Manufacturing Technology Projects Will Create Greater Efficiencies for GPI®

Wichita, KS -- (ReleaseWire) -- 05/15/2015 --Over the next six months, Great Plains Industries, Inc. (GPI), is undertaking a number of manufacturing technology projects that will result in greater efficiencies at its manufacturing facility in Wichita, Kan.

"Innovation is key for GPI and these capital investments create tremendous value for us as a supplier, but more importantly for our distributors and their customers," said Vic Lukic, GPI CEO.

Project One, the installation of a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS), will begin in June. The project is expected to span nearly nine months and will greatly improve machining capacity and efficiency.

Project Two will span four months and will set up a completely new and improved method of manufacturing composite suction pipe. The result is a much higher­quality suction pipe for no more cost. This project includes a state­of­the­art composite injection molding machine and assembly cell for suction pipe production.

"This new technology is incredibly important, especially for companies like ours that place great emphasis on lean manufacturing principles," says Lukic. "It's the science of understanding. When you're on a production floor and you're evaluating processes, the ability to recognize where waste is, is where the real challenge is. Sometimes activities don't look like they're wasteful, but they are."

"We continually improve processes and examine new and better ways of producing our products," says Jeff Methe, GPI Operations Manager. "The Flexible Manufacturing System and new injection mold machine and assembly cell are just a couple of major projects underway that will significantly impact GPI's manufacturing capability — resulting in better performance, higher quality and lower costs."

About Great Plains Industries
Founded in 1968 and privately held, Great Plains Industries, Inc. manufactures quality fuel transfer pumps, fuel meters, flowmeters and industrial instrumentation for global fluid transfer and liquid flowmeter markets. Headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, the company is home to the GPI® The Proven Choice®, FLOMEC™ and GPRO™ brands that serve industrial, commercial and retail customers in diverse applications: fuel, agriculture, chemicals, manufacturing, construction, mining, oil and gas, and more.

For more information on Great Plains Industries, visit http://gpi.net/