Technical Directions Inc.
Company Profile
Technical Directions Inc. (TDI) is a United States manufacturer of turbine engine technologies for military applications. President Vern E. Brooks, PE explains, “We build very small turbo jet engines for missile and UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] applications.” Established in 1983, TDI has been developing turbine engines for 20 years. Headquartered in Ortonville, Michigan, the company has a core staff of five employees as well as a team of contractors who fill specialized roles on an as-needed basis. The organization adheres to AS9100B and ISO-9001:2000 requirements to support the U.S. government, U.S. military and other defense contractors.
Need
To provide products for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), TDI needed to prove its ability to manufacture to DoD specifications. Brooks describes, “[The government] wants to see something in production before they place an order. They want to see a functioning production line; [however,] we aren’t able to produce until an [actual] order is in place.” Limited to some illustrative charts and a promise to deliver, TDI could not earn business from the DoD. The company needed to demonstrate it could accommodate various requests under a range of circumstances, and did not have the resources to do so alone.
Solution
After consulting with a mentor defense contractor, TDI chose to partner with the Doyle Center for Manufacturing Technology (Doyle Center) to perform a simulation of its manufacturing capabilities. Doyle Center personnel trained TDI staff on how to gather data for the project, and after extensive surveying of suppliers and all TDI supplier personnel, the simulation was carried out under a variety of conditions to prove the company’s manufacturing aptitude and flexibility. The simulation project allowed TDI to confirm the reliability of a supplier-based network in which TDI can control engine design and assembly while outsourcing actual manufacturing.
Results
The simulation verified TDI’s competence to produce a critical product on a large scale for the DoD. The U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force and other defense contractors have approved TDI’s manufacturing quality system, giving the company a distinct advantage over other companies competing for government contracts.
Testimonial
According to Brooks, TDI’s interaction with the Doyle Center was a wholly positive one. He says, “They had to train us to get information that was required for the simulation, and they worked with us as we fine-tuned our expertise and put together an optimal simulation. All along the road, the Doyle Center was excellent, resourceful and professional.”