Download Vistakon displays clear vision of CPD`s integral

www.engineersjournal.ie Volume 66: Issue 4 I July/August 2012
Vistakon displays clear vision
of CPD’s integral role
197
Pictured at the awarding
of the Engineers Ireland
CPD Accredited Employer
standard to Vistakon in
Limerick were (l-r): Alan
Keogh, business unit
manager; Kieran Byrne,
engineering director;
John Power Chartered
Engineer, Director General,
Engineers Ireland; Barry
O’Sullivan, plant manager;
Mike Rowland, software
engineer; Ivan Hanley,
training/development
manager; Kieran Horgan
Chartered Engineer, Chair,
Engineers Ireland Thomond
region; and Jim Hackett,
business unit manager.
Contact lens manufacturer constantly pushes boundaries through a strong investment in CPD
The first thing you notice about the Limerick manufacturing facility of
Vistakon Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, is how absolutely
clean and quiet it is. There is no visible evidence of the activity and
pace of work which is required to keep its 31 production lines operating smoothly, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. “We hold ourselves to
extremely high standards so that we can produce the highest-quality
medical devices for which Vistakon is known,” says plant manager
Barry O’Sullivan.
The devices are Acuvue Brand contact lenses and the Limerick facility is the world’s largest contact lens plant, producing more than
two billion contact lenses annually. Making those tiny lenses in high
volume to exacting quality and safety standards presents some enormous engineering challenges, requiring “great precision in movement
and accuracy down to the micron level”, according to engineering
manager, Andrew Kenny. The manufacturing lines at Vistakon Ireland
are completely automated. In fact, the facility’s robotics, automation, and control systems are among the most advanced in the world
and a culture of constant process engineering and innovation has
quadrupled the plant’s volume since 2002. Engineers have attended
conferences in other industries to learn about the latest advances and
travelled around the world to identify best practices in geothermal
cooling and other green technologies. “Engineers love to come up
with ideas to make things work better,” says Kenny. “What is really
exciting about working for Vistakon is that the company proactively
invests the resources to realise those ideas.” Every year, in fact, Vistakon allocates nearly €40m in capital investments to make the Limerick facility safer, more efficient and greener.
Greener engineering
Recently the company has installed two natural gas power generators and a geothermal cooling system while a renewable wind energy
project is underway.
Along with intensive recycling and numerous efficiencies in power
supply use, these efforts have resulted in a 25 per cent reduction in
electricity use, a 50 per cent reduction in water consumption, and
a 33 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions per unit production since
2007.
Vistakon was recently accredited, by Engineers Ireland, as among
the companies in Ireland that adhere to best practices in continuing professional development (CPD). This fits in with the company’s
commitment to give all its employees opportunities for professional
development and personal advancement. The nearly 700 employees
in Limerick include mechanical, electrical, software, process, validation and quality engineers, as well as skilled line process technicians.
Fulfilling each individual’s development needs requires constant
attention. But the effort is well worth it, according to engineering
manager, Andrew Kenny. “We want [people] to stay engaged, stay on
track for personal and professional growth, and continue to innovate
for the company.”
Today, 85 per cent of all employees have at least a third-level qualification and more than one-third are masters-qualified. As a result,
problem-solving has been devolved down the line, allowing the engineers to focus on continuous improvements, often in the form of new
technology and making proactive adjustments, rather than just fixing
problems. As part of its overall CPD framework, the company maintains an active mentoring programme for new and seasoned engineers alike while also supporting career transitions for engineers or
technical staff who become interested in related areas such as supply
chain management, R&D, project management or quality control.
“We are constantly challenging ourselves and constantly pushing the
boundaries of what is technically possible,” Kenny says.
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“We are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is technically possible.”