canada, becoming the first global corporation to partner with the university and its world-renowned cooperative education (co-op) program, iCapstone. Offering students real-world work experience, the program provides Bata with fresh perspectives and the opportunity to analyze manufacturing processes from an engineering viewpoint.
The
research
that
was
undertaken
as
part
of
this
new
program,
conducted
by
Oscar
Nespoli
of
Mechanical
&
Mechatronics
Engineering
and
by
Ada
Hurst
of
Management
Sciences,
was
funded
by
a
LITE
grant.
The
findings
were
recently
presented
at
an
international
design
conference
in
Dubrovnik,
Croatia.
Sent
to
Bata’s
factory
in
Manizales,
Colombia
for
a
four-month
work
term,
Waterloo
engineering
students
Pia
Medina
(Management
Engineering),
Thomas
Willert,
and
Jordan
Nickel
acted
as
external
consultants,
analyzing
and
improving
on-site
processes,
efficiencies,
and
productivity.
When
the
students
first
arrived
in
Manizales
in
May
2017,
no
one
knew
for
sure
if
or
how
the
project
would
work.
As
it
turned
out,
the
students’
impact
was
soon
felt.
Claudio
Alessi,
country
manager
for
Bata
Colombia,
explained:
"We
were
very
impressed
with
the
students’
input,
and
immediately
began
implementing
the
projects
and
recommendations
they
presented
to
us."
Amongst
the
projects
and
recommendations
was
the
development
of
a
single
shoe-rack
system
to
improve
the
efficiency
of
targeted
tasks
on
the
conveyor.
Testing
and
implementation
are
still
being
completed
by
Bata
Colombia
and,
if
successful,
the
system
will
be
rolled
out
in
Colombia
and
in
other
Bata
factories
following
the
same
process.
Other
recommendations
implemented
in
the
Manizales
factory
include:
- The installation of four sensors at different points on the line to control the time spent on task development
- The purchase of a new toe-lasting machine, which reduced wasted time, optimized shoe quality, minimized damage to shoe leather and improved productivity by 10 percent per shift
- The implementation of a motor tool for the second roughing of lasted shoes, which has maximized adhesion and decreased maladjustments by 70 percent
- The use of UV powder for sole tracing, which has improved quality and reduced time spent in the removal of excess glue on the shoe
The
students
also
recommended
the
factory
undertake
research
of
delivery
mechanisms
for
water-based
resins.
The
pilot
project
with
Waterloo
was
a
resounding
success,
as
the
students
gained
a
deeper
understanding
of
engineering
design
and
practical
on-the-ground
experience
to
prepare
them
to
enter
the
workforce
as
creative
problem-solvers.
For
Bata,
the
project
brought
positive
changes
to
the
Manizales
factory
and
Bata
Colombia’s
bottom
line.
In
the
words
of
Oscar
Nespoli,
the
lead
Waterloo
faculty
member
for
the
project
and
a
Bata
alumnus:
"The project
was
a
world-class
learning
experience
for
the
students.
Given
the
freedom
to
identify
areas
of
improvement
for
the
factory
and
to
come
up
with
meaningful
strategies
to
address
these
issues,
students
acquired
complex
problem-solving
skills.
They
reported
that
everything
they
learned
‘stuck
so
much
better’
because
they
learned
it
on
the
job.
We
are
all
very
grateful
to
Jim
Russell
and
the
Bata
Innovation
Lab
for
their
vision
and
support
of
this
valuable
project."
From
an
innovation
standpoint,
it
is
evident
that,
by
seeking
input
from
outside
partners
and
by
looking
critically
at
itself,
Bata
can
make
positive
and
measurable
changes.
Jim
Russell,
BIL
director,
stated:
"I
am
exceptionally
proud
to
have
been
a
part
of
this
successful
pilot
project.
By
immersing
some
of
the
brightest
and
most
talented
undergraduate
engineering
students
from
Canada’s
University
of
Waterloo
in
the
culture
of
the
Bata
Manizales
factory
and
its
best
teams,
BIL
created
an
experience
that
was
both
unique
and
beneficial
for
everyone
concerned."
Article has been taken and modified from the original.