3D scanning in OEMs [automotive] and aftermarket sectors

Addressing quality control concerns from OEMs

Regardless of economic downturns or upswings, part and sub-assembly suppliers in the auto industry are under tremendous pressure from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to improve product quality and performance—all while reducing lead times and curtailing costs. This can take a huge chunk out margins.

Implementing just-in-time and automated manufacturing workflows have definitely helped suppliers address the need for efficiency and streamlined operations. However, many Tier 1, Tier 2 and even Tier 3 suppliers are looking towards other solutions to address OEM quality and cost requirements as well as their own labor and productivity issues.

Mitigating inspection bottlenecks and inefficiencies

Any auto sector supplier knows that having a robust quality management system, which incorporates both quality assurance upstream and quality control downstream of the production process is critical. Quality issues from any type of component or sub-assembly can lead to performance problems, expensive recalls, hazards to drivers, and potential litigation. In the past, suppliers in the automotive industry relied on conventional CMMs in the lab to conduct part inspections. While CMMs did offer a very high level of accuracy and confidence in the data, they required metrologists to work the equipment and conduct the inspections.

The problem with CMMs is that due to the fact that only experts could complete inspection tasks, production bottlenecks inevitably occurred. For one, there are only so many quality control checks that any worker could do in one day—regardless of qualifications or efficiency. Today’s tight labor market and a generation on the cusp of retirement exacerbate OEM suppliers’ challenges in recruiting and keeping experienced metrologists.

Secondly, CMMs could only be operated in labs and not in production environments, due to vibrations, humidity levels, dust and more. Furthermore, due to costs, the number of CMMs were limited to any given manufacturing plant. Ultimately, production throughput and quality were greatly affected.

Tackling ever-increasing complex parts and sub-assemblies

In order to maintain a competitive edge, auto OEMs are designing increasingly sophisticated vehicles. From organic form factors to the electrification of cars, which requires a whole new manufacturing mindset, OEMs are pushing the design envelop—with parts and sub-assemblies becoming more complex than ever before.

Complexity therefore adds an extra layer of challenges for quality assurance and quality control teams. Traditional tools were limited in how they were able to capture critical measurements for parts with curved shapes or shiny, black, transparent or reflective surfaces, for example. The problem is further compounded when inspections need to be conducted on an entire system with intricate parts and sub-parts. What’s more: as consolidation continues within the auto industry, suppliers are tasked with having to develop skills to design and produce more types of parts for different OEMs with varying specifications, complicating quality assurance and quality control methods even more.

Quality monitoring for defects and traceability can therefore be a real headache for auto suppliers without the appropriate 3D measurement technologies and workflows.

Cost-cutting squeezes from OEMs

It can be quite the balancing act for OEM suppliers. On the one side, OEMs demand innovation from their partners to ensure product differentiation. On the other side, OEMs expect suppliers to cut annual costs—sometimes as much as 3 to 5%. As a result, suppliers risk to see their financial performance erode.

To remain competitive while reducing margin and performance pressure, suppliers go beyond “simply” pay-for-performance incentives and gainsharing plans to motivate workers to be more productive. They must also turn to innovative solutions to gain efficiency through technology and rethink production line workflows to boost operational performance.