Abel Carrasco arrived at Edscha Automotive’s Michigan plant in 2023 to a tight set of challenges. Production lines were slowed by repetitive tasks, frequent stoppages, and exhausted staff. He set precise targets tied to customer cycle times and rebuilt processes around those targets. Within months, the plant recorded a one-third reduction in cycle time, fewer defects, and a sharp drop in injury rates.
Carrasco designs systems so operator activity and machine cycles move in rhythm. He examines posture, reach, lighting, and material flow at each station, then restructures tasks to eliminate wasted motion. Machines take over precision duties such as torque control and alignment. Operators move into oversight roles, verifying quality and making adjustments. “You can’t have a good system unless it improves people’s lives,” he says. “A faster line that wears out workers fails the test of reason.”
His earlier work at Stabilus shaped that philosophy. There, he fixed a collapsing NISLIDE coating process that had triggered warranty claims and costly rework. Output rose from under 450,000 to more than one million pieces per week. Carrasco went further by strengthening the plant’s operating environment. He added an oil-vapor extraction system, a measure that removed airborne contaminants and raised operator efficiency by improving air quality and reducing exposure to residue. That upgrade complemented mechanical redesigns and contributed to a more stable production rhythm.
One of his most significant projects at Stabilus was the semi-automatic solar-damper line, where a single technician could manage what once required several people. OEE passed 85%, and capacity tripled. He later rebuilt the flocking line for mechanical springs, cutting material waste by 95% and giving operators a quieter, safer workspace.
The People in the Loop
Technical change never replaced human judgment. Carrasco introduced kata coaching, a method built on small, daily trials. Operators made suggestions, tested them, and tracked their effects. Tool placement improved. Conveyor angles changed. Hand-offs between steps tightened. Without major capital spending, downtime fell, and throughput steadied.
Ergonomics received deliberate engineering attention. A shorter robotic travel path saved seconds per cycle and reduced mechanical strain. Adjusting the height or angle of a fixture saved thousands of motions per shift. Cameras and sensors now support semi-automatic inspection, letting staff focus on data patterns and predictive maintenance. Workers who once performed repetitive visual checks now monitor dashboards and stop lines when analytics signal deviation.
Edscha sites in Germany and Asia have adopted parts of his model. His inspection and traceability methods link human decision-making with digital records, creating cleaner audits and stronger accountability. Rather than automatic systems that lock operators out of decisions, Carrasco builds lines that rely on operator insight reinforced by mechanical consistency.
Outcomes That Matter
Results show in performance metrics and in the daily experience of those running the lines. Defect rates fell into the low double digits. OEE increased in sites that used his semi-automatic layouts. Backlogs disappeared. Retention improved because operators transitioned from repetitive labor to technical roles involving oversight, analysis, and intervention.
Carrasco measures success through three conditions: steady output, safe staff, and dependable systems. He avoids technology that complicates processes and instead positions tools where they reduce strain and improve repeatability. “Machines learn repetition. People decide what perfect looks like,” he says. His teams treat that judgment as a central requirement of engineering, not a variable to correct.
His record spans several countries and product families. He rebuilt plants once limited by warranty claims, absenteeism, and waste into reliable production sites. He designed semi-automatic lines that cut strain, improved air quality, and produced steadier outputs across piston rods, dampers, and mechanical springs. Those designs balance mechanical logic with respect for the operators who oversee them.
Carrasco’s method creates manufacturing systems where machines perform exact motions, and people retain authority over interpretation and intervention. Operators now run processes that record data automatically and respond when signals show deviation. Production flows with a steadier cadence, shaped by mechanical precision and guided by human perspective.
