Automotive Component Manufacturing Research Articles

Difference of color stability of E-glass fiber dental and E-glass fiber non dental FRC

The fiber that is most often used in dentistry is E-glass fiber, but in Indonesia E-glass fiber dental is limited by quantity and relatively expensive. E-glass fiber non dental was chosen as an alternative because the composition is almost the same as E-glass fiber dental and commonly used in the engineering world as a booster in the manufacture of gypsum panels, sculptures and automotive components. This study is aimed to determine the color stability difference between fiber reinforced composite (FRC) E-glass fiber dental and E-glass fiber non dental. This quantitative research is an experimental laboratory with a one group pretest and posttest research design. The sample is circular in shape with diameter 13 mm and height 2 mm consisted of E-glass fiber dental group and the E- glass fiber non dental group consisting of 4 samples for each group and given silane. After the color test using Spectrophotometer UV-Vis where the absorbance and wavelength values obtained will be calculated for the area so that the L*a*b* value and analysed using independent sample t-test, it was stated that there was no significant difference between the color of the fiber reinforced composite E-glass fiber dental and the E-glass fiber non dental. It is concluded that the use of E-glass fiber non dental can be used as a clinical standard because it has a good color stability value similar to that of E-glass fiber dental.

Design of a Spiral Double-Cutting Machine for an Automotive Bowden Cable Assembly Line

The manufacture of automotive components requires innovative technologies and equipment. Due to the competitiveness in the sector, the implementation of automatic and robotic equipment has been vital in its development to produce the largest number of products in the shortest amount of time. Automation leads to a significant reduction in defects and enables mass production and standardization of the final product. This work was based on the need of an automotive components’ company to increase the rate of spiral cable cutting, used as protection for Bowden (control) cables. Currently, this component, used in automotive systems, is processed with simple cutting machines and cleaning machines. Based on the design science research (DSR) methodology, this work aims to develop a machine capable of performing the cutting and cleaning of two spiral cables simultaneously and automatically. The development of this machine was based on existing machines, and the biggest challenge was the implementation of a double-cutting system. The designed machine met the initial requirements, such as enabling the simultaneous cut of two spirals, being fully automatic, doubling the output over the current solution, and fully complying with the current legislation.

Evaluation of Lean Manufacturing Practices in an Automotive Component Manufacturer

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate lean manufacturing (LM) practices used in a company in the automotive component industry located in Polo Industrial de Manaus (PIM), a manufacturing hub in the city of Manaus. Theoretical framework: The AME Lean Assessment instrument was used as the research framework in this study. This instrument was developed by the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) to benchmark where a company is on its lean journey.Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory case study was carried out, and since a more detailed study was needed, a research framework was used, composed of 14 attributes on lean manufacturing.Findings: The findings point to a high level of LM practices adopted by the company, in addition to allowing the practical application of the fundamental concepts to be observed for the Toyota Production System (TPS) at Polo Industrial de Manaus. The findings have increased the understanding in organizational behavior relating to LM.Research, Practical & Social implications: the study contributes to the body of knowledge on lean manufacturing considering its application in the Amazonian context. The study has made a substantial contribution to the understanding of lean manufacturing in the context of an important industrial park in Brazil. Originality/value: Originality is the adoption of a research framework for evaluating lean manufacturing practices in an Amazonia context, allowing the specific characteristics of lean manufacturing to be understood in Amazonia, from an in-depth case.Keywords: Lean manufacturing; Lean Assessment; Industry; Automotive components; Amazonas.

Experimental Investigation of Face Milling Surface Study on AA1100 by Using VMC

Abstract: Aluminum alloys are extensively used as a main engineering material in various industries such as automotive industries, the mould and die components manufacture and the industry in which weight is the most important factor. Surface roughness is an important measurement of product quality since it greatly influences the performance of mechanical parts as well as production cost. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of the main factors of the surface roughness in aluminum semi-solid AA1100 face milling. The results of the research could be applied in the manufacture of automotive components and mold industries. This study was conducted by using computer numerical controlled milling machine with 40- millimeter diameters fine type carbide tool with twin cutting edge. The experimental results were evaluated using Taguchi technique. Machining timing, and Flatness were mainly influenced with feed. MRR was mainly influenced with DOC. Practically minimum flatness error obtained at low speed with maximum feed and depth of cut. During this operation very low surface finish 0.520 µm generally it can achieve cylindrical grinding process. Keywords: AA 1100, face milling, Ra, CMM, flatness error

A sustainable circular 3D printing model for recycling metal scrap in the automotive industry

Purpose Industries and businesses are pursuing Industry 4.0 technologies as well as adopting a circular approach focused on improving manufacturing processes through the reduction of wastes, CO2 emissions and mineral exploration to mitigate the impact of climate change. In this sense, additive manufacturing (AM), often referred to as 3D printing, can play a key role in the closed-loop of operations. However, academics and practitioners have scarcely discussed the feasibility of implementing AM alongside circular economy (CE) practices, the techniques and methods that this would require, or how AM could benefit sustainability and circularity. To address these gaps, this paper proposes a novel circular sustainable 3D printing model for scrap recycling in the automotive industry.Design/methodology/approach The methodology uses a literature review-based approach followed by empirical research using metal scraps as the raw material for fabricating a powder to input a metal 3D printer for generating sustainable automotive components. A conceptual sustainable circular model for the automotive industry is proposed. Next, is conducted a focus group comprises AM and automotive industry experts for evaluations.Findings The results indicate that the proposed model can be used to reintroduce waste back into the manufacturing chain as raw material for the on-demand manufacture and supply of automotive components and that it may also have social and environmental implications.Originality/value This paper’s contributions are threefold: it explores the combined use of Industry 4.0 (I4.0), CE and sustainability in the automotive industry, develops a new model to support the circularity and sustainability of the scrap chain and proposes the use of AM as a catalyst of CE practices by reproducing recycled components with a 3D printer for prototypes or fully functioning components.

ANALISIS PENGENDALIAN KUALITAS PRODUKSI DOOR LOCK DENGAN METODE PDCA BERDASARKAN SISTEM KAIZEN DI PT.X


 X is a company engaged in the manufacture of automotive components that produce car parts. Market PT. X is not only to local only, but to the majority of international magnitude. In the process of production of the door lock (konci car door) are found reject the results because the process is less rigorous and order goods (parts) of the subcontracts that are not in accordance with the SOP process. Among them there are sizes that do not fit and less tidy. So there is a complaint from the central hub Door Lock resulting difficulty in mounting Door Lock. The research objective is to improve a system on quality control in the production process of door lock with PDCA method based on system KAIZEN, because there are irregularities in the production process resulting Door Lock missing goods, resulting in complaints from the central hub Door Lock. From the data processing period January 2019 s / d in May 2019 from Table 4.1 above shows a decrease of 45 the amount of damage that occurred engine resulting in decreased also against defective products against total disability of 99.83% and the overall probability of 13.33% when compared with the period January 2018 s / d December 2018 amounted to 10.13% and the probability of 16.14% it means that the application of PDCA method using KAIZEN SYSTEM is effective in overcoming the problem of engine damage resulting production defective products miss. Where the results of the application of this method is very profitable company

Modeling the pressures for sustainability adoption in the Indian automotive context

Sustainable excellence can be achieved by including sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices within the existing practices of industries. However, in developing countries such as India, industries, in general, are less willing to modify their existing traditional supply chain activities without pressures or motivations, which is the case in the automotive industries. The literature on SSCM pressure by the various stakeholders is limited in the Indian context. To fill this void in the literature, the present study examines the pressure for the adoption of sustainability in Indian supply chains, particularly in the context of the automotive industry. The automotive sectors to implement SSCM were identified from the literature review and the relationships among the elements were established using contextual, relationship-based, total interpretive structural modeling (TISM). The pressures were subjected to Matrice d’Impacts Cross-impact Matrix multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) analysis to classify the different groups of pressures based on their driving powers and dependence. The developed TISM model was further assessed by a different group of industry experts to ensure its validity. The findings inferred that government regulations, the special benefits of social and environmental certifications, and the interests of the foreign investor in sustainable product development, are the most influential pressures for SSCM adoption in Indian automotive component manufacturing industries.

8Ds method of problem solving within automotive industry: Tools used and comparison with DMAIC

Problem solving techniques have many impacts on the organization to increases the operational efficiencies, to reduce the materials wastage, to improve the consistency in production, to increase in production performance, to improve the manufacturing cycle time and ultimately to increase the company’s profits. However, the selection of wrong team, wrong problem, lack of data and time are the regularly encountered factors while problem-solving in manufacturing sector. Consequently, the sequential steps are required to define and to find out the root cause of problem, to select the most suitable alternatives and to implement solutions of that problem. In this paper, 8Ds methodology has been deeply studied with respect to the automotive manufacturing sector. The brief discussion on the tools used to apply 8Ds methodology has been presented. Also, the related contributions from literature have been explored corresponding to the outcome of applying 8Ds in manufacturing of automotive components. Based on literature review, a sample 8Ds template has been presented in this paper. Various conclusions are derived on 8Ds like it is not one-time implementation technique but an on-going management choice to reply to customer complaints, application of Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle (PDCA) with 8D’s helps in providing reliable solutions and increase the quality level and it has been successfully applied with the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control (DMAIC) methodology. In addition, the current paper also discusses the comparation of 8Ds with a well-known data drive methodology (i.e., DMAIC methodology).

Design and manufacture of automotive components in thermoplastic composite (Part I)

Due to the increasing demands in environment regulations related to gases emissions, the automotive sector has gradually increased the plastic consumption in vehicles.The objective is to introduce in the market structural components made in latest generation composite materials in a serial and competitive way with the functionality of the present metallic parts. In this work the redesign of two automotive metallic components that will be produced via thermoplastic RTM (Part II) is presented. This technology allows the manufacturing of high performance long fibre composite materials with shorter cycle times. Based on the specifications of the components and the actual metallic solutions performance a new concept of a brake pedal and a control arm consistent with the manufacturing via a RTM thermoplastic process is adressed. For the calculations of both components, carbon or glass fibre with poliamide matrix (APA6) based solutions are used.

Design and manufacture of automotive components in thermoplastic composite (Part II)

The thermoplastic RTM process (T-RTM) is currently one of the most demanded process for R&D in the automotive sector. This sector tries to lighten the weight of the vehicle with highly resistant non-metallic components and with efficient manufacturing in cycle-time and cost. In the framework of the BIHARKONP project, EDERTEK-TECNALIA proposes the migration of a suspension arm, currently manufactured by means of metal stamping, to high mechanical requirements composite materials, obtaining a weight reduction of 30%. For the manufacture of this component it was proposed to redesign the component in carbon fiber (CF) and polyamide 6 matrix (APA6). The redesign (Part I) consisted in a mechanical calculation of the loads that the component had to support. The geometry has been changed with the aim of fulfilling the part specification and the peculiarities of the T-RTM process. For the manufacture of the component, a CF/APA6 composite laminate was defined and characterized and a specific CF for thermoplastics was selected. Subsequently, a T-RTM mold was designed and manufactured with inserts for fiber compaction and eight thermal control zones. The geometry of the control arm involves the manufacture of CF preforms by means of a thermal forming process with thermoplastic veils. Caprocast technology has been used to manufacture the prototype by caprolactam injection and its polymerization inside the heated mold. The prototype was subjected to bearing test, bushing insertion-extraction test and bushing strength test. The component was validated.

Talent Risk, Company Agility, and Competitive Advantage in Asian Automotive Industry

Several Asian countries today face talent risk and talent shortage especially in engineering- and technology-related fields within high-tech industries such as automotive component manufacturing and automobile industry. This situation can lead to the loss of competitiveness and business sustainability. Limited automobile companies have strategies to cope with talent risk, which involves increasing workforce agility and enables the companies to quickly adapt themselves to disruptive changes. Those companies can reduce the impact from negative consequence of people risk. In this context, this study investigated the relationships between talent risk, competitive advantage, and agility in the Asian automotive industry. The data collection was collected from 12 automobile companies in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The analysis was delivered in two phases; a quantitative step was the data collected were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis and simple path analysis; and a qualitative step as the results were confirmed through in-depth interviews with executives and managers. The study revealed that talent risk has a positive relationship with competitive advantage and agility mediates the relationship between talent risk and competitive advantage. Our findings imply that the Asian automotive industry should focus on building an agile workforce to reduce the impact of talent risk on competitiveness.

USE OF KAIZEN PRINCIPLE AND LINE BALANCING TECHNIQUE FOR PROCESS IMPROVEMENT IN THE ASSEMBLY OF AUTOMOTIVE COMPONENTS

Continuous process improvement is critical for organisations to stay in business. An automotive component manufacturer faced productivity challenges after the launch of a new hybrid C-SUV automobile in South Africa. This paper aims to improve the seat cover sewing process line through a line balancing technique. The use of process standard times to balance the production process initially led to bottlenecks, and the cycle time was above the takt time of the assembly line. Through the use of work-study analysis and time studies, the bottleneck processes were identified. Elements were then categorized, and kaizen implementation occurred at the processes. The processes were then rebalanced to meet the calculated cycle time. A root cause analysis was also conducted to investigate the sources of muda and the factors affecting the rate of working. The assembly line was then rebalanced, and the balance delay decreased by 33%. Keywords Bottlenecks; Kaizen principle; Muda

Strategies for automotive filter component manufacturers towards electric vehicles era in Indonesia

In conventional cars, a filter is one of the automotive components directly associated to the internal combustion engine (ICE) and will be disappeared if electric vehicles dominate. By carrying out a case study approach to filter manufacturers and formulating problems with a strategic management approach and SWOT analysis, the results show that filter manufacturers can still take advantage of opportunities by using their existing internal strengths; therefore, an alternative strategy is to implement aggressive or diversification strategies in the future.

Experimental evaluation and surface integrity analysis of cryogenic coolants approaches in the cylindrical plunge grinding

Replacement of pollutant fluids with eco-friendly strategies in machining operations significantly contributes to protecting the environment, diminishing global warming, and ensuring a healthier workplace for employees. This study compares cryogenic coolants with conventional coolants in cylindrical plunge grinding using a Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN) wheel. Samples of 27MnCr5 steel used in the manufacture of automotive transmission components were ground using (i) Liquid Nitrogen (LN2), (ii) a combination of LN2 + Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL), and (iii) a conventional coolant. The effects of the different cooling methods on the surface integrity of the ground surfaces were examined in terms of surface roughness, microstructural defects, microhardness profiles, and residual stresses. In general, surface roughness was similar for the tested cooling systems, even after grinding three subsequent surfaces in which the process stability was analyzed. Interestingly, the use of eco-friendly cryogenic systems induced fewer microstructural defects than conventional systems, and particularly, LN2+MQL lead to more compressive surface residual stresses that would improve the in-service performance of components. These results show opportunities for replacing conventional pollutant systems with eco-friendly cryogenic strategies for refrigerating/lubricating grinding processes to reduce harmful effects on the environment and pose health risks to operators.

The impact of open innovation challenges on automotive component manufacturers’ competitiveness: An insight from the South African automotive industry

Open innovation is a function of managing innovation challenges within an organization to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. To achieve this, organizations have to configure and regulate their strategic resources, harness their core competencies and absorptive capacity, and manage uncertainties inherent in their business activities. This study aimed to examine the impact of open innovation strategy challenges on the competitiveness of automotive component manufacturers (ACMs) in South Africa. It addressed ACM open innovation challenges and their effect on competitiveness and the relationship between open innovation strategy and competitiveness. The study employed a quantitative methodology with a sample survey consisting of 44 respondents comprising the owners, and senior and junior managers responsible for research and development. The results identified that the challenges faced by ACMs are lack of resources, lack of dynamic capabilities and high-risk exposure, with the lack of resources being the most significant. The study’s significant implications are that ACMs should design strategic measures that mitigate the adverse spillover effects of resource deficiencies impacting dynamic capability transformation and risk mitigation. The study contributes to existing knowledge by extending the concept of attaining above-average returns through integrating the resource-based view theory, the dynamic capabilities theory, and the portfolio theory.

Relationship between manufacturing complexity, strategy, and performance of manufacturing industries in Indonesia

Previous research has emphasized the need to further investigate the impact of manufacturing complexity on company strategies and performance in developing countries' manufacturing sector. Indonesia is one such developing country where this relationship has yet to be adequately studied. The manufacturing industry sector is expected to drive Indonesia's economic growth to achieve the targeted average growth of 6% per year in the next five years. This study aimed to examine the relationship between manufacturing complexity, manufacturing strategies (cost, delivery, flexibility, and quality), and manufacturing performance of Indonesian automotive component manufacturing industries. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed in the investigation. The sample size comprised 72 automotive component manufacturing companies located in the Jakarta region. Results indicated that the higher the value of manufacturing complexity, the higher the manufacturing strategies should be prioritized. The manufacturing strategy related to quality, particularly, has a significant positive impact on manufacturing performance. The novelty of this study lies in its detailed examination of the relationship between manufacturing complexity, manufacturing strategies, and manufacturing performance, particularly in developing countries. The results are expected to fill the existing research gaps.

Perception of the influence of cultural diversity on business performance in the automotive component manufacturing in South Africa

Orientation: Global market demands that organisations remain competitive, flexible and relevant in order to adequately react to culturally diverse changes in their human resources. This sentiment describes the importance of cultural diversity in organisations. However, cultural diversity phenomenon has not been given serious attention by business.Research purpose: This study examines the perception on the influence of cultural diversity on business performance in automotive component manufacturers in South Africa.Motivation for the study: Cultural diversity in the organisation has grown over the passage of time with an increase in globalisation. People no longer live in an insular environment. They are part of the worldwide economy competing within a global framework. Hence, cultural diversity becomes a way of creating competitive advantage.Research design, approach and methods: The study was quantitative in design, with middle-level managers in two large automotive component manufacturers in the eThekwini District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal participating in the study. Of the 168 individuals identified for participation, 118 participated in the study, representing a 70.2% response rate. Descriptive, correlative and t-tests, using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) were used to analyse the data.Main findings: Study results indicates that a culturally diverse workforce is associated with greater organisational performance, improved strategic decision-making and innovation. Hence, organisations must manage cultural diversity among their workforce for the improvement of business performance.Managerial implications: Culturally diverse workforce are associated with greater organisational performance, improved strategic decision-making and innovation. Hence, management must develop an understanding of their cultural settings if their organisations are to perform effectively.Contribution: The original value of this study is its approach in uncovering the strengths and weaknesses of cultural diversity on business performance in South Africa.

Enabling predictive maintenance integrated production scheduling by operation-specific health prognostics with generative deep learning

Predictive Maintenance (PdM) is one of the core innovations in recent years that sparks interest in both research and industry. While researchers develop more and more complex machine learning (ML) models to predict the remaining useful life (RUL), most models are not designed with regard to actual industrial practice and are not validated with industrial data. To overcome this gap between research and industry and to create added value, we propose a holistic framework that aims at directly integrating PdM models with production scheduling. To enable PdM-integrated production scheduling (PdM-IPS), an operation-specific health prognostics model is required. Therefore, we propose a generative deep learning model based on the conditional variational autoencoder (CVAE) that can derive an operation-specific health indicator (HI) from large-scale industrial condition monitoring (CM) data. We choose this unsupervised learning approach to cope with one of the biggest challenges of applying PdM in industry: the lack of labelled failure data. The health prognostics model provides a quantitative measure of degradation given a specific production sequence and thus enables PdM-IPS. The framework is validated both on NASA’s C-MAPSS data set as well as real industrial data from machining centers for automotive component manufacturing. The results indicate that the approach can both capture and quantify changes in machine condition such that PdM-IPS can be subsequently realized.

Power and supply chain development in the South African and Thai automotive industries: What lessons can be learnt?

AbstractIn today's highly globalised, increasingly interlinked and extremely competitive auto industry, it is important to understand how some countries succeed in adopting the latest technologies while others are left behind. The creation of a competitive auto industry requires a deep supply chain. One that can compete in the global automotive space and develop and apply technologies as well as penetrate niche markets. Building on comparative research, this article seeks to understand the factors and power relations that led to the deepening of the Thai auto sector, specifically of its automotive component manufacturers, and how South Africa can learn from it.

Information Technology Factors Affecting Supply Chain Collaboration in Automotive Component Manufacturing in Indonesia

There is a growing need for collaborative supply chain management. This collaboration has been attracting the researchers due to their critical impact to improve business value. The use of information technology (IT) which is presently widely used in almost areas of business and engineering is considered prerequisites of today’s complex supply chain. Current study shows that a broad array of references in supply chain collaboration especially in identifying influencing factors on Information Technology are partial and limited. This study was aimed at reviewing a comprehensive understanding of dominant IT factors that influence successful supply chain management. Based on thorough analysis on the state of the art literature review, a proposed construct of influencing IT factors in supply chain collaboration is offered. Multiple linear regression technique is used to model the proposed construct. The result of analysis suggests that a further research on identifying factors and determining samples is required to model accuracy.