New, Tried and True Manufacturing—In honor of Manufacturing Month in October, this is a closer look at variety of areas within Kohler manufacturing then, now and into the future.
In 1873, Kohler began as 21 craftsmen building cast-iron plows and other farm implements. Since the very beginning, Kohler manufacturing was focused on quality and pushing the boundaries of new product development and process improvement. Now, nearly 150 years later, many things have changed. But some things remain the same.
The Artistry of Enamel Application
Enameling cast iron has been part of Kohler’s manufacturing process since its earliest days. Even in the late 1800s, ultra-hot cast iron was sprinkled with a proprietary blend of powder coating through a long-arm sifter. The technology and facilities have certainly evolved and advanced over time, but the artistry remains.
Today, robotic operations move the red-hot cast iron pieces throughout the factory for greater safety. Unused enamel coating can be collected within the enamel cell to increase efficiency. And yet factory artisans continue to apply the Kohler enamel by hand, evenly coating the pieces to pristine porcelain perfection.
Continually Expanding in Power
Kohler Power has continually innovated its products and processes while expanding the business globally. Imagine the advancements of scale and engineering to go from Kohler’s first Automatic Power & Light generator introduced in 1920 to the massive industrial KOHLER generators providing power and back-up support to data centers worldwide today. Massive staging and testing facilities with skilled engineers ensure that products perform ideally before reaching the customer–sometimes by industrial crane.
Personal Touch in Faucets Assembly and Testing
In this image from 1943, an associate is visually inspecting and preparing Kohler faucets for quality testing. Today, Kohler faucets are still assembled and final-tested by hand. Of course, computer modeling and immense data collection is part of the current process, but a skilled engineer is accountable for quality assurance before any product reaches a customer.
Speed and Precision in Brass Tooling
Personal attention and precision are required by craftsmen and craftswomen in the Kohler brass foundry tooling shop. In this photo from more than 80 years ago, a tooling associate was machining a precise fit for a product-assembly piece. Today, machining advancements allow Kohler to develop brass parts at up to 600 to 700 pieces per hour, approximately 11 parts per minute.
Hands On in the Pottery
Individual ceramic artisans called casters are hands-on throughout the Kohler Pottery process. It’s been that way since the very beginning of pottery operation and still is today. Current innovations in pressure casting, automatic injection, and robotic-assisted casting have improved productivity and efficiency, but it’s still a prideful art form and personally inspected finished product. Some tests are even conducted by putting an ear to a piece and hearing the sound that it makes when tapped with a mallet or running a hand over a piece to personally feel for imperfections.
Arts/Industry Program Continues to Inspires Innovators
When looking back at the timeline of Kohler Manufacturing, the one-of-a-kind Arts/Industry program has been instrumental to innovation and collaboration between artists and factory artisans.
Since the program was initiated by the Arts Center and Kohler Co. in 1974, Arts/Industry has hosted more than five hundred artist residencies from around the world, inviting contemporary artists to collaborate with workers on the factory floor to create pottery, brass and cast iron art in Kohler, Wisconsin.
In addition to being a critical resource for artists, Arts/Industry has had a lasting effect on our Kohler’s business by stretching the capability of the factories, introducing the need for alternative technologies and presenting new possibilities in design.
Budding Careers in STEM
Kohler Co. is working to change negative perceptions of skilled trades and careers in manufacturing by getting students interested at a young age. Kohler associates conduct tours for 8th grade STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) students to see the Kohler campus, interact with manufacturing craftspeople, and observe STEM skills in the field.
Since 2016, Kohler has invested in a partnership between the Sheboygan Area School District and other local manufacturing companies to better prepare high school students for college and their careers. Kohler currently has advanced technology centers at two Sheboygan high schools where students gain engineering skills and apply technical manufacturing practices.
The Kohler Engines Manufacturing Co-op Program was created to offer real-world experience and career guidance. Students in the program spend nine weeks on the job and bring new ideas, fresh perspectives, and a drive for innovation to Kohler Co.
Kohler Center for Manufacturing Excellence at Lakeshore Technical College opened in 2014, located about 15 miles north of Sheboygan. This world-class center prepares post-secondary trade students for high-demand manufacturing careers.
Future of Efficiency and Sustainability
Kohler’s investments in electricity sustainably generated by wind will meet the needs of the company’s entire U.S. and Canadian operations, and will reduce Kohler’s greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent. This program augments other sustainable manufacturing improvements including energy-efficient kilns, heat recovery systems, and several solar installations.
From our 21 craftsmen in 1873 to the more than 38,000 associates today, Kohler Co. is a global manufacturer that has grown and changed in so many ways. Throughout every era there has been a constant attention to detail, focus on quality, drive for innovation, and desire to make things smarter, faster, cleaner and better.