KNIGHT NEW MANUFACTURING FACILITY

In 2010, Knight transitioned into its new manufacturing facility to allow for increased production capability. Knight manufacturing head quarters is now located in Mexico, 15 miles south of El Paso, Texas. The area is hub of manufacturing for over 70 U.S. Fortune 500 companies that range from aerospace, biomedical, electronics, automotive, and home appliances. With a footprint of over 36,000 square feet, Knight's new state-of-the-art facility houses Knight's steel fabrication, welding, assembly, quality control, testing, shipping, and inventory. With supporting facilities in England, Canada, Australia, and China, Knight is a global leader in chemical control technology. This brief tour will provide you a glimpse of our new manufacturing facility and capabilities.

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE / SIX SIGMA
Operational Excellence initiatives have been at the core of Knight manufacturing since 2001, and continues to be an integral part at Knight's new facility. These initiatives are used by Knight to better meet customer needs while driving out wastes in our business processes. Six Sigma, Global Sourcing, and Value Stream Mapping (VSM) are a few business management tools used in our Operational Excellence effort. Knight uses these tools to implement change in a strategic, data-driven method. With these tools, our company can systematically capture and analyze data, make changes to our existing processes, and take control of improvement outcomes. Manufacturing techniques such as Demand Flow Technology, Kaizen, Lean, and Kanbans are being leveraged to reduce lead times and ensure better on time delivery.

WORK CELL
The implementation of Demand Flow Technology and Kanbans have dramatically improved output and quality in our work cells. Many assemblers are cross trained to work on more than one production line to meet demand for the hundreds of standard and custom products we build. The use of sophisticated mapping techniques eliminate "non-value added" steps in the process and enable us to pass the benefits to our customers.

IN HOUSE MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING
Our on-site manufacturing resources gives Knight the flexibility to be a build to order company. With in house engineering, programming, steel fabrication, welding, assembly, and quality control, Knight is able to offer unique solutions and custom build to a unit to fit your precise needs. Control of the production of a product from the design to the assembly allows Knight to differentiate you from the competition.

Knight produces over 100,000 pounds of finished stainless steel each month. Computer controlled turret presses such as this Amada Pega-345 produce consistent quality with minimal waste. Once the stainless steel is punched, every part is sanded and de-burred before they are bent into shape with one of the several brake presses that allow for a plethora of shapes and sizes. After welds and final touches, the stainless steel is ready for assembly.