General Motors Boss Kettering Awards
FOR RELEASE: April 23, 2002GM Honors Top Innovators
DETROIT, Mich. - General Motors honored its top 40 innovators of 2001 at the 26th annual Boss Kettering Awards ceremony today.
GM employees received the prestigious internal award, named for the legendary Charles F. "Boss" Kettering, who launched GM's Research and Development organization in 1920. The first Kettering awards were given in 1976, and since then 198 awards have been presented to 567 individuals.
GM's top award for technical innovation, the Kettering award is reserved for inventions that are "industry firsts" or represent notable leaps in technology or process. The honor underscores the importance of innovation as a core business value, according to Larry Burns, Vice President of Research & Development and Planning.
Of the 43 ideas submitted, nine ideas were selected for their originality and creativity, and for delivering identifiable and substantial benefit to GM. Charles "Boss" Kettering was the first head of GM's Research Laboratories and a prolific inventor, with more than 140 patents in his name. The research organization Kettering directed was the first dedicated to the "intensive study of the problems ahead for the automotive industry."
This year's winning entries include advancements in product development, manufacturing solutions, stamping and painting processes, vehicle maneuverability and new safety systems. Following are descriptions of some of this year's winners:
Aluminum Treatment for Improved Manufacturing (ATIM)
A new breakthrough technology that improves aluminum formability. Using a short, rapid, inline heat treatment significantly improves the formability of aluminum sheet metal, significantly reducing aluminum scrap and repairs. There is currently no similar technology in use in the automotive industry for stamping aluminum sheet metal.
Last year during testing, GM saved about $5 million a year as a result of reductions in costs of scrap and repairs. ATIM has the potential to save GM $100 million a year.
The first production application was at Metal Fabricating Division in Pontiac for the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban; GMC Yukon Denali, Yukon XL; and the Cadillac Escalade.
ATIM is the work of Paul E. Krajewski and Edward F. Ryntz of GM Research & Development and Planning in Warren, Mich.
Aquabell Painting (Less Paint - Right Color)
A bell-shaped applicator designed to apply waterborne color paint robotically and bond it to the metal with an electrical charge. With the Aquabell applicator, paint waste has been reduced by 22 percent and a more even application of paint ensures that the desired color can be achieved. The reduction in the amount of paint sprayed also reduces the volume of emissions released into the environment.
This innovation, conceived by Linda Gerhardt of GM Vehicle Operations, Warren, Mich. and Norm J. Weigert of GM of Canada is being used to apply base coat paint to full-size pickup trucks built at the Truck Assembly Plant in Oshawa, Ontario. It produced $1 million in savings last year and has the potential to trim paint costs by more than $5 million annually.
Configurable Powertrain Software
GM powertrains are being developed faster and can perform more predictably thanks to the use of modules of reusable and reconfigurable software with common code. Due to the separate hardware interface modules, configurable powertrain software makes it possible to involve multiple suppliers in the programming. As a result, the amount of time required to assemble the software components has been reduced by 90 percent.
The initial successes of the new software include the 2002.5 Opel Vectra and the 2003 Cadillac CTS, cutting $2.5 million in programming costs in 2001 alone. Savings of over $20 million per year are projected as it is applied to the development of all future GM powertrains.
The GM Powertrain team that worked on this configurable powertrain software includes Trenton W. Haines and James B. Kolhoff of GM Powertrain in Brighton, Mich. and Kathy D. Rose of GM Powertrain in Milford, Mich.
eLogic Programmable Controller
Stepping beyond the typical creation of logic for industrial computers is eLogic -- a computer programming a computer. Using math-based tools, this software is capable of automatically generating logically perfect programs for computers that are used to control manufacturing processes. By generating programs that are 60 to 90 percent complete, and that require minimal adjustments and debugging, programming hours are vastly reduced, saving up to $2 million per year for a typical Body Shop application.
The system has been used in production at GM Body Shop facilities in Lansing, Mich, Fairfax, Kan., Shreveport, La., and is planned for use at Orion Township, Mich. and Lordstown, Ohio.
The team that collaborated on developing the system includes James J. Abramczyk, Richard C. Immers, Robert L. Keyes, David J. Kulon, Claude J. Lamothe, Joseph M. Lewandowski and James W. Tucker of GM Vehicle Operations in Warren, Mich.
Full-Size Truck Four-Wheel Steering and Control System
A great handling, full-size truck without sacrificing a driver's feel for the road? Some might say it's a trade-off you just have to make. A team of GM innovators made a refinement to four-wheel steering that improves maneuverability at low speeds and adds control and stability at high speeds, even when pulling a trailer.
The 2002 GMC Sierra Denali, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra extended cab pickups; and 2003 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500HD crew cabs, 2500 Series Chevrolet Suburban 2500 and GMC Yukon XL all use this invention.
The innovation team includes: Yuen-Kwok (Steve) Chin, Weiwen (Kevin) Deng, William C. Lin and Brian S. Repa of GM Research & Development and Planning in Warren, Mich.; Paul A. Grougan, Scott P. Sherman and David R. Worpell of GMNA Product Development in Pontiac, Mich.; E. Ushler Jaacks of GM Vehicle Operations in Pontiac, Mich.; Kenneth D. Norman of GMNA Product Development in Milford, Mich. and Sam M. Karadsheh and Thomas C. Zebehazy of GMNA Product Development in Warren, Mich.
Midgate
The patented Midgate
The Midgate
Mini-dilution Apparatus and Method for Exhaust Emission Testing
[A new way to measure extremely low levels of vehicle exhaust emissions]
A GM testing device that can detect extremely low emission levels. Over the years, as hydrocarbon emission standards decrease, it has become increasingly difficult to differentiate between vehicle exhaust emissions and normal ambient air. This new technology is designed to measure the new low-level emissions with less measurement variability and higher confidence. The Environmental Protection Agency has approved GM's new testing apparatus as an alternative to the older, more expensive system for low-level emissions testing.
In its first year of operation, the new method saved GM almost $2 million. Anticipated annual savings will reach more than $11 million as vehicle emission standards become more stringent, and more test sites are equipped with low-level measurement technology.
The GM Powertrain team that originally conceived and patented the mini-diluter apparatus and method includes Steven S. DeCarteret, Jon R. McLeod, Donald B. Nagy, and Francis P. Schroeder.
Stiffer Crossmembers
[Unique Joint Design and Process for Motor Compartment Crossmember] A unique approach to hydroforming makes GM crossmembers 30 to 60 percent stiffer. Flattening and shearing two joints in a single die eliminates part trimming time, improves stiffness, eliminates six parts and more than 12 pounds in overall vehicle weight.
This creative use of hydroforming first appeared in the 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer, Oldsmobile Bravada and GMC Envoy; and will be used on the 2003 TrailBlazer EXT, Envoy XL, Isuzu Ascender, Chevrolet SSR and the 2004 Envoy XUV. Using the new joint design process saved more than $23 million last year. It was invented by Chi-Mou Ni of GM Vehicle Operations in Warren, Mich.; Te-Hui (Terry) Peng, GM Asia Pacific in Tokyo and Thomas B. Bartholomew, GM Vehicle Operations in Pontiac, Mich.
General Motors , the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, designs, builds and markets cars and trucks worldwide. In 2001, GM earned $1.5 billion on sales of $177.3 billion, excluding special items. It employs about 362,000 people globally.
GM has been the world's automotive sales leader since 1931. In 2001, GM set industry sales records in the United States - its largest market - for total trucks and for sport utility vehicles. GM sold more than 1 million SUVs - a first for any automaker. GM also sold more full-size pickup trucks than any other manufacturer since 1978.
GM also operates one of the world's largest and most successful financial services companies, GMAC, which offers automotive, mortgage and business financing and insurance services to customers worldwide.
More information on General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.
