Auto Component Manufacturing Research Articles

Leveraging IoT in Auto Component Manufacturing to Monitor Surface Roughness and Tool Temperature

Surface finish is an important requirement in Auto Component Manufacturing that defines the quality of work piece obtained from turning operations. Thus to reduce downtime due to rejection of work piece for its surface finish a continuous monitoring of surface roughness based on its cutting parameter and vibration signal is required. Similarly it is also important to monitor the cutting tool temperature to have a longer tool life. With the emerging trend of Internet-of-Things (IoT) it has become very easy to collect the required data, storing it, analysing it and also alerting the required personnel through the mobile application, e-mail and SMS. The stored data and analysis could reveals in depth the process, which leaves a large scope for improvement of the system. The paper discusses the implementation of IoT to collect data of vibration signal and cutting tool temperature of dry turning operation, for cutting parameter like 1) spindle speed 2) feed rate and 3) depth of cut for three different material mild steel (MS), brass and aluminium (Al). A correlation was obtained to predict surface roughness and tool temperature. The system developed could give a real time monitoring of surface roughness on a smart phone that can be used as a tool for optimizing the turning process to give improved quality and increased production volume.

Leveraging IoT in Auto Component Manufacturing to Monitor Surface Roughness and Tool Temperature

Surface finish is an important requirement in Auto Component Manufacturing that defines the quality of work piece obtained from turning operations. Thus to reduce downtime due to rejection of work piece for its surface finish a continuous monitoring of surface roughness based on its cutting parameter and vibration signal is required. Similarly it is also important to monitor the cutting tool temperature to have a longer tool life. With the emerging trend of Internet-of-Things (IoT) it has become very easy to collect the required data, storing it, analysing it and also alerting the required personnel through the mobile application, e-mail and SMS. The stored data and analysis could reveals in depth the process, which leaves a large scope for improvement of the system. The paper discusses the implementation of IoT to collect data of vibration signal and cutting tool temperature of dry turning operation, for cutting parameter like 1) spindle speed 2) feed rate and 3) depth of cut for three different material mild steel (MS), brass and aluminium (Al). A correlation was obtained to predict surface roughness and tool temperature. The system developed could give a real time monitoring of surface roughness on a smart phone that can be used as a tool for optimizing the turning process to give improved quality and increased production volume.

Assessing the moderating role of the extent of implementation of lean methods in predicting productivity improvement

Purpose The study aims to explore the argument of implementing the lean method to part or whole of an operation by examining the moderating impact of varying levels of the extent of implementation of four different lean methods, along with their functionalities, in predicting productivity improvement (PI). Design/methodology/approach As the focus of understanding the efficacy of lean principles is shifting from process to industry level, this study tried to generalize the approach by gathering data from 132 large Indian auto component manufacturers. This involves an assessing/monitoring approach rather than measurement. Findings Results highlighted the interdependence or individuality of the extent of implementation of lean methods and their functionalities. Findings revealed a significant moderating effect in improving productivity to a greater extent of 50%. Research limitations/implications Adopting an assessment approach to a measurement study provides a noteworthy contribution to bridging theory and practical consequences. The findings can be appropriately extrapolated to medium and small enterprises forming a critical connection in the entire automobile manufacturing ecosystem. Practical implications The study showed that even if a lean method is applied to a certain extent of operations the chances of PI are significant. This is important for decision makers as they confront problems of optimum resource allocation. Social implications PI, reduced cost and generalization of results would enable the auto component industry to become more competitive. Originality/value The examination of the moderation effect of a lean principle implementation extent, along with that of its functionalities to predict the improvement in productivity from its existing level, is a major outcome of this study.

Sustainable development‐oriented regulatory and competitive pressures to shift toward a circular economy: The role of environmental orientation and Industry 4.0 technologies

AbstractAutomakers' transition from a linear economy to a circular economy (CE) in response to sustainable development‐oriented regulatory and competitive pressures is a challenging process that requires innovative, practical technologies. However, Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies are an important part of the transition to CE for environmentally friendly companies. In this study, we examine whether regulatory pressure (RP) and competitive pressure (CP) toward sustainability motivate firms to implement I4.0 technologies for CE, along with the mediating effects of environmental orientation (EO). PLS‐SEM via SmartPLS software was used to analyze data from 230 managers in the automotive and auto component manufacturing industries in India. The findings of this study showed that RP and CP positively influence I4.0 adoption, which impacts CE capability. Furthermore, EO partially mediates the relationship between RP and CP with I4.0 technologies. As a practical implementation of this study, to transition to CE and contribute to sustainable development, managers need to deal effectively with RP and CP. Several implications for theory and practice are discussed at the end of the study.

Towards digitalisation of quality management: conceptual framework and case study of auto-component manufacturer

PurposeIndustry 4.0-driven digitalisation is said to offer a way to redesign traditional compliance-oriented quality management (QM) models. However, despite a rising academic and practitioner interest, it is still unclear how companies transform their current QM models to meet the real-time needs of the new manufacturing paradigm. The purpose of this study is to explore practices for the digitalisation of QM and to uncover the digitalisation journey.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory research approach of an embedded case study of a multinational auto-component manufacturer was adopted to achieve the research aim.FindingsA guiding framework called the “Quality 4.0 transition framework” was developed based on literature and expert knowledge. The framework is made up of three building blocks, i.e. the foundation of “as-is” digitalisation maturity assessment; pillars representing horizontally and vertically integrated QM processes, and roof signifying reinforcement of total quality management (TQM) principles at all levels.Originality/valueThe study provides empirical evidence of the case company's digitalisation journey to avert product recall due to field failure issues. The study contributes to theory and practice in many ways. First, the study uses empirical data from a real-world case to understand how digitalisation affects QM processes. Next, the guiding framework for the Quality 4.0 transition adds to the existing literature on the digitalisation of business processes.

Impact of 5S on productivity and quality in an Indo-Japanese auto-component manufacturing company: An empirical study

The present work probes the relationship between 5S vis-a-vis productivity and quality. 5S is an extraordinarily economical yet highly effective method of business management. Two hypotheses were formulated for testing with the random sample survey with a reliable and valid questionnaire on the targeted population. The collected data were analyzed using the statistical software SPSS Statistics V23. The statistical tests, namely, multiple correlations, regression analysis, and Pearson- Correlation analysis, were performed. The results show a strong positive correlation between productivity and 5S. The relationship between quality and 5s was also positively related but had moderate significance. This study was limited to a single joint venture Indo- Japanese auto-joint venture situated in the Delhi-NCR region. Further enlarged studies must be performed on more such companies in this location and various geographical regions of India.

Transforming product development and production to be lean for improving business performance

PurposeIn this study, the authors assess the current state of lean product development and the lean production shop floor, along with the impact of the former on process quality and the latter on product quality and customer complaint reduction. The interplay between process and product quality and customer complaint reduction is assessed, along with their impacts on business performance.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 377 managers working at auto-component manufacturing firms in India. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for scale validation, and structural equation modelling was employed to test the research hypotheses.FindingsThe results of the statistical analyses reveal the positive influence of a lean production shop floor on process quality and lean product development on product quality and customer complaint reduction, and thereby on business performance.Practical implicationsThe findings of this research provide insights into the interplay between lean and quality factors and their influence on customer complaint reduction and business performance. Practitioners can use the proposed model to strategically design unique products and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the production shop floor, which can help enhance the product and process quality. This can reduce customer dissatisfaction and improve the business performance.Originality/valueFew studies have simultaneously investigated the influence of lean product development and lean production shop floors in the Indian manufacturing context. To the best of our knowledge, this study is one of the first attempts to include customer complaint reduction as a construct in a lean model. It helps identify and prioritise the enablers of business performance and provides valuable insights for practitioners to strengthen lean implementation to attain a competitive edge.

Identification and prioritisation of technology management practices for enhancing competitiveness of auto components manufacturing firms in India

Auto component manufacturing is an important sector for India's industrial growth. During last six decades, this industry has made profound progress; its operations are still largely dependent on imported technology. It is lagging behind many industrially advanced countries. Enhancement of firms' competitiveness in this sector has been a major concern. Technology and its management is considered as one of the most important drivers for enhancing competitiveness, but which technology management practice be accorded highest priority and which one would be the next, and so on, has hitherto not been attempted. With this purpose, through literature review, competiveness indicators and technology management practices relevant to this sector have been identified. Using AHP model, prioritisation of competitiveness indicators and technology management practices affecting competitiveness, has been done. Based on the findings, the paper suggests a technology management framework for enhancing competitiveness for auto components manufacturing firms, which could also be useful to other sectors' manufacturing firms.

Identification of Lean Six Sigma barriers in automobile part manufacturing industry

The aim of this paper is to identify the various types of barriers that an automotive component manufacturing company faces when attempting to introduce Lean Six Sigma techniques. Initially, 31 Lean Six Sigma Barrier (LSSB) were selected through an exhaustive literature review which was conducted using questionnaire survey. In the questionnaire survey, the manager’s opinions were collected with the help of online emails. The collected responses were analysed through statistical tools like Importance-indexed and CIMTC. The internal consistency of the collected responses was 0.971 which is good and the outcomes of an importance index and a CIMTC analysis indicates that most of the Indian manufacturing firms were facing the challenges from LSSB-4 and LSSB-3. The identified LSSB exhibits that it is difficult to implement LSS techniques in Auto component manufacturing industries. As said above authors have researched on barriers faced by automobile industries to manufacture a unit and also going on with LSS. But, literature limited to explore the studies on parts manufacturing industries which are responsible for many unique parts of automotive units.

Adoption of AI-empowered industrial robots in auto component manufacturing companies

The usage of AI-empowered Industrial Robots (InRos) is booming in the Auto Component Manufacturing Companies (ACMCs) across the globe. Based on a model leveraging the Technology, Organisation, and Environment (TOE) framework, this work examines the adoption of InRos in ACMCs in the context of an emerging economy. This research scrutinises the adoption intention and potential use of InRos in ACMCs through a survey of 460 senior managers and owners of ACMCs in India. The findings indicate that perceived compatibility, external pressure, perceived benefits and support from vendors are critical predictors of InRos adoption intention. Interestingly, the study also reveals that IT infrastructure and government support do not influence InRos adoption intention. Furthermore, the analysis suggests that perceived cost issues negatively moderate the relationship between the adoption intention and potential use of InRos in ACMCs. This study offers a theoretical contribution as it deploys the traditional TOE framework and discovers counter-intuitively that IT resources are not a major driver of technology adoption: as such, it suggests that a more comprehensive framework than the traditional RBV should be adopted. The work provides managerial recommendations for managers, shedding light on the antecedents of adoption intention and potential use of InRos at ACMCs in a country where the adoption of InRos is in a nascent stage.

EXPORT ORIENTATION, TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES AND EXPORT PERFORMANCE

The practice of exports by the companies in India leads to generating foreign exchange, builds international relations and reputation for both countries as well as the firm irrespective of the type of industry. Particularly the intensity of competition is a bit more among manufacturing companies in export orientation. The success of any business entity in the international market is dependent on the level of seriousness with respect to the intensity of export orientation and technological capabilities. The primary objective of conducting this research is to understand the relationship of variables such as export orientation and technological capabilities of the firm with the export performance of auto component manufactures in south India. Pertinent variables are used to test the hypothesis with the help of linear regression analysis. It is also understood that it is a firm’s ability of export orientation and technological capabilities have an influential impact on auto component manufacturing companies’ export performance in south India. The significant contribution of the study helps South Indian Auto component manufacturers to formulate better export strategies to capture market share and export revenue.

A large multi-group decision-making technique for prioritizing the big data-driven circular economy practices in the automobile component manufacturing industry

The present study uses a large group decision-making technique to identify and rank the best big data-driven circular economy (BDDCE) practices in the auto-component industry. The data pertaining to the BDDCE practices were collected from the decision-makers in three groups, namely, purchasing, manufacturing, and logistics & marketing function from the auto-component manufacturing industry. First, the consensus on the BDDCE practices within the group was ascertained followed by determining the decision weights using the percentage distributions and subjective weights. This was followed by the by computing the dominance degrees on pairwise comparisons of the BDDCE practices and ranking them using the PROMETHEE II method. The findings indicated that the BDDCE practices that were more inclined towards the enhancement of internal supply chain integration were most preferred and highly ranked by the decisionmakers in the auto-component industry as compared to the practices that were focused on improving the supplier and customer interfaces such as green purchasing, sale of excess inventory, and developing recycling systems for end-of-life products and materials . The high ranked BDDCE practices included minimization of the raw material consumption, plan for reuse, recycle, recovery of material, parts, and reduction of the process waste at the design stage.

Internationalization and Innovation Capabilities Determine Export Performance of Indian Auto Component Manufacturing Industry

Purpose - This study is designed to explore whether international and innovation capabilities of auto components manufacturers has significant relationship with export performance or not. Design/methodology/approach- This study has used structured questionnaire and interview techniques with export managers of exporting firms to achieve its research objectives. It has employed descriptive research methods to assess its research framework. Linear regression analysis was uses to test the hypothesis formulated in the study. Findings- The findings revealed that, gathering export market information, capable of using export market information, role of export mode, relationships & networks, flexible to modify firm resource base, develop new service, technological up-gradation, in-house product designs, improvement in the existing products and re-align manufacturing system have found significant relationship with export performances of auto component manufacturing companies in India. Research limitations/implications - The results point out that researchers need to target more number of samples for the statistical testing to generalize findings.The study is confined to understand the export behavior of auto component manufacturing firms. Practical implications-This work has export policy implications for auto component manufacturing industry in India. Strategies are suggested for export oriented companies for contributing to export knowledge and implementing export marketing strategies in manufacturing industry. Social implications -Exporting of high-end and premium quality auto components enhances the performance of the vehicles leading to increased customer's social status, standard of living and vehicle safety in the foreign markets. Originality/value - Previous research on internationalisation and innovation capabilities and export performance have not been explored in detail. The present study adds the value with reference to export performance of auto component manufacturers with statistical evidences.

A performance measurement system for industry 4.0 enabled smart manufacturing system in SMMEs- A review and empirical investigation

The smart manufacturing systems (SMS) offer several advantages compared to the traditional manufacturing systems and are increasingly being adopted by manufacturing organizations as a strategy to improve their performance. Developing an SMS is expensive and complicated, integrating together various technologies such as automation, data exchanges, cyber-physical systems (CPS), artificial intelligence, internet of things (IoT), and semi-autonomous industrial systems. The Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) have limited resources and therefore, would like to see the benefits from investments before allowing adopting SMS. This study uses a combination of exploratory and empirical research design to identify and validate the performance measures relevant to the evaluation of SMS investments in auto-component manufacturing SMMEs based in India. The study found that an Industry 4.0 enabled SMS offer more competitive benefits compared to a traditional manufacturing system. The planned investments in SMS can be evaluated on ten performance dimensions namely, cost, quality, flexibility, time, integration, optimized productivity, real-time diagnosis & prognosis, computing, social and ecological sustainability. Proposed novel Smart Manufacturing Performance Measurement System (SMPMS) framework is expected to guide the practitioners in SMMEs to evaluate their SMS investments.

The Relationship of Firm, Managerial & Product Characteristics with Standardization of Export Marketing Strategies in Auto Component Manufacturing Industry

Every manufacturing firm formulates one or the other marketing strategies to capture more market share and revenue. Managers of each firm irrespective of the type of business make export policies to keep competitors away in international markets. The success of a firm’s export performance lies in the positive influence of internal and external factors. The objective of the research study is to explore the relationship between a firm’s internal factors such as firm’s, managerial and product characteristics on export marketing strategy standardisation in the auto component manufacturing industry specially those firms locating in southern parts of India. Descriptive research methodology has been applied for analysing the data. The linear regression model has been used in the present study and tested the significant association among the variables related to internal forces and standardisation of export marketing strategies. The finding shows that, export marketing capabilities, managers export commitment, product characteristics have a significant relationship with product standardisation. Export marketing capabilities, managers export commitment, managers export motivation have positive influence on price standardisation similarly, export marketing capabilities, managers export commitment have significant relationship with distribution standardization. Similarly, firm’s internationalisation capabilities manager’s export commitment and managers export knowledge and product characteristics have significant impact on promotion standardisation. This research article is confined to the auto component industry which is engaged in export activities and limited to the statndardisation of marketing strategies in international business.

Development of maturity model for assessing the implementation of Industry 4.0: learning from theory and practice

Today many manufacturing firms expect a significant impact of ‘Industry 4.0’ on their supply chains, operations, and business models. However, its complex characteristics are yet to be fully comprehended by most of them. As a result, there are several apprehensions pertaining to its structure, techno-organisational capabilities, and methodologies for shaping the vision of Industry 4.0. We propose an Industry 4.0 maturity model, which is empirically grounded and technology-focussed for assessing the maturity level of Indian manufacturing organisations. The model comprises of 7 dimensions and 38 maturity items. Further, the model is validated in an auto-component manufacturing company to reinforce the learning from the model. The results reveal that the company is in ‘Digital Novice’ maturity level with a maturity score of 2.88 against the highest maturity score of 5. The study demonstrates that the model is validated in a real-life environment and is easy for self-assessment.

Innovative management system for environmental sustainability practices among Indian auto-component manufacturers

The study was conducted in the practice of innovative management system (IMS) among the auto-component manufacturers in Ambattur Industrial Estate, Chennai, India. Today, there is urgency among manufacturer has needed to implement IMS and to produce the environmentally friendly product. Manufacturers alone contributed to 18% of world carbon’s emission (OICA, 2017). This study was focused on how environmental friendly manufacturing practices help to drive into the harmless product by a practice of IMS among auto-component manufacturers. The partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was performed to extend the environmental responsibility of auto-component manufacturers, their analysis result shows that the sustainable procurement (30.4%) and eco-product design (30.1%) are determined by the practice of corporate governance. Further, it is noted that the practice of waste management system (WMS) 30.4% with innovating tactics by the method of 3R’s are recycled, reuse and recovered, again it pushed the product into the eco-product design (16.1%) and WMS influence environmentally responsible manufacturing process by 29.8%.

Innovative management system for environmental sustainability practices among Indian auto-component manufacturers

The study was conducted in the practice of innovative management system (IMS) among the auto-component manufacturers in Ambattur Industrial Estate, Chennai, India. Today, there is urgency among manufacturer has needed to implement IMS and to produce the environmentally friendly product. Manufacturers alone contributed to 18% of world carbon's emission (OICA, 2017). This study was focused on how environmental friendly manufacturing practices help to drive into the harmless product by a practice of IMS among auto-component manufacturers. The partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was performed to extend the environmental responsibility of auto-component manufacturers, their analysis result shows that the sustainable procurement (30.4%) and eco-product design (30.1%) are determined by the practice of corporate governance. Further, it is noted that the practice of waste management system (WMS) 30.4% with innovating tactics by the method of 3R's are recycled, reuse and recovered, again it pushed the product into the eco-product design (16.1%) and WMS influence environmentally responsible manufacturing process by 29.8%.

Identification and Prioritization of Technology Management Practices for Enhancing Competitiveness of Auto Components Manufacturing Firms in India

Auto component manufacturing is an important sector for India's industrial growth. During last six decades, this industry has made profound progress; its operations are still largely dependent on imported technology. It is lagging behind many industrially advanced countries. Enhancement of firms' competitiveness in this sector has been a major concern. Technology and its management is considered as one of the most important drivers for enhancing competitiveness, but which technology management practice be accorded highest priority and which one would be the next, and so on, has hitherto not been attempted. With this purpose, through literature review, competiveness indicators and technology management practices relevant to this sector have been identified. Using AHP model, prioritisation of competitiveness indicators and technology management practices affecting competitiveness, has been done. Based on the findings, the paper suggests a technology management framework for enhancing competitiveness for auto components manufacturing firms, which could also be useful to other sectors' manufacturing firms.

An Empirical Research on HR and Organizational Behaviour Intervention to Sustain B2b Business Relationship in Cross

From 2011 till now, major challenge that auto component manufacturers are facing is with regard to sharply rising imports of auto component from ASEAN countries such as Thailand, China and Japan. Due to the implementation of Free Trade Agreement between India and ASEAN countries in 2011, this prevails to be worrisome for Indian component makers. In this competitive global market supplier should maintain good relationship with buyer to be successful. But it becomes difficult when they are trying to operate in international context facing more challenges related to substantial cultural, religious and ethical difference between the firms. This critical to the researcher to analyse and understand about different national and organizational culture and their influence on the way, people do business and view the world. The purpose of this research is to identify the areas in which Indian Auto-component Manufacturers (IACMs) have brought change to sustain the business relationship with MNC Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and the role of HR Interventions and organizational behavior in strengthening the business relationship. The target population involves large and medium scale auto component manufactures supplying to MNC OEMS, Exporting or after-market , which are located in Chennai. Questionnaire was administered to all the five functional heads of 56 auto component manufacturers in Chennai.