Auto Giant Seeks Tough, Flexible Flow Track That Performs

In 1994, BMW completed construction on its only manufacturing facility in the United States. Originally, the Greer, south Carolina plant was designed for production of 3-series sedans. Then in late 1995, the 23 roadster went from the drawing board to production. The assembly line was rolling out both sedans and the new roadster. At that early juncture, the assembly workstations were utilizing industrial shelving, which was adequate for the small amount of parts needed. Once demand for the 23 increased, management switched to all roadster production at the facility, but the industrial shelving couldn't handle the increased flow of parts. Management clearly wanted a better flow track, one that would be tough and flexible, and should - above all else - perform under heavy use. The first step was to gather information on as many gravity flow track suppliers as they could. The next procedure was to go through a process of looking at different suppliers to see who could best solve their application needs. They narrowed it down to a field of 13 products and suppliers. According to Chip McMillan - Manager of Manufacturing and Operations Control – they gave the suppliers the same criteria and let them feel free to design what they thought would best meet the application. McMillan said, "Out of the 13 suppliers, through a process of elimination, we wound up with four who wanted to participate."