In its mission to transfer best practices that enable the U.S. defense industry and the entire U.S. industrial base improve product price, quality, and delivery, the Best Manufacturing Practices (BMP) Program continually explores new processing techniques and emerging technologies with professionals across other industries. The Society for Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Collaborate 2007 conference offered a forum to support this purpose by fostering collaboration and sharing between automotive, aerospace, and defense manufacturers. Industry leaders and innovators shared best practices and discussed new process technology applications at the October 16-18 event held in Fort Worth, Texas. The conference provided cross-industry networking opportunities for attendees and dynamic presentations and keynote panel discussions that focused on process technology improvements for the automotive, aerospace, and defense industries. BMP representatives toured Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company and General Motors Automotive and participated in all presentations and keynote panel discussions. Case studies included collaboration and partnerships, lean scheduling and KanBan, design for manufacturing techniques for OEM users, distortion control in gear heat treating, cleaning parts using low-energy wash techniques, repairing composite structures, emerging machining technologies, energy-efficient machine lubrication, and rapid prototyping using Selective Laser Sentering.

BMP representatives exchanged information with attendees about BMP’s on-site survey process and best practices resources that are available to automotive, aerospace, and defense manufacturers. BMP’s participation in this event represents the Center’s support of sharing best practices and resources in support of the Navy, the DoD and its suppliers, and the U.S. industrial base.