By Brian Masterson
General Manager
Global Supply Chain

Our team is very excited about the supply chain initiatives undertaken in 2007. GE’s Oil & Gas business is developing extreme efficiencies in its approach to meeting modern global industry supply challenges. While superior delivery and installation are the end result for our customers, our internal processes are the means to those ends. So I’d like to share with you just a sample of the process technology advances we’ve made this year.

Blue-Arc™ grinding and super-finishing

Blue-Arc is the first machine of its kind built in Europe and incorporates no fewer than seven patented technologies to double our cycle speed. The previous process involved standard grinding on one machine for both rough and finish phases, with one part being completed every 10 minutes. By contrast, our new Blue-Arc process completes one part every five minutes by performing rough with ECDM and finish with grinding. In February 2007, super-finishing (an abrasive flow process used to reduce flow-path roughness) was introduced to turbo-compressor manufacturing. In just one year, compressor efficiency has increased by 2%, recast layer removal reduced from 10 days to one, and we have completed 80 impellers.

Drilling riser improvements

A $3 million investment in 2007 resulted in seven new technologies to improve cycle time and increase overall capacity by 250% to help meet customer demand. The three most significant ‘game-changers’ are: Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing to increase detectability, provide absolute mapping and a digital record; Stab Test to increase fit-up test from 25% to 100%, and improve handling of risers for testing; and Hydro Test using simulated field conditions to test compression rather than tension. The four additional technologies are Centrifugal Blasting, Grinding Pig, Orbital Welding and Induction Heat Treatment.

Advanced Casting Ultrasonic Testing (ACUT)

This technology was developed in conjunction with our Global Research Center and GE Inspection Technologies to ensure the quality of castings received from our suppliers. The ACUT process is employed at the foundry to find defects below the final machined surface – inspecting eight times deeper than traditional methods. In terms of delivery, ACUT is now required of all our casting suppliers and significantly reduces the possibility of defective castings reaching our manufacturing facilities. It improves the overall manufacturing cycle by avoiding late detection of material flaws.

These and various other developments have led to substantial improvements in both the quality of our products and the speed at which we deliver them. There are many more on the horizon for 2008.