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Ideal combination

By Jusko, Jill
Publication: Industry Week
Date: Wednesday, October 1 2003
HEADNOTE

Technical innovation, team-oriented workforce help deliver superior performance to Bridgestone/Firestone South Carolina.

STROLL THROUGH THE FINAL FINISH operations of tire manufacturer Bridgestone/Firestone

South Carolina (BFSC), and it takes no imagination at all to see why it is sometimes referred to as Six Flags Over Aiken.

Huge, soaring blue and yellow pieces of machinery that dominate the landscape resemble nothing so much as the complex steel structures that comprise amusement park roller coasters. Instead of shooting humans up and down swooping curves and hair-raising heights, however, these automated conveyors sort and route tires, carry them to final inspection, and forward them to automated palletizing operations-all with little manual intervention.

IMAGE PHOTOGRAPH 1

Bridgestone/Firestone service technician Robert Hill provides a human touch in the highly automated manufacturing process.

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