July 23, 2024 • 17 mins
A factory is far from a plain and boring building; it’s a bustling hive of creativity and innovation where raw materials are transformed into groundbreaking technologies.
It’s a place where brilliant minds with diverse backgrounds and specialties come together to turn blueprints into reality.
Our guest, Claire Carmona, Operating Unit Manager of the Gas-Insulated Switchgear factory in Europe, guides us through the manufacturing process and shares the ins and outs of a state-of-the-art factory.
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Claire Carmona is the Operating Unit Manager for Gas-Insulated Switchgear in Hub Business Unit Europe at Hitachi Energy’s High Voltage Products business.
She holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Ecole Centrale Paris and a master’s degree in management, technology, and economics from ETH Zurich.
Claire started her career with Hitachi Energy as a Management Trainee in 2006 and has since held different general management positions in service.
She is very passionate about her work and is loves to help to solve the world’s energy challenges.
Claire is a true adventurer at heart, having conquered an exciting 2-week backpacking trail in Patagonia.
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Visit www.hitachienergy.com/powerpulse for more informat
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
High voltage takes center stagein this brand
new season of HitachiEnergy's Power Pulse podcast.
We promise to bring you great contentfrom the brightest minds in the business.
We'll discuss challenges, opportunities,and all the hot topics
any high voltage enthusiast
or anyone interested in sustainability,for that matter, is sure to enjoy.
This episode of the podcastis all about the ins
and outs of the High Voltage factory,what it takes to run it, the experts
(00:24):
we need in our teams,what happens in there
and how we make sure that all our staffare safe in that environment and able
to produce equipment that is also safeand reliable for our customers.
To tell you about it.
We invited Claire Carmona,who runs the GIS factory in Zurich.
In addition to experience on the job,
she also holds a master's degree
in managementtechnology and economics from ETH Zurich
(00:45):
and another master's in mechanicalengineering from Central Paris.
Welcome back to Power Pulse.
I'm your host, Sam Dash.
And today I'm speaking with Claire
Carmona, the operating unit managerfor gas-insulated switchgear.
Hi, Claire. Hi, Sam.
Thanks for joining us today.
In doing my research about you,one thing I learned of particular interest
(01:06):
is that you've done a two weekbackpacking trip through Patagonia.
Is that right? Yeah. That's right.
Can you tell me a little bitabout that experience?
Yeah.
Well, actually, it was my honeymoon trip,
and we decided to really,go in the unknown.
We are both the mountains lovers.
And, yeah, we basically took all our stufffor two weeks in the backpack,
(01:29):
and we went from, cabanato another cabana in Patagonia,
enjoying the beautiful landscapethat is there.
We were very lucky, in meeting a lot ofdifferent people that was on the road.
Sometimes just crossing pathsand sometimes, following the same path.
And so I can imagine with, you know,all the different paths and maps involved,
etc., did it take quite
a bit of planning to do that trip,or did you sort of play it by ear?
(01:53):
No, I planned it, actually,from Switzerland.
So I had reserved everything before. Yeah.
Because there is a limited placeto sleep up in the mountains.
Also, there is a lot of bus travelingthat needs to be booked in advance.
So we had planned it all through before.
Yeah, various challengessort of logistically
and I'm sure, in terms of the environmentand the climate too.
(02:14):
Is that right?
Yes. We were lucky to have very goodweather.
Patagonia can be also very windy.
And we we went there in, in Januaryand had a fantastic good weather.
Oh, lovely. I'm jealous.
So, Claire, I wonder if you could paintthe picture for us.
We'redriving up to the high-voltage factory.
We go inside. And what do we see?
How many people work there?
(02:34):
Do they wear special safety gear?
What kind of equipment is visible?
So maybe the first thing that can bea little bit surprising is that it
is not a factory where, you know,we are grinding or milling or something.
We have nothing dirty in there.Right, right.
So it is a very bright, cleanand colorful factory.
It's sort of
not the factories that you imagine from,like the Industrial Revolution.
(02:58):
Exactly. Yeah, exactly.
What we do in, in the Zurichis really the final assembly
of a gas-insulated switchgear.
And then the testing.
So what you have is, you have cranes,you have production lines where you,
you see really the,the GIS being assembled step by step
until it becomes a complete moduleor a complete
bay that is ready to be testedin our test facility.
(03:21):
So you mentioned the bays.
How are those huge bays of switchgearput together?
How big is a bay, comparatively speaking?
Is it the size of a car, a truck, a train?
Yeah.
So you can say it's,I mean it's higher than a car.
I mean, it can be two meters,two meters and a half
and it's larger than a caror maybe as large as a big car.
(03:44):
Yeah, Right?
And this bay, we assemble full baysfor everything that is up to 400 kV.
Or for the big ones,we assemble only the components here.
Then we deliver them on site and on site,they will be put together.
Amazing, Right,so we have the two possibilities.
And then.
So if you're putting them togetherhere, what's that process like.
So typically we have a platformwhere we will build a bay on it.
(04:06):
And it's with a steel structure
and then we start buildingthe element on it step by step.
So we have, the circuit-breaker,which is, of course, let's say the,
the core element, the heart of it.
And then we buildthe components around it.
Earthing switch, disconnector, a CT’s,any connection elements.
And how long does that processgenerally take to build that bay.
(04:29):
Yeah.
So typically it takes let's say1 or 2 weeks if everything runs smooth.
Yeah, yeah.
And fingers crossed, I assume.
You askedhow do the people look like. Right.
So yeah.
Yeah.The people who worked in the factory. Yes.
So we have some people on the shop floorthat are obviously wearing,
let's say, Hitachi Energy clothes.
(04:51):
Uniforms etc. With safety shoes.
But what is a sole bit specialabout our factories that they are wearing
a hairnet to avoid thattheir hair is falling into the equipment.
And, could bring,PD signal, partial discharge
signal in our, in our GIS.
That term, can you say that again for us?
I don't recognize that term.
Partial discharge? Yeah.
(05:12):
So when you have particles in the highvoltage equipment and then the electricity
goes to the particle and not where it–along the conductor as it should be.
And therefore this is not somethingwe want in, in our materials.
Right.
So if I understand correctly,you want to avoid any particle
sort of crazy to wrap your head around–because particles are so, so small.
But you want to avoid any particle frominterfering with that electric current.
(05:35):
So your workers who work inthose factories are wearing hairnets
similar to people who might workin a factory that deals with food or.
Yeah, or semiconductors, right?
Something similar. Right.
So the same sort of thought
is going into the manufacturingof these, components and this equipment
as would go into producing foodthat we eat. Yes.
(05:56):
And we also have air supply,with overpressure in the factory
to make sure that the dustis being kept outside as much as possible.
I assume that's for both
the safety of the workers as well as thesafety of the equipment, is that right?
That'sreally for the quality of the equipment.
Yeah.
And there are other safety controlsput in place
for the people who work there,I assume, as well.
(06:18):
Right.
So we are following the same global rulesin all the factories in Hitachi Energy.
Right.
So we have the ten lifesaving rules that we are following.
I can give you an exampleis, for instance, let's say I'm not,
below a suspended load, right?
Or before I start the work, I do a stopfive and I look at the risk of the work.
(06:39):
Right.
So we have ten principles like thatthat we want to follow.
And for everythingthat is electrical work, we have also
seven electrical steps that we haveto follow in every work we do.
Yeah. Yeah.
So a lot of thoughtgoes into the whole process.
Now I wonder how are the finished productsput together.
So for instance, in Zurichwhere you manufacture
(07:00):
the gas-insulated switchgearor GIS, as you were saying earlier,
what are the basic stepsfrom start to finish?
So you have to imaginethat we get half of them
from our feeder factories,so our internal suppliers.
And the rest of the componentswe get, from external suppliers.
So all this has been delivered
when we want to startwith the production of a bay.
(07:21):
Then there are some elements where we dothe, the pre-assembly in Zurich.
So for instance todaywe do pre-assembly of CT’s
for the sub-transmission linefor instance.
Then we do this pre-assembly
so that we have complete modulesready to be mounted together.
And then we have this platformwhere we start
with a steel structureand then we start putting like a Lego,
(07:43):
really, the elements together,the elements are quite big, right?
You cannot carry them by hand. Right.
So we have cranes to carry the elementsand, mount them on the platform
and then put them,assemble them, one-one to each other.
But that's a great analogyyou sort of bring up there,
which is that you're sort of fittingthese things together like Lego blocks.
(08:04):
So they all
have a particular way of fitting together,and you have to make sure
you're getting that connectionas seamless as possible, is that right?
Exactly. So you need to make sure it'swell centered.
Then you need to make sure you're screwingthe bolts correctly.
Right.
And this is until you have the,the bay ready.
In the case we produce a full bay.
(08:25):
And then the big part of our workis the testing.
Right.
So this bay is then going to the testing.
So we are testing if the bay is, tight.
So if we have no gas, getting out.
So we fill it with gas, wetest the tightness and then we release it.
We test mechanical testing.
Right.
So if the operating mechanismis, is acting well
(08:47):
and really opening the breakeras it should and as quick as it should.
And finally we do the HV test.
So high voltagetesting to really check that
our bay is readyto, to perform also on the high voltage.
Right. That's ready for showtime.
So how long does that process actuallytake from start to finish of the materials
arriving on site and then the GISfinishing with its testing?
(09:11):
So it can depends.
I wouldsay something between 2 to 5 weeks.
That seems very quick.
Has it taken that long in the past
or is it taking sort of a shorteramount of time year by year?
Is the system getting tighter and tighter?
That's the target, right.
Obviously to reduce, to reduce the time.
Currently what we are focusing onis on removing
the disruptionsthat prevent us to produce in this time,
(09:35):
we have, let's say, disruption
in terms of material availabilityor in quality problems.
And this is our focus so that we can starthaving, a running flow.
If you were to say the top disruptionor the biggest or most common
disruption these days that you're upagainst, what would that be?
So it is really material availability.
(09:57):
Yeah that's the top one.
But where we have a material missing.
and the second one are quality problems.
Yeah.
So we have for instance, leakage,during the gas testing.
And we need to find out where this leakageis coming from and, and solve it.
And you sort of touched on this already,but what sort of jobs are done
in these factories?
Who are the different peoplethat are working on these products?
(10:19):
First, I would like to say in the factorywe don't have only the shop floor, right?
So we have all types of functionsstarting from sales,
project management,engineering, continuous improvement.
We have planning, we have logistics,we have quality engineering.
Right.
And of course then we have the production.
So we have in total 450 people
(10:41):
with 45 different nationalities. Wow.
And the different jobs we have canbe as diverse as let's say fitters.
We can have automation engineer.
We can have,let's say HV, high voltage specialist.
We have
mechanical and electrical engineer,we have continuous improvement specialist.
We have also a lot of businessadministration people.
(11:03):
So we have really a diverse populationof employees, both in nationalities
and also in the type of backgroundthey have.
Are those factoriesprimarily in Switzerland
or in Europe or Asia,where are the factories?
So we are organizedin a network of factories globally.
We have two types of factories.
(11:23):
We have the operating unitslike Switzerland that are facing the
end customer and doing the final testing–Right ...final assembly; there you have,
such a factory in Zurich,in Switzerland, in Saudi Arabia,
in China and in India.
And then, then
we have the feeder factories, feederfactories are our internal suppliers.
(11:45):
Right.
They are in Bulgaria,they are in Czech Republic,
also in India,they are in Vietnam and also in China.
Do the factories that producethe exact same thing operate differently
at all depending on where in the worldthat factory is, like are there
safety rules that are followedno matter where you are in the world.
But are there also circumstances that arevery particular to a certain location?
(12:08):
So I think the vision isthat every factory is operating
in the same way, right?
And is building the same products,and that we are really standardizing
the product platformsthat we are working on.
Now, different factoriesserve different markets
and, differentmarkets are acting differently, right?
So we have certain factories whichserve a market which is very standardized.
(12:30):
So they will typically havea standard base going through the factory.
While we have in Zurich,
a diversity of customers,we serve mostly Europe and the US,
but we have a diversity of customerswith a lot of requirements.
So we don't have one single baylooking the same than the other.
Right.
Is that, both because
of the requirements of the customer,but also government regulations?
(12:51):
Can be government regulations
mostly it is really about the customertechnical requirements.
Right.
Now, I've heard of the conceptof lean manufacturing.
Can you tell our listeners and me, forthat matter, what lean manufacturing is?
So lean manufacturing is reallywhen you get the material on time
and you produce just in timefor the customer; not too early,
(13:12):
not too late, but just reallywhen the customer requires it.
Then you have a flow productionwhere any disruption
is making very visibleand is tackled in a very agile way.
Then you tackle waste in the operationsin a very consistent way
with continuous improvement.
Correct me if I'm wrong, this sounds likea positive thing – lean manufacturing.
Is this something that you work towards atHitachi Energy?
(13:35):
Yes, definitely.
So lean manufacturingis really who we want to be.
And currently with the extraordinarydemand that we have from the market,
we are working at nothing elseand trying to, to stay lean.
Right? Yeah. Terrific.
So you're currently implementingthe new SF6-free EconiQ portfolio.
Can you tell us a bit more about whatthis means concretely for the factory?
(13:57):
What does that look like to be usinga very different ingredient in production?
Yeah.
Thank you for the question.
And this is actually somethingI like a lot
about working in the production – iseverything is visible, right?
You can really see it.
You can touch it.
It's tangible. It's very tangible. Yeah.
So, for EconiQ, and this is really,let's say our first priority –
(14:18):
this is our purpose to produce this,this EconiQ portfolio.
It's very visible in the factorybecause we have,
I like to saywe have two cardiovascular systems now.
We have an orange one,which is, let's say, bringing, SF6 gas,
current gas to the lines,to the different lines,
and where we can fillthe equipment with, right.
And we have now installed everywherealso a green cardiovascular system,
(14:42):
which is bringing our new mixtureto the different lines so that we can fill
our EconiQ products with it.
We also had to install
tanks in the factorywhere we are pre-mixing the gas we need.
You have to understand that so farSF6 was not a mix, it was a single gas.
Whereas let's say for EconiQwe use a mixture of three different gases.
(15:02):
Well, this mixture is happeningin the factory in big tanks
that is then, feeding the different linesin this green cardiovascular system.
So let me make sure I'mgetting this right.
So SF6 in the past has been sentto the factories already pre-mixed.
No, six is only one gas.
You don't need to mix anything.
Ah, I see, onegas made up of a few different chemicals.
(15:24):
But you're mixing on site the new gas,which is EconiQ. Yes.
And so, I love that imagethat you've painted for us,
those cardiovascular systemsand sort of one system
that's bringing in this new componentand one that's been delivering
the older one. Bringing us tohow these factories are operating,
how do you monitor what raw productsand materials come into the factories?
(15:44):
What processes or software
do you use, or where are you headed withinnovation around that?
So first we have SAP,which is our backbone system where we
we receive our material in SAP
and this is where we are handleall our customer projects in SAP.
And then in the production, we have an MEAsystem, which is a manufacturing system,
(16:05):
which is linked to our new DigitalPassport System.
And the Digital Passport Systemis really a way
to trace all the materials
we have, the main componentsback to the suppliers.
That's really powerful because in case
we have any problem for instance, on siteat the customer, we can trace it back
(16:25):
to, okay, that part has been producedat that supplier.
You're in that batch, right.
So we can checkmaybe the other parts of the same batch.
The target is really to, to increasequality, to increase transparency
with having this, this traceabilityalong the whole value chain
from our external,internal suppliers up to the customer.
(16:47):
Amazing.
Let me ask you this also,what advice would you give
a young person wantingto get into the same line of work as you?
Well, I think a factoryis a wonderful place to start working.
You will learn really the basics about,let's say, operational processes.
You have so many different jobsthat you can never get bored.
(17:07):
And once you figure out how a factoryworks, right?
I mean, that's really then,a lot of different works are possible.
Fantastic.
Thanks so much for joining ustoday, Claire.
Thank you very much Sam, for having me.
You've given us a really detailed
look into the nuts and boltsof how high voltage products are made.
Thanks for tuning into this episode of Power Pulse.
Until next time.
(17:29):
And that's it for today.
We'll be back soonwith some more great content.
But before you go,remember to give us a follow
so you don't miss an episode.
Thanks for tuning in. See you soon.
This episode was brought to you by HitachiEnergy.
Createdand introduced by Bárbara Freitas-Daniels.
Content and scriptwriting by Cassandra Inay.
Guest speaker, Clare Carmona.
(17:49):
Hosted by Sam Dash.
Produced and edited by Creative Chimps.
High voltage takes center stagein this brand
new season of HitachiEnergy's Power Pulse podcast.
We promise to bring you great contentfrom the brightest minds in the business.
We'll discuss challenges, opportunities,and all the hot topics
any high voltage enthusiast
or anyone interested in sustainability,for that matter, is sure to enjoy.
This episode of the podcastis all about the ins
and outs of the High Voltage factory,what it takes to run it, the experts
(00:24):
we need in our teams,what happens in there
and how we make sure that all our staffare safe in that environment and able
to produce equipment that is also safeand reliable for our customers.
To tell you about it.
We invited Claire Carmona,who runs the GIS factory in Zurich.
In addition to experience on the job,
she also holds a master's degree
in managementtechnology and economics from ETH Zurich
(00:45):
and another master's in mechanicalengineering from Central Paris.
Welcome back to Power Pulse.
I'm your host, Sam Dash.
And today I'm speaking with Claire
Carmona, the operating unit managerfor gas-insulated switchgear.
Hi, Claire. Hi, Sam.
Thanks for joining us today.
In doing my research about you,one thing I learned of particular interest
(01:06):
is that you've done a two weekbackpacking trip through Patagonia.
Is that right? Yeah. That's right.
Can you tell me a little bitabout that experience?
Yeah.
Well, actually, it was my honeymoon trip,
and we decided to really,go in the unknown.
We are both the mountains lovers.
And, yeah, we basically took all our stufffor two weeks in the backpack,
(01:29):
and we went from, cabanato another cabana in Patagonia,
enjoying the beautiful landscapethat is there.
We were very lucky, in meeting a lot ofdifferent people that was on the road.
Sometimes just crossing pathsand sometimes, following the same path.
And so I can imagine with, you know,all the different paths and maps involved,
etc., did it take quite
a bit of planning to do that trip,or did you sort of play it by ear?
(01:53):
No, I planned it, actually,from Switzerland.
So I had reserved everything before. Yeah.
Because there is a limited placeto sleep up in the mountains.
Also, there is a lot of bus travelingthat needs to be booked in advance.
So we had planned it all through before.
Yeah, various challengessort of logistically
and I'm sure, in terms of the environmentand the climate too.
(02:14):
Is that right?
Yes. We were lucky to have very goodweather.
Patagonia can be also very windy.
And we we went there in, in Januaryand had a fantastic good weather.
Oh, lovely. I'm jealous.
So, Claire, I wonder if you could paintthe picture for us.
We'redriving up to the high-voltage factory.
We go inside. And what do we see?
How many people work there?
(02:34):
Do they wear special safety gear?
What kind of equipment is visible?
So maybe the first thing that can bea little bit surprising is that it
is not a factory where, you know,we are grinding or milling or something.
We have nothing dirty in there.Right, right.
So it is a very bright, cleanand colorful factory.
It's sort of
not the factories that you imagine from,like the Industrial Revolution.
(02:58):
Exactly. Yeah, exactly.
What we do in, in the Zurichis really the final assembly
of a gas-insulated switchgear.
And then the testing.
So what you have is, you have cranes,you have production lines where you,
you see really the,the GIS being assembled step by step
until it becomes a complete moduleor a complete
bay that is ready to be testedin our test facility.
(03:21):
So you mentioned the bays.
How are those huge bays of switchgearput together?
How big is a bay, comparatively speaking?
Is it the size of a car, a truck, a train?
Yeah.
So you can say it's,I mean it's higher than a car.
I mean, it can be two meters,two meters and a half
and it's larger than a caror maybe as large as a big car.
(03:44):
Yeah, Right?
And this bay, we assemble full baysfor everything that is up to 400 kV.
Or for the big ones,we assemble only the components here.
Then we deliver them on site and on site,they will be put together.
Amazing, Right,so we have the two possibilities.
And then.
So if you're putting them togetherhere, what's that process like.
So typically we have a platformwhere we will build a bay on it.
(04:06):
And it's with a steel structure
and then we start buildingthe element on it step by step.
So we have, the circuit-breaker,which is, of course, let's say the,
the core element, the heart of it.
And then we buildthe components around it.
Earthing switch, disconnector, a CT’s,any connection elements.
And how long does that processgenerally take to build that bay.
(04:29):
Yeah.
So typically it takes let's say1 or 2 weeks if everything runs smooth.
Yeah, yeah.
And fingers crossed, I assume.
You askedhow do the people look like. Right.
So yeah.
Yeah.The people who worked in the factory. Yes.
So we have some people on the shop floorthat are obviously wearing,
let's say, Hitachi Energy clothes.
(04:51):
Uniforms etc. With safety shoes.
But what is a sole bit specialabout our factories that they are wearing
a hairnet to avoid thattheir hair is falling into the equipment.
And, could bring,PD signal, partial discharge
signal in our, in our GIS.
That term, can you say that again for us?
I don't recognize that term.
Partial discharge? Yeah.
(05:12):
So when you have particles in the highvoltage equipment and then the electricity
goes to the particle and not where it–along the conductor as it should be.
And therefore this is not somethingwe want in, in our materials.
Right.
So if I understand correctly,you want to avoid any particle
sort of crazy to wrap your head around–because particles are so, so small.
But you want to avoid any particle frominterfering with that electric current.
(05:35):
So your workers who work inthose factories are wearing hairnets
similar to people who might workin a factory that deals with food or.
Yeah, or semiconductors, right?
Something similar. Right.
So the same sort of thought
is going into the manufacturingof these, components and this equipment
as would go into producing foodthat we eat. Yes.
(05:56):
And we also have air supply,with overpressure in the factory
to make sure that the dustis being kept outside as much as possible.
I assume that's for both
the safety of the workers as well as thesafety of the equipment, is that right?
That'sreally for the quality of the equipment.
Yeah.
And there are other safety controlsput in place
for the people who work there,I assume, as well.
(06:18):
Right.
So we are following the same global rulesin all the factories in Hitachi Energy.
Right.
So we have the ten lifesaving rules that we are following.
I can give you an exampleis, for instance, let's say I'm not,
below a suspended load, right?
Or before I start the work, I do a stopfive and I look at the risk of the work.
(06:39):
Right.
So we have ten principles like thatthat we want to follow.
And for everythingthat is electrical work, we have also
seven electrical steps that we haveto follow in every work we do.
Yeah. Yeah.
So a lot of thoughtgoes into the whole process.
Now I wonder how are the finished productsput together.
So for instance, in Zurichwhere you manufacture
(07:00):
the gas-insulated switchgearor GIS, as you were saying earlier,
what are the basic stepsfrom start to finish?
So you have to imaginethat we get half of them
from our feeder factories,so our internal suppliers.
And the rest of the componentswe get, from external suppliers.
So all this has been delivered
when we want to startwith the production of a bay.
(07:21):
Then there are some elements where we dothe, the pre-assembly in Zurich.
So for instance todaywe do pre-assembly of CT’s
for the sub-transmission linefor instance.
Then we do this pre-assembly
so that we have complete modulesready to be mounted together.
And then we have this platformwhere we start
with a steel structureand then we start putting like a Lego,
(07:43):
really, the elements together,the elements are quite big, right?
You cannot carry them by hand. Right.
So we have cranes to carry the elementsand, mount them on the platform
and then put them,assemble them, one-one to each other.
But that's a great analogyyou sort of bring up there,
which is that you're sort of fittingthese things together like Lego blocks.
(08:04):
So they all
have a particular way of fitting together,and you have to make sure
you're getting that connectionas seamless as possible, is that right?
Exactly. So you need to make sure it'swell centered.
Then you need to make sure you're screwingthe bolts correctly.
Right.
And this is until you have the,the bay ready.
In the case we produce a full bay.
(08:25):
And then the big part of our workis the testing.
Right.
So this bay is then going to the testing.
So we are testing if the bay is, tight.
So if we have no gas, getting out.
So we fill it with gas, wetest the tightness and then we release it.
We test mechanical testing.
Right.
So if the operating mechanismis, is acting well
(08:47):
and really opening the breakeras it should and as quick as it should.
And finally we do the HV test.
So high voltagetesting to really check that
our bay is readyto, to perform also on the high voltage.
Right. That's ready for showtime.
So how long does that process actuallytake from start to finish of the materials
arriving on site and then the GISfinishing with its testing?
(09:11):
So it can depends.
I wouldsay something between 2 to 5 weeks.
That seems very quick.
Has it taken that long in the past
or is it taking sort of a shorteramount of time year by year?
Is the system getting tighter and tighter?
That's the target, right.
Obviously to reduce, to reduce the time.
Currently what we are focusing onis on removing
the disruptionsthat prevent us to produce in this time,
(09:35):
we have, let's say, disruption
in terms of material availabilityor in quality problems.
And this is our focus so that we can starthaving, a running flow.
If you were to say the top disruptionor the biggest or most common
disruption these days that you're upagainst, what would that be?
So it is really material availability.
(09:57):
Yeah that's the top one.
But where we have a material missing.
and the second one are quality problems.
Yeah.
So we have for instance, leakage,during the gas testing.
And we need to find out where this leakageis coming from and, and solve it.
And you sort of touched on this already,but what sort of jobs are done
in these factories?
Who are the different peoplethat are working on these products?
(10:19):
First, I would like to say in the factorywe don't have only the shop floor, right?
So we have all types of functionsstarting from sales,
project management,engineering, continuous improvement.
We have planning, we have logistics,we have quality engineering.
Right.
And of course then we have the production.
So we have in total 450 people
(10:41):
with 45 different nationalities. Wow.
And the different jobs we have canbe as diverse as let's say fitters.
We can have automation engineer.
We can have,let's say HV, high voltage specialist.
We have
mechanical and electrical engineer,we have continuous improvement specialist.
We have also a lot of businessadministration people.
(11:03):
So we have really a diverse populationof employees, both in nationalities
and also in the type of backgroundthey have.
Are those factoriesprimarily in Switzerland
or in Europe or Asia,where are the factories?
So we are organizedin a network of factories globally.
We have two types of factories.
(11:23):
We have the operating unitslike Switzerland that are facing the
end customer and doing the final testing–Right ...final assembly; there you have,
such a factory in Zurich,in Switzerland, in Saudi Arabia,
in China and in India.
And then, then
we have the feeder factories, feederfactories are our internal suppliers.
(11:45):
Right.
They are in Bulgaria,they are in Czech Republic,
also in India,they are in Vietnam and also in China.
Do the factories that producethe exact same thing operate differently
at all depending on where in the worldthat factory is, like are there
safety rules that are followedno matter where you are in the world.
But are there also circumstances that arevery particular to a certain location?
(12:08):
So I think the vision isthat every factory is operating
in the same way, right?
And is building the same products,and that we are really standardizing
the product platformsthat we are working on.
Now, different factoriesserve different markets
and, differentmarkets are acting differently, right?
So we have certain factories whichserve a market which is very standardized.
(12:30):
So they will typically havea standard base going through the factory.
While we have in Zurich,
a diversity of customers,we serve mostly Europe and the US,
but we have a diversity of customerswith a lot of requirements.
So we don't have one single baylooking the same than the other.
Right.
Is that, both because
of the requirements of the customer,but also government regulations?
(12:51):
Can be government regulations
mostly it is really about the customertechnical requirements.
Right.
Now, I've heard of the conceptof lean manufacturing.
Can you tell our listeners and me, forthat matter, what lean manufacturing is?
So lean manufacturing is reallywhen you get the material on time
and you produce just in timefor the customer; not too early,
(13:12):
not too late, but just reallywhen the customer requires it.
Then you have a flow productionwhere any disruption
is making very visibleand is tackled in a very agile way.
Then you tackle waste in the operationsin a very consistent way
with continuous improvement.
Correct me if I'm wrong, this sounds likea positive thing – lean manufacturing.
Is this something that you work towards atHitachi Energy?
(13:35):
Yes, definitely.
So lean manufacturingis really who we want to be.
And currently with the extraordinarydemand that we have from the market,
we are working at nothing elseand trying to, to stay lean.
Right? Yeah. Terrific.
So you're currently implementingthe new SF6-free EconiQ portfolio.
Can you tell us a bit more about whatthis means concretely for the factory?
(13:57):
What does that look like to be usinga very different ingredient in production?
Yeah.
Thank you for the question.
And this is actually somethingI like a lot
about working in the production – iseverything is visible, right?
You can really see it.
You can touch it.
It's tangible. It's very tangible. Yeah.
So, for EconiQ, and this is really,let's say our first priority –
(14:18):
this is our purpose to produce this,this EconiQ portfolio.
It's very visible in the factorybecause we have,
I like to saywe have two cardiovascular systems now.
We have an orange one,which is, let's say, bringing, SF6 gas,
current gas to the lines,to the different lines,
and where we can fillthe equipment with, right.
And we have now installed everywherealso a green cardiovascular system,
(14:42):
which is bringing our new mixtureto the different lines so that we can fill
our EconiQ products with it.
We also had to install
tanks in the factorywhere we are pre-mixing the gas we need.
You have to understand that so farSF6 was not a mix, it was a single gas.
Whereas let's say for EconiQwe use a mixture of three different gases.
(15:02):
Well, this mixture is happeningin the factory in big tanks
that is then, feeding the different linesin this green cardiovascular system.
So let me make sure I'mgetting this right.
So SF6 in the past has been sentto the factories already pre-mixed.
No, six is only one gas.
You don't need to mix anything.
Ah, I see, onegas made up of a few different chemicals.
(15:24):
But you're mixing on site the new gas,which is EconiQ. Yes.
And so, I love that imagethat you've painted for us,
those cardiovascular systemsand sort of one system
that's bringing in this new componentand one that's been delivering
the older one. Bringing us tohow these factories are operating,
how do you monitor what raw productsand materials come into the factories?
(15:44):
What processes or software
do you use, or where are you headed withinnovation around that?
So first we have SAP,which is our backbone system where we
we receive our material in SAP
and this is where we are handleall our customer projects in SAP.
And then in the production, we have an MEAsystem, which is a manufacturing system,
(16:05):
which is linked to our new DigitalPassport System.
And the Digital Passport Systemis really a way
to trace all the materials
we have, the main componentsback to the suppliers.
That's really powerful because in case
we have any problem for instance, on siteat the customer, we can trace it back
(16:25):
to, okay, that part has been producedat that supplier.
You're in that batch, right.
So we can checkmaybe the other parts of the same batch.
The target is really to, to increasequality, to increase transparency
with having this, this traceabilityalong the whole value chain
from our external,internal suppliers up to the customer.
(16:47):
Amazing.
Let me ask you this also,what advice would you give
a young person wantingto get into the same line of work as you?
Well, I think a factoryis a wonderful place to start working.
You will learn really the basics about,let's say, operational processes.
You have so many different jobsthat you can never get bored.
(17:07):
And once you figure out how a factoryworks, right?
I mean, that's really then,a lot of different works are possible.
Fantastic.
Thanks so much for joining ustoday, Claire.
Thank you very much Sam, for having me.
You've given us a really detailed
look into the nuts and boltsof how high voltage products are made.
Thanks for tuning into this episode of Power Pulse.
Until next time.
(17:29):
And that's it for today.
We'll be back soonwith some more great content.
But before you go,remember to give us a follow
so you don't miss an episode.
Thanks for tuning in. See you soon.
This episode was brought to you by HitachiEnergy.
Createdand introduced by Bárbara Freitas-Daniels.
Content and scriptwriting by Cassandra Inay.
Guest speaker, Clare Carmona.
(17:49):
Hosted by Sam Dash.
Produced and edited by Creative Chimps.
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