Production & Logistics
People
Adhesive Technologies
Dec 19, 2022
If it flies, chances are Henkel materials manufactured at this site are on board. Structural bonding adhesives and coatings are critical for building high-reliability air and spacecraft, and the employees here take their role in providing these essential materials very seriously. Learn more in this segment of our #AViewFrom Henkel North America series.
Did you know that Henkel North America employs over 8,000 employees in approximately 60 sites across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico? Collectively, these sites support three business units: Adhesive Technologies, Beauty Care and Laundry & Home Care.
Our #AViewFrom series features select locations, sharing information and facts about our sites across Henkel North America.
Whether a commercial aircraft, a small satellite, a helicopter, or a rocket, the products made by Henkel’s Bay Point, CA staff of nearly 300 contribute to the safety, comfort and efficiency of modern flight vehicles. Made up of three production units containing mixing, converting, and packaging lines, the Bay Point site operates around the clock to manufacture a variety of bonding adhesives found throughout air and spacecraft – from the interior cabin structures to the engine and wings.
“The team here appreciates the critical nature of our work and the impact it has on people’s lives,” says Human Resources Manager Dan Cahill. “There is no room for error, no acceptable risk; our products must be top quality, within spec, and of the utmost integrity 100 percent of the time. I’ve never worked with a group of people more invested in and focused on their mission. It’s remarkable.”
Henkel’s team at the Bay Point, California facility manufactures a variety of adhesives under the Loctite® brand. These products are used in commercial airplanes, helicopters, rockets, miliary aircraft and other applications to support the aerospace industry.
Acquired by Henkel in 2000 from Dexter Hysol Aerospace, the 117,000 sq. ft. Bay Point facility sits on over 12 acres in Northern California, and is currently transforming its operations to deliver real-time, data-driven results with its smart factory initiative.
As we move to a smart factory model, an investment at the site will digitize processes and ensure ongoing efficiency and adherence to quality standards. Part of the investment is also earmarked for product innovation initiatives, as we move toward replacement of composite film and enhance the bulk filming department to enable state-of-the-art aircraft structures.
Jonathan Lewis, Operations Director
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A Paste Production Operator reviews a digital process that supports the site’s smart factory initiative.
Bay Point employees use of digital dashboards transforms daily operations, allowing for efficiency, flexibility, and transparency in the production process, which is also part of the smart factory program.
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An Operator packages a film roll in the Films Production area.
An operator performs a lock out / tag out procedure in the Paste Production area.
An Operator scrapes out a 500-gallon dual range mixer vessel in the Paste Production area.
“Bay Point employees are very focused on safety, quality and productivity through initiatives like the Safety Matters campaign, Quality culture events such as ‘Cost of Poor Quality’ reduction and Product Application Show and Tell, to name a few,” says Quality Director Maryam Ravan. “Henkel’s Quality team is dedicated to providing our customers with high-quality products that are 100-percent inspected to customer requirements ensuring we produce safe and reliable products according to civilian and military aviation requirements.”
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A Quality Control Specialist assembles blocks for tensile strength testing in the Quality Lab.
A Quality Control Supervisor reviews daily checklists at the Bay Point facility.
IN THE COMMUNITY
Bay Point employees promote the activities of the site’s Employee Resource Group (ERG), the Aerospace Cultural Alliance, and recruit members during the plant’s Safety Day.
“Bay Point is proud of its multicultural employee resource group (ERG) that builds awareness of the diverse population and their traditions across our plant,” shares Innovation Project Manager, Rochelle Miller, who is actively involved in the organization. “We meet quarterly and share in some awesome inclusive programming, and our diverse ERG has also driven site-wide education initiatives. For example, a recent event allowed employees from different departments to learn about each other’s functions and their importance in the entire process – from R&D to marketing to quality and shipping.”
Outside the factory, employees are involved in the local community, sponsoring a science and engineering fair, making holiday donations to families in need, and volunteering for the Special Olympics and the Oakland School of Arts, among other activities.
DID YOU KNOW?
Ever wonder what happens when lightning hits an aircraft? Henkel’s innovative material technology, “Lightning Strike,” an exterior surfacing film, dissipates lightning strikes and prevents major damage to airframes.
