Emerson has completed the first phase of upgrades to its plant in Rushville, Indiana, totaling nearly $8 million. The upgrades began in 2015 and have allowed the company to enhance its Copeland® compressor remanufacturing capabilities while strengthening its OEM manufacturing operations. Since 2013, Emerson has invested $13 million in the plant.  

Since 2015, Emerson has installed three Okuma machining centers with an auto-load system for remanufacturing, converted to cellular assembly with various compressor sizes on one line, installed a new parts washing process with state-of-the-art filtration, and made additional facility upgrades to help prevent operational disruptions and enhance safety. The company said these facility upgrades will help Emerson meet customers’ increased needs for flexibility, offering compressors ranging from .25 to 40 hp with tighter tolerances, while also improving processes for more efficient, faster operations.

“With the increased adoption of digital and smart technologies and more complicated equipment, these investments have allowed us to shift to faster, more efficient equipment and significantly improve employee training, thereby simplifying processes for operators,” said Thomas Chrysler, refrigeration product planner at Emerson. “With more improvements coming, we’ll maintain our commitment to upgrading equipment and improving plant operational processes to provide timely, increased customization, including late customization, for our customers.”

Planned projects for the Rushville plant include an investment in metrology equipment to enhance quality, targeted equipment replacements to help ensure uptime, a consolidation of operations to reduce lead time, and late customization capabilities to improve responsiveness.