Zero-Defect Production - Vision or Real Chance ? Studying the Process. Co-operation between a German Foundry and a Korean Automotive Supplier

摘要

This paper describes a new approach to accomplish the step from zero defect supply to zero defect production. Preliminary positive results obtained by implementing this approach in a foundry are described. 'Precise marking of each individual casting, diligent recording of all relevant technological data of the casting process and a largely objective evaluation of the quality results obtained for the castings allow the research team to establish a correlation between manufacturing parameters and quality result, thus providing the prerequisites for defining the technological "windows" or "spaces" which later will pave the way for zero defect production. A new cylinder head is being developed and monitored up to the start of serial production in a collaboration between a German and a Korean foundry, which are both medium-sized businesses in terms of size and organizational structure. This project-related co-operation is a good example of relatively small foundries, which today are increasingly facing competition from globally operating automotive supplier groups, working together. The project uses for the first time the innovative computer-tomography based dimensional measuring method which was developed by one of the partners and which ensures non-destructive measurement of components of the cylinder head, including the internal contours, and compares results with the 3D-CAD method in the minimum possible time, hence considerably accelerating the release process.