Amsted Automotive Achieves Remarkable 1% Downtime in Global Manufacturing Facilities

Amsted Automotive's Leap in Operational Efficiency

In a significant achievement, Amsted Automotive has remarkably cut manufacturing downtime to a mere 1% across the majority of its 15 global facilities, including 12 located in the United States. This accomplishment is not only a testament to the company's commitment to operational excellence but also enhances reliability while driving productivity to new heights. The company's work-order closure rates, now at an impressive 96%, reflect their dedication to maintaining robust operations.

The Journey Towards Efficiency

Several years ago, Amsted Automotive embarked on a mission to analyze and improve efficiency within its manufacturing operations. The goal was clear: minimize downtime and reduce overall asset ownership costs through enhanced predictive maintenance strategies. By leveraging real-time data analysis and artificial intelligence, the company has been able to proactively pinpoint potential equipment failures. This advanced approach reduces downtime significantly, cuts costs, and prevents unforeseen repairs, ensuring operations run smoothly.

Jason Hahn, the Amsted Global Reliability and Systems Manager, played a pivotal role in developing a comprehensive strategy that involved several key components: implementation, adoption, measurement, reporting, training, and analysis of maintenance systems. To streamline their processes and maintain consistency, Hahn employed advanced eMaint software from Fluke Reliability. This software serves as a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) that optimizes maintenance operations while integrating Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) practices, thereby managing the entire lifecycle of an asset from acquisition to disposal.

Implementation and Integration

The introduction of eMaint was coupled with the creation of customized dashboards to ensure that data from all maintenance departments was aligned with their daily responsibilities and accountability metrics. This also facilitated smoother shift changes and improved monthly KPI (Key Performance Indicator) meetings. Monthly scorecards report on the progress of each facility, focusing on failure analysis, predictive yields, and decreases in downtime.

In conjunction with this framework, Hahn devised a centralized predictive route program that employs various technologies, including acoustic imaging to detect air leaks and bearing issues, thermal imaging for identifying electrical failures, and vibration metering to monitor the condition of asset bearings and gearboxes.

Achieving Operational Goals

By integrating these strategies, along with automation tools designed to streamline workflows, Amsted Automotive has successfully reduced operational waste while enhancing speed and efficiency. Maintenance technicians now benefit from reduced manual input thanks to features that auto-populate fields and automatically send email notifications regarding the status of work orders.

At the recent XCELERTE25 Conference in Austin, Texas, held in March 2025, Hahn detailed how these innovations in predictive maintenance have transformed operational goals within the company. His insights not only showcased Amsted’s achievements but also underscored the importance of technology in modern manufacturing.

About Amsted Automotive

Founded in 2021, Amsted Automotive results from the strategic merger of Means Industries Inc., Transform Automotive, SMW Manufacturing, and Burgess-Norton Mfg. Co., Inc. This integration has provided a more substantial global footprint, now encompassing 21 facilities across North America, Europe, and Asia. It serves a diverse range of industries, including automotive, off-highway, and mining, manufacturing over 100 million components and assemblies yearly. The team combines extensive design and engineering expertise, striving to lead in precision products and propulsion systems tailored for electrified, hybrid, and internal combustion engine platforms.

Through such progressive innovations, Amsted Automotive continues to play a critical role in the global manufacturing landscape, contributing to the advancement of automatic transmission systems produced in its extensive North American, European, and Asian facilities.