ge vernova boosts circuit breaker output using lean principles at charleroi factory

ge vernova’s grid solutions plant in charleroi, pa, which produces high-voltage circuit breakers and instrument transformers, has significantly increased productivity through a lean management initiative. responding to a surge in demand driven by ai, data centers, renewable energy, and electric vehicle adoption, the plant hosted a kaizen event in february to optimize production processes.

key outcomes:

- cut assembly time for its largest circuit breaker (dt2-550) by approximately 67%
- reduced worker walking distance by 37%
- implemented 15 safety improvements
- introduced new fixtures to reduce reliance on shared cranes
- improved material flow and organization, reducing wasted time
- addressed ergonomic risks using computer vision tools

plant manager altay keresteci emphasized lean as a critical strategy, stating, “you can’t just expand the facility that fast, but you can utilize what you have by continuous improvement.” with the u.s. power demand forecast to grow 16% in five years, the charleroi plant aims to quintuple production of its dt2-550 breakers.

ge vernova ceo scott strazik praised the team’s efforts, highlighting that the success came “without a lot of capital expenditures” and was a direct result of building “lean muscle.”

ge vernova plans to invest $600 million across its u.s. factories, including charleroi and clearwater, florida, to add capacity and create around 260 new jobs. charleroi is expected to hold 60 kaizen events this year as part of its ongoing lean transformation.