Corporate SAINTs to See Results of Pitt Projects Students Companies Work Together to Enhance Engineering Productivity

April 17, 2002

PITTSBURGH—Five industrial engineering teams from the University of Pittsburgh's SAINT (Sponsor An Industrial ENgineering Team) program will present the results of their projects to their sponsors 12:30-3:45 p.m. Friday, April 19, in Kresge Auditorium of Pitt's Benedum Hall.

SAINTs are corporations that donate to the Department of Industrial Engineering (IE) at Pitt and agree to provide senior IE students with a meaningful, challenging project. At the end of the term, SAINTs are provided with a final technical report that summarizes the project background, methodology, implementation, results, and recommendations.

This year, SAINTs include: Ameristeel, of Charlotte, N.C.; US Steel, Irwin Works, of Dravosburg, Pa.; Bombardier Transportation, of Pittsburgh; FedEx Ground, of Pittsburgh; and Eaton/Cutler Hammer, of Beaver, Pa.

"There are many benefits to the sponsors, such as adding fresh and unbiased resources to their teams, cost savings, inventory reductions, improvements in quality and productivity, and reduced throughput time," said Bopaya Bidanda, Earnest Roth Professor and chair of Pitt's IE department. "It also can serve as a great recruitment tool for the company!"

Students are supervised in their projects by faculty mentors and corporate contacts.

"For the students, it is an opportunity to work on a real-world project and to practice team-building and leadership skills, as well as an opportunity to shine in front of a prospective employer," says Kim LaScola Needy, Wellington C. Carl Faculty Fellow, Pitt associate professor of industrial engineering, and SAINT faculty advisor.

The projects highlighted at the presentation include:

• "Justification for the Purchase of New Machinery at Ameristeel";

• "Analysis of Mobile Equipment Utilization at U.S. Steel, Irwin Works";

• "Analysis of Kitting Methods at Bombardier and their Suppliers";

• "Analysis of Surplus Conveyor Recovery Action Program at FedEx Ground"; and

• "Design of a Series-C Cell at Eaton/Cutler Hammer."

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