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DRASH Shelter Manufacturing Facility Gets Overhaul
On November 26th DHS Technologies LLC’s headquarters in Orangeburg, NY unveiled their remodeled shelter manufacturing facility. The upgrades were made in response to the increased production needed to meet orders under the Standard Integrated Command Post Trailer Mounted Support System (SICPS TMSS) program.
 Though DHS and Northrop Grumman were not awarded the TMSS contract until May of this year, initial planning of the remodel began on October
of 2007.
Realizing the demands the company would face if granted the contract, DHS wanted the new production facility to not only increase efficiency, but quality as well.
“From the beginning we wanted to be able to increase our production,” explains Marcel Branis, Vice President of Manufacturing in Orangeburg.
“But we also wanted to gain the technology to produce products of even higher quality.”
For the past year the company has worked to streamline production and utilize the latest technology in shelter manufacturing. With trailer production moved to the Huntsville facility earlier this year, members of the Manufacturing Department designed a floor plan they believed would best utilize the additional space.
“During the planning phase we had to first figure out the technology we wanted to use, and then how to use the available space to make production take place as efficiently as possible,” says Brian Mindich, Manager of Manufacturing.
“And we had to figure out how to make the needed changes while still in production.”
Faced with growing orders, the production staff in Orangeburg was challenged to increase their output while surrounded by constant construction. Through the hard work of existing staff members and the implementation of a night shift, DHS was able to meet their customers’ needs during the remodel.
“Continued production really was made possible by the excellent effort of our team leaders and the production staff themselves,” explains Mindich. “One week they’d make 10 shelters, so the next week we’d ask them to make 11. We pushed them and they succeeded.”
With the latest in radio frequency welding technology and automated strut assembly machines, the Orangeburg facility has been able to meet its goal of producing five J and thirty MX shelters for the TMSS program each week while still fulfilling other orders. The facility has also established successful lean manufacturing processes, reducing the amount of materials wasted.
“Throughout the entire process our goal has been to become the leader of lean manufacturing of shelter production,” says Mindich. “We’ve truly accomplished this.”
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