Challenge: A second tier Japanese automotive interior systems supplier requires an improved solution of two support pieces used in a floor-storage carousel. The original design proposal included two stamped and welded assemblies. The largest support ring had 12 separate stamped steel pieces requiring welding and the smaller version had 5 pieces to be welded. The parts had to be robust and the customer's engineering resulted in an assembly which was labor intensive, heavy and expensive.
Solution: Stork Kelch worked closely with both the engineering and purchasing teams to help propose alternative designs and manufacturing processes. Stork Kelch orchestrated efforts between a principal in Colorado, the customer's engineering office in Japan and the customer's purchasing office in Ohio.
The customer was presented with several options, with the solution coming in the form of two magnesium thixomolded castings. This was accomplished in a matter of weeks, rather than months, as the customer's launch date was fast approaching.
A production tooling rush was also initiated, reducing the normal 14-week lead-time to only 8 weeks. Consequently, the parts went through the Production Part Approval Process and into the customer's production schedule in half the normal lead time, a critical milestone as the customer was launching a completely new, much anticipated vehicle model.
Both parts now have a clean, one-piece design, are about 40 percent lighter than the stamping and provided the customer a piece price savings of 32 percent. The entire assembly has received phenomenal reviews for the innovative design and build quality and sales for the vehicle are up 18 percent when compared to the previous model.
Contact Stork Kelch to learn how we can unite engineering, purchasing and quality control while reducing your piece price.
