American Ordnance LLC (AO) is like the superhero of military ammunition production! This dynamic company ensures that the United States military has access to the best ordinance on the battlefield. AO is all about production process improvement, which means they’re always looking for ways to make the production of military ammunition more efficient and effective.
What does American Ordnance Produce?
So what exactly do they produce? Well, buckle up because this is where it gets fascinating. American Ordnance makes many ordinances, like the M430, M918, M385, and the Mixed-Belt. Their capabilities include Test Fire Ranges, Ammunition Production for Indirect Fire like Stinger Warheads, and Direct Fire like the M467, or the M865. But one of their most impressive feats is the M430 40mm grenade. This little guy packs a big punch, and AO continually works to ensure the grenades perform to the highest standards possible.
In short, American Ordnance LLC is the unsung hero of the battlefield, always working behind the scenes to ensure the troops have what they need to get the job done.
About the M430 40mm Grenade
Ah, the M430 40 mm grenade, what a fascinating little firecracker! This round packs a punch like no other, and it’s versatile as all get-out! You can launch it from a single-shot light launcher, or if you’re feeling adventurous, mount it on a machine gun and shoot 350 rounds per minute! Imagine the firepower that could bring to a battlefield.
But wait, there’s more! This grenade isn’t just a one-trick pony. With a range of up to 1600 meters, it can take down infantry and even light armored vehicles. That’s right, and it can penetrate a whopping 2 inches of armor! It’s like a tiny armor-busting powerhouse, just waiting to make a significant impact.
M430 Delivery System
The delivery systems for the M430 are top-notch too, like the MK19, or M433HEDP. The MK19 machine gun is light, with low recoil, making it the perfect choice for small vehicles, boats, or light tactical combat units against static targets such as bunkers, armored vehicles, tanks, and masonry. All military branches have employed this round, along with many countries around the world and it’s not hard to see why. It’s the ultimate all-rounder, ready to take on whatever challenges come.
Use in the 2022 Ukraine Russia War
According to Dylan Malyasov, from the Defense Blog, “on January 28, 2023, hundreds of MK19 machine guns were delivered to Ukraine in one day” for the war effort against the Russian invasion. The MK19 combined with an inexpensive spotter drone, provides an effective tool in the war. They fire a few shots and use the drone to correct the aiming.
Drones even carry the versatile m430 grenade. See the footage of an M430 grenade setting a tank on fire
M430 Production Line
Ah, the good old grenade production line! Where machines and human hands come together to create the ultimate tool for making a loud noise and sending bits of metal flying in every direction.
You see, my friend, the production of these little bombs is a well-oiled machine, with automated equipment doing most of the heavy lifting and some clever folks checking in to ensure everything is running smoothly. But let’s focus on one particular aspect of the production process, shall we?
Enter the indexing table, a workhorse of a machine that moves the products through ten stations of the indexing dial system with ease. It’s like a dance floor for grenades, each step taking approximately 12 seconds and rotating 36 degrees.
The first station is where the party starts, with the parts for two grenades loaded onto a fixture-like puzzle piece. Next, it’s time to get sticky, as the glue is placed on the contact points of the assembly area, completing the puzzle piece by piece until the final station, where the finished grenades are removed from the line and sent off on a conveyor to the next step of their explosive journey.
The m430 production process optimization line
But wait, there’s more! Due to various reasons, the demand for these little gifts of destruction has increased, and the production rates need to keep pace. So, the production line is constantly being tweaked and optimized to ensure the world never runs out of these handy little devices.
Process Improvement Problem
Oh boy, have you heard about the indexing table at the factory? Talk about a wild ride! Each station’s production time could vary, causing chaos and unpredictability. The table doesn’t index until all stations complete their work. Also, it was a nightmare to calculate the throughput, with the “slow station” randomly shifting from one station to another depending on human factors, misfeeds, or errors.
But never fear because the clever folks at the factory made several changes to fix this issue. First, a double index is to complete the final assembly in two simultaneous stations. The expected improvement from the change was to double the throughput, making it the group’s darling.
However, the wise and experienced Vince Villont, a lean manufacturing expert, suggested they run production process simulations before investing any money into the proposal. And you know what? He was right! The process modeling ran smoothly from start to finish, taking only two days to build. And you won’t believe this, but the as-is model behaved almost exactly like the real system! It just goes to show that a little bit of process simulation can go a long way.
Did Process Simulation help American Ordnance?
Vince, the mastermind behind the American Ordnance simulation, said: “ProcessModel was a game changer for us. It allowed us to explore various ‘what if’ scenarios and see the outcomes without actually implementing them in real life.”
But it wasn’t just a fun toy for him; it prevented a costly mistake. VINCE explained, “We were about to make a significant capital investment of over $50,000, but thanks to the simulation, we discovered it wouldn’t have produced the results we wanted. Crisis averted!”
But that’s not all! Vince went on to gush about the beauty of the ProcessModel. He said, “It was amazing to test real-world variables like parts unavailability, non-continuous flow, start-up and shutdown, breaks and lunches, reject rates, and more. In addition, production process simulation helped us identify issues causing us lost time that had nothing to do with the equipment performance.”
And the best part? The experiment could be run in seconds, giving the process improvement team a chance to see the effects of their decisions before making any changes. The simulation was also incredibly visual, making it easy to show others and get everyone on the same page. The combination of several changes provided the best solutions, and the graphical capability of the simulation was key in driving management and process experts to reach a quick consensus. Overall, the time investment for process simulation provided a considerable return.
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