Engineering Training - Nissan Only


MSU CAVS Extension is dedicated to helping improve and advance the engineering knowledge within the state. CAVS Extension offers a variety of engineering professional development courses in such topics as Lean, Six Sigma, Simulation Modeling and Analysis and many more...

Training List (Select a course for more details)

AutoCAD (Nissan employees only)

Course Objective:

This two day workshop is structured so that participants gain a solid understanding of the use of AutoCAD computer aided design software. The class is taught through a balance lecture, class discussion, and in-class exercises. Time will also be allocated to discuss user specific needs and solutions. Specific topics include basic sketching, dimensioning, block creation and editing and proper usage of layers.

Instructor(s): Jonathan Curtis and Jonathan Howell

Please contact Jill Sellers at jsellers@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2746 if you have any questions.

Firewall Containment (Nissan employees and Suppliers only)

Course Objective:

What is Firewall?

Firewall is Nissan's World Class process for containment.

In this class, you will learn how to benchmark your containment activities against a World Class process for containment. Included in this class are the steps to develop, implement and manage a process to continually improve your manufacturing processes and operations.

Firewall is not just a process to prevent the outflow of defective product to your customer, but when proactively used, can be a proactive approach to improving your organization.

Activities include:

  • Defining the step by step needs for developing, implementing, monitoring and closing a Firewall activity.
  • Learning where Firewall can be used to gather data and information for new processes or when changes are made to your processes prior to quality issues with your customer.
  • Proactively using data from the Firewall process to identify root causes of issues and opportunities for improvement and prevention of issues.
  • Determining the capability and effectiveness of your current and future containment activities.

Instructor(s): Jonathan Howell, Adam Collins and Tonya McCall

Please contact Jill Sellers at jsellers@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2746 if you have any questions.

Measurement System Analysis: Gage Repeatability & Reproducibility (Nissan employees and Suppliers only)

Course Objective:

This two day course will provide an introduction to the concepts of Measurement System Analysis (MSA), which is often referred to as Gage Repeatability & Reproducibility (Gage R&R). Participants will hone their individual skills during a step-by-step, instructor led interactive example using sample demonstration parts.

Course Content:
  • Introduction
    • What is MSA (Gage R&R)?
    • Why measurement Error Matters
    • Measurement System Analysis Terms
    • Gage Repeatability
    • Gage Reproducibility
    • Assessing Measurement System Capability
  • Classroom Activity
    • Overview of Gage R&R Forms
    • Exercise: Actual Inspection & Data Collection Using Sample Parts
    • Step-by-Step Calculations
    • Interpretation and Explanation of Calculated Results
    • Verification of Results Using Computer Software (Minitab, Excel, etc.)
  • In Plant Application
    • Divide the class into teams and perform the Gage R&R on actual inspection equipment
    • Each team present results to the rest of the class.

Who Should Attend? Engineers practicing in any discipline, managers, other technical professionals, and anyone responsible for collection and/or analysis of measurement data.

Participant Involvement: This workshop will provide attendees with basic instruction in the statistical analysis of measured data for the purpose of measurement system validation. Each participant should have a working knowledge of the typical measuring system(s) used in their work or professional environment and an understanding of how related data measurements are collected. The participant's basic understanding of mathematics (average, percentage, & square root, etc.) is assumed. A prior understanding of basic descriptive statistics such as mean, range, and standard deviation is desirable, but these topics will be also be defined and explained during the workshop. Participants will benefit from instructor led lecture, individual hands-on activity, and general discussion on related topics.

Instructor(s): Jonathan Howell and Montrell Marshall

Please contact Jill Sellers at jsellers@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2746 if you have any questions.

PFMEA-Control Plan (Nissan employees and Suppliers only)

Course Objective:

This training will help your Quality, Processing, and Leadership teams understand:

  • The philosophy behind these quality documents
  • The documents potential to be used as proactive tools to protect your customer from the risks within your processes
  • The power of using cross-functional/multi-disciplinary team membership in the creation of the documents to identify and subsequently reduce risk within your processes
  • How the paper document should be a direct correlation to your processes, controls and inspections on the plant floor
  • Using these as "Living Documents" whereby Lessons Learned are fed back into the document and associated processes to prevent reoccurrence of known quality concerns
  • Nissan-specific ANPQP requirements associated with these documents and associated processes
Prerequisites: (This is NOT an introductory level course)
  • Understanding of AIAG guidelines
  • Understanding of ANPQP requirements
  • Basic understanding of PFMEA/Control Plans is required
Requirements to Bring to Class:
  • Two copies of a completed PFMEA, Control Plan and associated Inspection Report (for one of your Nissan supplied parts)
  • The process flow charts for the PFMEA/Control Plan
  • Please come prepared with your company Supplier Code, you will need it at check-in
Testing Requirements for this Class:
  • You will be asked to complete a Pre-Assessment Test
  • This will be followed by a Post-Assessment Test at the end of the class to receive your certificate

Instructor(s): Adam Collins, Montrell Marshall and Tonya McCall

Please contact Jill Sellers at jsellers@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2746 if you have any questions.

Problem Solving & 8D (Nissan employees and Suppliers only)

Course Objective:

The training on the Nissan Problem Solving process will include - methods expectations including ANPQP requirements. This training will also highlight the following:

  • Training on Nissan process for Problem Solving Tools
  • Review of three core tools used in root cause analysis (Ishikawa Diagrams, Qualitative Fault Tree analysis, and 5 WHY's)
  • Initial approach to solving and attacking the problem
  • Review of Nissan's 8D and expectations for submittal
  • Review completed 8-D concerns brought to class by students
  • Assess the results of your company's past efforts in corrective action
Requirements to Bring to Class:
  • Two hard copies of an 8D
  • Please come prepared with your company Supplier Code, you will need it at check-in
Testing Requirements for this Class:
  • You will be asked to complete a Pre-Assessment Test
  • This will be followed by a Post-Assessment Test at the end of the class to receive your certificate

Instructor(s): Jonathan Howell, Montrell Marshall and Tonya McCall

Please contact Jill Sellers at jsellers@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2746 if you have any questions.

SPC - Statistical Process Control (Nissan employees only)

Course Objective:

This 1.5 day workshop is structured so that participants gain a solid understanding of the use of Statistical Process Control to drive process improvement. The class is taught through a balance lecture, class discussion, class exercises, and follow-on participant projects. Specific topics include both variables and attribute control charting. Specific variables control charting tools include X-BAR and R charts, as well as X and Moving R. Specific Attribute charting techniques are also presented including P, C, and U Charts. Also process capability indexes are presented and explained (i.e., Cp, Cpk, Pp, Ppk). Throughout the class a strong emphasis is placed on how to connect SPC with root causes oriented problem solving. Key concepts are reinforced through the use of catapults to simulate the real world linkage between SPC and process improvement.

Course Content:
  • Basics of Process Variation
  • Introduction to the Control Chart
  • Using Systematic Problem Solving to Drive Improvement
  • How a Control Chart Really Works
  • Basic Measures of Process Capability
  • SPC Class Exercise using Catapults

Who Should Attend? Manufacturing Engineers, Quality Engineers, Managers, Supervisors, and other professionals.

Instructor(s): Emily Wall, Ph.D. and Adam Collins

Please contact Jill Sellers at jsellers@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2746 if you have any questions.