Inside Iowa State
Oct. 27, 1995


NEW LAB TO HELP MANUFACTURERS FIND BETTER WAYS

by Steve Sullivan
In the northwest corner of Industrial Education II is a room 
that is accustomed to big challenging tasks. For years, it 
served as Veterinary Medicine's large animal surgical 
gallery. Now, it is the site of a new teaching and research 
lab that will bring together problem-solving teams of Iowa 
State faculty and students and Iowa manufacturers.

The J. Wayne Bevis Process Simulation Laboratory, part of the 
College of Education's industrial technology program, was 
created to help businesses develop better products and 
manufacturing processes. It provides a site for manufacturers 
to collaborate with ISU faculty experts and students.

The lab, named after retiring Pella Corp.CEO J. Wayne Bevis, 
was dedicated on Oct. 12 in conjunction with an Iowa 
Department of Economic Development conference.

"This lab is significant because it symbolizes Iowa 
industry's increasing support of and involvement in the 
industrial technology program," said John Dugger, associate 
professor and chair of the department of industrial education 
and technology. 

The Bevis Laboratory was created with gifts from the Pella 
Rolscreen Foundation and the Peter H. & E. Lucille Gaass 
Kuyper Foundation. More than $176,000 has been contributed to 
the project by 14 private companies. 

"I am delighted that so many companies are collaborating with 
the department of industrial education and technology to make 
this project possible," said Norene Daly, dean of the College 
of Education.

The techniques that will be used at the Bevis Lab are 
centered on Pella's Kaizen approach to manufacturing. Kaizen 
is a Japanese continuous improvement model process that 
focuses on either a product's design or manufacturing 
strategies. Iowa State is one of the few schools in the 
country teaching this process, Dugger said.

The Kaizen process involves teams of professionals who 
literally pick apart designs and manufacturing processes. 
Initially, these teams come up with seven product designs or 
manufacturing process options. They then choose what they 
believe are the three best options and test each. The entire 
Kaizen project can be completed in one week and it leads to 
more efficient approaches to creating better products, Dugger 
said. It can be used on both large- and small-scale projects.
The Bevis Lab also will be used for projects involving 
ergonomic concerns, occupational safety issues and training 
needs.

"Our students are going to get invaluable experience by 
working alongside faculty and people from Iowa industry to 
solve real-world problems," Dugger said. "The ultimate 
benefit will come in the form of students who graduate from 
our program knowing the issues and manufacturing approaches 
that are of concern to Iowa industry. They will be prepared 
for the employers who need them."

Pella already has committed to using the lab, and industrial 
technology program officials plan to solicit interest from 
other Iowa manufacturers. 

The industrial technology program, which began in 1971, 
prepares graduates for careers in manufacturing technology, 
occupational safety, and technical training and development. 
Its placement rates for the 1994-95 academic year were 97 
percent within six months after graduation, according to the 
College of Education's placement office.

Students are expected to do an internship or co-op with a 
business before graduating. The demand for interns exceeded 
the number of students available last year, Dugger said.

__________
University Relations
Iowa State University