The Challenge: When a Tier I supplier to General Motors couldn’t satisfy a member of the Big Three’s demands, they needed a solution. The issue at hand was the application of a dry film lubricant to washers that went in every GM vehicle on the market. The Tier I’s current coating applicator could not provide adequate volumes to meet delivery demands. Also, the quality of parts delivered began to deteriorate. In fact, when certified parts from the current applicator were measured at random to verify quality, the coating thickness was under spec. With a redesign of the part upcoming, it was time to change their coating applicator.
The Solution: DECC was challenged by the Tier I to meet aggressive target pricing and improve the quality of the part. This high-volume program, between 8-10 million EAU, was also demanding as there were four different parts, all extremely similar in size, that needed to be segregated at all times. DECC moved forward with an electrostatic rack-spray application and based pricing accordingly.
The Result: With creative fixture design, DECC was able to meet the target pricing on all four washer programs. Because of the method of application, electrostatic vs. the chain-on-edge system that was previously being used, the quality of the product improved dramatically, as well. In fact, the parts DECC submitted for PPAP were called “jewelry” in comparison to the parts the Tier I was accustomed to receiving.
However, the biggest compliment DECC could receive came from GM themselves. From initial coated samples to production and everything in between, they told the Tier I that “it was one of the smoothest launches we have ever experienced.”