Latest news with #ManufacturingExcellence
Irish Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Japanese pharmaceutical firm Astellas claims top honour at Manufacturing Excellence Awards 2025
A Japanese pharmaceutical manufacturer with operations in Co Kerry has been named the overall winner at the Manufacturing Excellence Awards 2025, held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry in Dublin. Astellas Ireland's Killorglin plant, which manufactures treatments including the immunosuppressant Prograf, was selected by a distinguished judging panel for exceptional performance across innovation, quality, sustainability and operational efficiency. The judging panel's citation stated that Astellas had 'set a benchmark in Irish manufacturing, demonstrating leadership, adaptability and a commitment to continuous improvement'. James O'Neill, lead pharma manufacturing operations at Astellas, commented: 'It's the first time entering from our operations and manufacturing side of things. The award win helps promote your site, what you're doing and what you're best in class at.' READ MORE The Kerry plant, established in 1990, employs 250 permanent staff and has made notable environmental advances, with its wind turbine and wood chip boiler reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 3,000 tonnes annually. The facility also won the award in the waste management category. Now in its second year, the Manufacturing Excellence Awards attracted 72 entries from 42 companies across Ireland. The ceremony was hosted by Colm O'Regan and attended by 134 industry professionals, with 17 trophies presented across various categories recognising excellence in Irish manufacturing. The Irish Manufacturing Council serves as the strategic partner for the awards programme, helping to promote collaboration between industries and the Council. Guangbo Hao, IMC secretary, highlighted the importance of the programme. 'The awards are a great opportunity to assess and recognise the excellence of the industries and a significant promotion for the collaboration between the industries and IMC,' he said. Among the award winners, Redmond McDonnell, chief executive of DesignPro Automation, expressed delight at winning in the manufacturer category, noting 'whenever you win amongst your peers, it's always a very good thing' and highlighting the value of recognition among customers and suppliers. John Byrne, chief executive of Hygeia, called it 'a fantastic achievement' for their 85-year-old company to win in the manufacturer category, noting that the recognition is 'an acknowledgment for both company and staff for what's been achieved through the year'. Judging coordinator Matt Cotterell noted that the Manufacturing Excellence Awards showcase the diversity of activities and capabilities within the Irish manufacturing sector. 'The awards feature companies that make a very valuable contribution to the Irish economy, providing a great range of employment opportunities whilst enriching the communities where they are based,' he said. Dr Cotterell explained that manufacturing is a team activity requiring multiple disciplinary activities with a focus on continuous improvement and customer satisfaction. 'It is technology-enabled but people are key, and the awards ceremony celebrates the valuable contribution of people in enabling companies to succeed and is a great networking event.' Winners of the Manufacturing Excellence Awards 2025 He added that sustainability and digital transformation are themes that featured strongly in all the award categories. 'Real-time monitoring of processes and systems performance is being implemented across the supply chain by manufacturers, allowing them to make data-informed decisions and improvements.' Heber McMahon, director of sales at Cygnum Timber Frame, said it was 'a pleasure' to be recognised alongside notable companies. Paul Murray, supply chain manager at Aryzta Ireland, noted that the company's award entry was well received. 'There are many other companies that we worked with who would have the standards that we have and we'll be speaking to them in due course,' he added. Boston Scientific Galway was the award winner in the manufacturing team category. 'We were delighted to take part in the awards night, and to be recognised amongst the high calibre companies was truly inspiring,' said Jonathan Carr, principal manufacturing engineer. 'The whole process and the evening event were extremely well run.' Cormac McAteer, senior engineering manager at Seagate Technology, commented that the awards 'demonstrate how capable you are as a company' when developing partnerships. Jade Power, ESG & contracts manager at Glenpatrick Spring Water, described being 'absolutely thrilled' that the firm was shortlisted, adding that the trophy win was 'the cream on top of the cake'. Adam Kane, community lead at events organiser Business River, stated: 'Events like this are made possible through the support of our partners. We are thankful to our strategic partner, Irish Manufacturing Council. I also want to recognise our communications partner, The Irish Times, as well as our supporter, Amárach Research. Their investment in the awards underlines their commitment and support of this key business area.' Dr Matt Cotterell (judging coordinator) – head of school of mechanical, electrical and process engineering, Munster Technological University Dr John Cosgrove – director of Smart Manufacturing, Technological University of the Shannon Barry Cox – standards development manager, National Standards Authority Of Ireland Jill Ellis – senior lecturer in food manufacturing, The National Centre for Food Manufacturing, University of Lincoln Guangbo Hao – professor in mechanical engineering, University College Cork (UCC) Rocco Lupoi – associate professor, School of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin Margaret Morgan – professor, Ulster University Joe O'Callaghan – programme director, UCC Morteza Tabatabaeipour – assistant professor, Ulster University Overall manufacturing excellence award Winner: Astellas Ireland (Kerry plant) Dr Matt Cotterell, awards judging coordinator and committee member at Irish Manufacturing Council, presents the overall manufacturing excellence award to the Astellas Ireland (Kerry Plant) team Manufacturing team of the year Winner: Boston Scientific Galway – PSPI Team Dr Matt Cotterell, awards judging coordinator and committee member at Irish Manufacturing Council, presents the manufacturing team of the year award to Jonathan Carr, Boston Scientific Galway Manufacturer of the year – large business Winner: Astellas Ireland (Kerry plant) Adam Kane, community lead at Business River, presents the manufacturer of the year - large business award to James O'Neill, Astellas Ireland (Kerry Plant) Manufacturer of the year – medium business Winner: DesignPro Automation Adam Kane, community lead at Business River, presents the manufacturer of the year - medium business award to Redmond McDonnell and Conor Doyle, DesignPro Automation Manufacturer of the year – small business Winner: Hygeia Adam Kane, community lead at Business River, presents the manufacturer of the year - small business award to John Byrne, Hygeia Manufacturer of the year – food & beverages Winner: Glenpatrick Spring Water Adam Kane, community lead at Business River, presents the manufacturer of the year - food & beverages award to Jade Power, Glenpatrick Spring Water Manufacturer of the year – life sciences Winner: Lawrence Engineering Adam Kane, community lead at Business River, presents the manufacturer of the year - life sciences award to Anthony McKeon, Lawrence Engineering Manufacturer of the year – wood products Winner: Cygnum Timber Frame Dr Emmett Kerr, committee member at Irish Manufacturing Council, presents the manufacturer of the year - wood products award to Heber McMahon, Cygnum Timber Frame Operational excellence award Winner: Viatris Little Island Dr Emmett Kerr, committee member at Irish Manufacturing Council, presents the operational excellence award to Donogh McCarthy, Viatris Little Island HR achievement award Winner: Irish Distillers Dr Emmett Kerr, committee member at Irish Manufacturing Council, presents the HR achievement award to Emily Moran, Irish Distillers Digital transformation award (sponsored by Irish Manufacturing Council) Winner: Boston Scientific Clonmel Dr Emmett Kerr, committee member at Irish Manufacturing Council, presents the digital transformation award to Sean Ward, Boston Scientific Clonmel Supply chain achievement award Winner: Aryzta Ireland Prof Ger Kelly, committee member at Irish Manufacturing Council, presents the supply chain achievement award to Paul Murray, ARYZTA Ireland Excellence in health & safety Winner: Aerogen Prof Ger Kelly, committee member at Irish Manufacturing Council, presents the excellence in health & safety award to Declan Lynch, Aerogen Waste management award Winner: Astellas Ireland (Kerry plant) Professor Ger Kelly, committee member at Irish Manufacturing Council, presents the waste management award to Eoghan Barry, Astellas Ireland (Kerry Plant) Energy achievement award Winner: C&D Foods Dr Guangbo Hao, committee member at Irish Manufacturing Council, presents the energy achievement award to Adam Kane, Business River on behalf of C&D Foods Innovation of the year Winner: Heron Joinery – Custom Roller/Turntable Dr Guangbo Hao, committee member at Irish Manufacturing Council, presents the innovation of the year award to Michael Bell, Heron Joinery Best use of technology Winner: Seagate Technology – AI-Enabled Generic Image Focus Quality System Dr Guangbo Hao, committee member at Irish Manufacturing Council, presents the best use of technology award to Cormac McAteer, Seagate Technology
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MasterControl Launches Master Template Generator Beta for Life Sciences Manufacturing
New AI-powered feature helps regulated manufacturers streamline electronic batch record creation BERLIN, May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MasterControl, a leading provider of quality, manufacturing, and asset management software solutions, today announced the beta release of Master Template Generator at its Masters Conference in Berlin. This new AI-powered capability helps manufacturers using MasterControl's Manufacturing Excellence (Mx) Production Records module to optimize their batch records more efficiently, streamlining the transition from paper to digital manufacturing execution. Master Template Generator allows customers to safely and effectively streamline their digital transformation through a simple chat interface: Instantly convert a paper batch record to a digital batch record, generate a new template via natural language instructions, or revise an existing batch record efficiently. It is built on MasterControl's specialized AI platform for regulated life sciences industries. This advanced architecture ensures complete data governance, completing all processing exclusively within MasterControl's secure environment. This goes beyond what most conventional third-party tools offer today, providing unparalleled security and compliance that life sciences manufacturers need. "Digital transformation in manufacturing has been held back by the time-consuming process of examining paper procedures and rebuilding them as digital records," said Sue Marchant, Chief Product Officer at MasterControl. "Master Template Generator helps customers achieve 'right first time' beyond production—getting their electronic batch records right from the start to eliminate errors and accelerate ROI." The beta release represents a significant step forward in how regulated manufacturers can leverage artificial intelligence to improve their operations. Master Template Generator joins a suite of AI features available to MasterControl customers today that help to streamline their quality management workflows: Exam Generator, Document Translator, and Document Summarizer. A robust roadmap of additional AI-powered tools is scheduled for release throughout 2025 and beyond, as MasterControl continues to focus on driving operational excellence across quality, manufacturing, and asset management for life sciences companies. "What we've built isn't just another AI feature—it's a solution that directly addresses manufacturing bottlenecks by dramatically reducing the time needed to create and optimize batch records," said Alex Kaplunov, Chief Technology Officer at MasterControl. "When manufacturers can trust their AI to understand regulatory requirements, data integrity standards, production protocols, and more, they gain confidence in using this technology. They will see immediate operational benefits—reduced documentation errors, faster batch release times, fewer production deviations, and ultimately shorter manufacturing cycles that get critical products to patients faster while maintaining the highest quality standards." About MasterControl MasterControl Solutions Inc. is a leading provider of cloud-based quality, manufacturing, and asset management software for life sciences and other regulated industries. For three decades, our mission has been the same as that of our customers – to bring life-changing products to more people sooner. MasterControl helps organizations digitize, automate, and connect quality, manufacturing, and asset management processes and has a proven track record of improving product quality, reducing costs, and accelerating time to market. Over 1,100 companies worldwide use MasterControl to streamline operations, maintain compliance, manage critical assets and equipment, easily analyze and interpret large amounts of data, and visualize business insights in real time. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE MasterControl Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Donaldson Company Celebrates Inventors and Culture of Innovation
More than 100 employees are recognized for their impactful contributions to innovation and technological advancement. MINNEAPOLIS, May 12, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI), a leading worldwide manufacturer of innovative filtration products and solutions, today celebrated its 2024 patent recipients and Inventor Award winners with a ceremony at its headquarters. Donaldson recognized more than 100 employees for their valuable contributions to a culture of innovation and industry leadership. From alternative power to pharmaceuticals and agriculture to transportation, Donaldson continues to bring new innovations to market that deliver best-in-class solutions to real-world challenges. In 2024, Donaldson registered 392 new patents and currently has a total of 3,260 active U.S. and international patents. The first U.S. patent award to Donaldson Company was granted to founder Frank A. Donaldson on February 7, 1922; Patent No. 1,405,399, titled 'Air Cleaner.' "Our origin story starts with a customer problem followed by an innovative solution," said Dave Mulder, Donaldson chief technology officer. "Even now, 11 decades later, we continue to identify problems, understanding that problems lead to ideas, and ideas lead to solutions – solutions that are advancing filtration for a cleaner world." The 2024 Inventor Recognition Ceremony honored patent recipients and recognized select employees whose groundbreaking contributions were in five categories: Emerging Innovator, Manufacturing Excellence, Technology Champion, Technology Achievement, and Frank A. Donaldson Award. Winners reside in Belgium and the United States. This year's Emerging Innovator award recipient was recognized for her leadership in the field of oleophobic materials. Mikayla Yoder pioneered research and development of re-entrant geometries resulting in a new class of patterned membranes that has the potential to revolutionize consumer packaging products. The prize for Manufacturing Excellence went to Jon Haag, a senior engineering manager in advanced manufacturing technology, who engineered the virtual installation of two critical and proprietary production lines from 6,750 miles away during a global pandemic. Ingenuity played a pivotal role for the winner of the Technology Champion award. Gert Willems, an engineering director with 55 granted patents, received this year's Technology Champion award for his leadership in developing Clean Seal technology which has seen strong commercial success. Advanced prototyping is the art of bringing life to bold ideas, and transforming sketches and concepts into tangible, high-impact products and remarkably capable, yet elegantly simple prototype product and production equipment. Donaldson granted this year's Technology Achievement award to Vincent Kayaerts for developing prototypes that accelerated the launch of Donaldson's thermoplastic elastomer seal products and a sustainable liner-less element design. Dan Tuma earned this year's Frank A. Donaldson award for his long-term contributions to disk drive filtration technology. Dan, an engineering manager, advanced disk drive filtration technology, including developing products that precisely regulate humidity in enclosed disk drives and filters using activated carbon to remove organic and acid gases in addition to particles. The inventions and advancements recognized at the 2024 Inventor Recognition Ceremony create value, drive innovation, strengthen Donaldson's competitive edge, and ultimately shape the filtration industry. About Donaldson Company, Inc. Founded in 1915, Donaldson (NYSE: DCI) is a global leader in technology-led filtration products and solutions, serving a broad range of industries and advanced markets. Diverse, skilled employees at over 140 locations on six continents partner with customers – from small business owners to R&D organizations and the world's biggest OEM brands. Donaldson solves complex filtration challenges through three primary segments: Mobile Solutions, Industrial Solutions and Life Sciences. Additional information is available at View source version on Contacts Becky Cahn (952) Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Donaldson Company Celebrates Inventors and Culture of Innovation
More than 100 employees are recognized for their impactful contributions to innovation and technological advancement. MINNEAPOLIS, May 12, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI), a leading worldwide manufacturer of innovative filtration products and solutions, today celebrated its 2024 patent recipients and Inventor Award winners with a ceremony at its headquarters. Donaldson recognized more than 100 employees for their valuable contributions to a culture of innovation and industry leadership. From alternative power to pharmaceuticals and agriculture to transportation, Donaldson continues to bring new innovations to market that deliver best-in-class solutions to real-world challenges. In 2024, Donaldson registered 392 new patents and currently has a total of 3,260 active U.S. and international patents. The first U.S. patent award to Donaldson Company was granted to founder Frank A. Donaldson on February 7, 1922; Patent No. 1,405,399, titled 'Air Cleaner.' "Our origin story starts with a customer problem followed by an innovative solution," said Dave Mulder, Donaldson chief technology officer. "Even now, 11 decades later, we continue to identify problems, understanding that problems lead to ideas, and ideas lead to solutions – solutions that are advancing filtration for a cleaner world." The 2024 Inventor Recognition Ceremony honored patent recipients and recognized select employees whose groundbreaking contributions were in five categories: Emerging Innovator, Manufacturing Excellence, Technology Champion, Technology Achievement, and Frank A. Donaldson Award. Winners reside in Belgium and the United States. This year's Emerging Innovator award recipient was recognized for her leadership in the field of oleophobic materials. Mikayla Yoder pioneered research and development of re-entrant geometries resulting in a new class of patterned membranes that has the potential to revolutionize consumer packaging products. The prize for Manufacturing Excellence went to Jon Haag, a senior engineering manager in advanced manufacturing technology, who engineered the virtual installation of two critical and proprietary production lines from 6,750 miles away during a global pandemic. Ingenuity played a pivotal role for the winner of the Technology Champion award. Gert Willems, an engineering director with 55 granted patents, received this year's Technology Champion award for his leadership in developing Clean Seal technology which has seen strong commercial success. Advanced prototyping is the art of bringing life to bold ideas, and transforming sketches and concepts into tangible, high-impact products and remarkably capable, yet elegantly simple prototype product and production equipment. Donaldson granted this year's Technology Achievement award to Vincent Kayaerts for developing prototypes that accelerated the launch of Donaldson's thermoplastic elastomer seal products and a sustainable liner-less element design. Dan Tuma earned this year's Frank A. Donaldson award for his long-term contributions to disk drive filtration technology. Dan, an engineering manager, advanced disk drive filtration technology, including developing products that precisely regulate humidity in enclosed disk drives and filters using activated carbon to remove organic and acid gases in addition to particles. The inventions and advancements recognized at the 2024 Inventor Recognition Ceremony create value, drive innovation, strengthen Donaldson's competitive edge, and ultimately shape the filtration industry. About Donaldson Company, Inc. Founded in 1915, Donaldson (NYSE: DCI) is a global leader in technology-led filtration products and solutions, serving a broad range of industries and advanced markets. Diverse, skilled employees at over 140 locations on six continents partner with customers – from small business owners to R&D organizations and the world's biggest OEM brands. Donaldson solves complex filtration challenges through three primary segments: Mobile Solutions, Industrial Solutions and Life Sciences. Additional information is available at View source version on Contacts Becky Cahn (952) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
12-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Donaldson Company Celebrates Inventors and Culture of Innovation
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI), a leading worldwide manufacturer of innovative filtration products and solutions, today celebrated its 2024 patent recipients and Inventor Award winners with a ceremony at its headquarters. Donaldson recognized more than 100 employees for their valuable contributions to a culture of innovation and industry leadership. From alternative power to pharmaceuticals and agriculture to transportation, Donaldson continues to bring new innovations to market that deliver best-in-class solutions to real-world challenges. In 2024, Donaldson registered 392 new patents and currently has a total of 3,260 active U.S. and international patents. The first U.S. patent award to Donaldson Company was granted to founder Frank A. Donaldson on February 7, 1922; Patent No. 1,405,399, titled 'Air Cleaner.' 'Our origin story starts with a customer problem followed by an innovative solution,' said Dave Mulder, Donaldson chief technology officer. 'Even now, 11 decades later, we continue to identify problems, understanding that problems lead to ideas, and ideas lead to solutions – solutions that are advancing filtration for a cleaner world.' The 2024 Inventor Recognition Ceremony honored patent recipients and recognized select employees whose groundbreaking contributions were in five categories: Emerging Innovator, Manufacturing Excellence, Technology Champion, Technology Achievement, and Frank A. Donaldson Award. Winners reside in Belgium and the United States. This year's Emerging Innovator award recipient was recognized for her leadership in the field of oleophobic materials. Mikayla Yoder pioneered research and development of re-entrant geometries resulting in a new class of patterned membranes that has the potential to revolutionize consumer packaging products. The prize for Manufacturing Excellence went to Jon Haag, a senior engineering manager in advanced manufacturing technology, who engineered the virtual installation of two critical and proprietary production lines from 6,750 miles away during a global pandemic. Ingenuity played a pivotal role for the winner of the Technology Champion award. Gert Willems, an engineering director with 55 granted patents, received this year's Technology Champion award for his leadership in developing Clean Seal technology which has seen strong commercial success. Advanced prototyping is the art of bringing life to bold ideas, and transforming sketches and concepts into tangible, high-impact products and remarkably capable, yet elegantly simple prototype product and production equipment. Donaldson granted this year's Technology Achievement award to Vincent Kayaerts for developing prototypes that accelerated the launch of Donaldson's thermoplastic elastomer seal products and a sustainable liner-less element design. Dan Tuma earned this year's Frank A. Donaldson award for his long-term contributions to disk drive filtration technology. Dan, an engineering manager, advanced disk drive filtration technology, including developing products that precisely regulate humidity in enclosed disk drives and filters using activated carbon to remove organic and acid gases in addition to particles. The inventions and advancements recognized at the 2024 Inventor Recognition Ceremony create value, drive innovation, strengthen Donaldson's competitive edge, and ultimately shape the filtration industry. About Donaldson Company, Inc. Founded in 1915, Donaldson (NYSE: DCI) is a global leader in technology-led filtration products and solutions, serving a broad range of industries and advanced markets. Diverse, skilled employees at over 140 locations on six continents partner with customers – from small business owners to R&D organizations and the world's biggest OEM brands. Donaldson solves complex filtration challenges through three primary segments: Mobile Solutions, Industrial Solutions and Life Sciences. Additional information is available at
