Page 22 - MetalForming December 2012

Honoring Metalforming Excellence
previously manufactured using more costly manufacturing processes.
Excellence in Quality
Pridgeon & Clay
Pridgeon & Clay also received the 2012 Waukesha Metal Products Excel- lence in Quality Award, for introducing several programs surrounding quality metrics, including development of scorecards used to highlight key met- rics in each area of its business. The firm’s quality department tracks progress on the scorecard, which is reviewed monthly by top management.
The Pridgeon & Clay quality depart- ment streamlined its gauge-planning process in 2010 and enjoyed a 50-percent reduction in the cost of gauge changes. In 2011 the group challenged itself to make another significant improvement, and did so by developing a new docu- ment called a Preliminary Dimensional Plan. It’s used to provide the gauge shop with a specific outline of its require- ments, mirroring the control plan and supporting the inspection checklist used by production personnel.
In addition, during the past year Pridgeon & Clay’s customers required annual validations on all service parts, above and beyond their written man- uals. This led the company to review its labor and machine resources. As a result, it adjusted its gauge-technician staff to allow CMM work on third shift, reviewed production-CMM programs being run for ongoing capability stud- ies and incorporated dimensional reports into its validation program.
Pridgeon & Clay also introduced several new products in 2011-2012 with extremely tight tolerances, which required the addition of new measure- ment equipment. The company inte- grated a new scope to check for cham- fers, radii, small teeth and centers of arcs, and a multisensory vision system to inspect fuel-cell components. It’s also evaluating the addition of portable gauging machines (Renishaw Equator models, described as an alternative to custom gauging) to replace CMMs on
the production floor. And it’s closely monitoring and addressing CMM-relat- ed production-downtime events.
With the close monitoring and effec- tive action plans related to metrics, Pridgeon & Clay has set a goal of getting its PPAP records 100-percent complaint to customer requirements, and has improved to 95 percent, compared to 88 percent previously.
The Quality Award, sponsored by Waukesha Metal Products, Sussex, WI, recognizes outstanding achievement by a manufacturing company in the devel- opment and implementation of a com- pany-wide quality system that effec- tively uses continuous improvement.
Excellence
in Productivity
Eclipse Manufacturing
Eclipse Manufacturing Company, Sheboygan, WI, received the 2012 Zier- ick Manufacturing Corporation Pro- ductivity Award. Eclipse, a contract manufacturer of stamped and welded assemblies serving the small
gas engine, automotive and other markets, won the award for incorporating a robotic- welding cell to assemble fan housings. The project resulted in dramatic productivity improvements.
Due to volume limitations,
the original manufacturing
plan was to stamp the housing components and assemble
parts using manual spot-weld-
ing machines. Eclipse was able
to justify assembly with a robotic-welding cell when it received additional orders for engine- housing assemblies. Each housing comprises two or three unique baffle components with seven to nine weld nuts.
The robotic-welding cell as-designed was budgeted to cost the same as three sets of manual spot-welding fixtures. The custom cell features powered and free conveying equipment. One con- veyor can load six sets of components
on pallets (shown below), while six fan- housing stampings on pallets move on a second powered conveyor. The con- veyors automatically transport the housings and the internal components into the welding cell.
The cell employs three robots—two handling robots and one welding robot —as well as a nut welder. The nuts are welded to the housing before the hous- ing passes to the handling robot for locating in a weld fixture. Part-presence and motion sensors track all parts and automated motions, and tool positions. The composite cycle time for the weld cell averages 100 sec. Welding time for one housing type has been reduced by 53 percent, while production volume has increased by 30 percent.
Overall savings for the three hous- ings being welded in the cell is esti- mated at 1.2 man-years compared to manual spot welding. The weld cell was used to provide a 10-percent cost savings to the customer. As a result of the increased scheduling flexibility pro- vided by the robotic-welding cell, Eclipse earned a Supplier of the Year
20 MetalForming/December 2012
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Award for Customer Service at its cus- tomer’s annual supplier conference held in April 2012.
The Productivity Award, sponsored by Zierick Manufacturing Corp., Mount Kisco, NY, recognizes outstanding achievement by a manufacturing com- pany in the development and imple- mentation of programs, processes and use of assets that lead to significant improvements in productivity.