Relativity To Print Rockets In Its New Location

Relativity To Print Rockets In Its New Location

March 20, 2020
Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.

Relativity is building a 120,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility and operating center in Long Beach, California to make its Terran 1 rocket.

The facility has plenty of room to operate its large 3D-printers, make taller rockets, house 300 support staff from machining to marketing, and realize its long-term vision of sending a 3D-printed rocket to Mars.

Video Spotlight: Relativity Space’s New Long Beach Headquarters (Feb 28, 2020, Relativity Space)

This post is based on the Forbes article, Relativity Blasts Off For 2021 Rocket Launch With New Facility, by Elizabeth Howell, February 28, 2020, and the YouTube video featured in the Video Spotlight. Image source: NASA.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the determinants in making the capacity decision for Relativity’s Long Beach facility?

Guidance: The determinants include enough square footage for growth and expansion, enough room to operate large 3D-printers, have ability to make taller rockets, and allow staff to perform activities from machining to marketing.

2. What factors are considered in making the location decision for Relativity’s Long Beach facility?

Guidance: The location factors include capacity to grow and expand, close to the company’s 150 employees in Los Angeles, and able to handle Continue reading →

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Ramping Up Mask Manufacturing at 3M

Ramping Up Mask Manufacturing at 3M

March 17, 2020
Lisa M. Spencer

One of 3M’s largest manufacturing facilities, located in Aberdeen, South Dakota, has ratcheted up production to try to catch up with the growing demand for its N95 respirator masks.

Since there is no vaccine for COVID-19, the masks provide an important first line of defense in keeping medical and other emergency care employees protected while they tend to the needs of infected patients.  At the same time that demand has surged in the medical community, individual consumers have snapped up any available masks for their own personal use, despite the CDC’s claims that healthy individuals need not wear them.

Video Spotlight: 3M ramping up respirator production due to coronavirus (Feb 21, 2020, KSTP)

This post is based on the CNBC article, 3M ramps up N95 respirator production as demand surges from global coronavirus outbreak, by Seema Mody, February 28, 2020; the BBC article, Coronavirus: Sharp to use TV factory to make surgical masks, March 2, 2020; and the YouTube video featured in the Video Spotlight. Image source: Travel mania/Shutterstock.

Discussion Questions:

1. How has 3M been able to rapidly increase its capacity?

Guidance: 3M was not fully utilizing its mask production facility, so it Continue reading →

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Coronavirus Pushes Construction of New Hospitals

Coronavirus Pushes Construction of New Hospitals

February 20, 2020
Lisa M. Spencer

How long did it take project manager, Fang Xiang, to build a 645,000 square foot hospital with beds for 1,000 corona virus patients in Wuhan, China?

Using a team of 7,000 workers laboring around the clock, the monumental task was completed in just ten days.  About 1,400 military doctors and medical staff, many of whom worked with SARS patients in the past, have been brought in to help treat the patients.

Additional posts on OM in the News discussing the coronavirus and supply chain management can be found here.

Video Spotlight: Time-Lapse Video shows Around-The-Clock Construction Of Chinese Virus Hospitals

This post is based on the NBC News article, China’s coronavirus hospital built in 10 days opens its doors, state media says, by Yuliya Talmizan, February 3, 2020, and the YouTube video, Time-Lapse Video shows Around-The-Clock Construction Of Chinese Virus Hospitals, by NBC News, January 31, 2020. Image source: sfam_photo/Shutterstock.

Discussion Questions:

1. What special challenges did Xiang face in the rush to build this project?

Guidance: Xiang reported that normally it would take at least a month to build a temporary facility of this size, and two years would be required to build a Continue reading →

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