Koyo Steering System Ltd’s mother plant in Gurgaon to understand the manufacturing philosophy on the steering major.
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PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY
Sona Koyo Steering System Ltd primarily manufactures steering systems for differ-ent applications, with the Rack & Pinion Steering (RPS) and Hydraulic Power Steer-ing (HPS) accounting for the bulk of sales. A company spokesperson we spoke to informed us that the hugely popular SUV from Mahindra & Mahindra, the XUV500, is one of the company’s latest business acquisitions for the HPS.
The company presently manufactures a wide range of steering columns including tilt, tilt/ telescopic, collapsible and rigid type for major Indian custom-ers…show more content… Operated on the principles of Poka-yoke, the present capacity of this line is 53 units per hour. This Japanese technique plays a critical role, since manufacturing of this system involves assembly of up to 27 parts and even the
slightest error could result in part failure and warranty claims for the OEM. In the event of any particular step going wrong, the assembly line automatically comes to a stop and signals the problem area through a light system. The line resumes production only when the indicated problem has been resolved. Usage of the Poka-yoke technique also helps the line workers ensure that assembly parts do not get mixed up when steering systems for multiple models are being manufactured on the same time.
During assembly, special care is taken for safety parameters that can affect the human body in a direct or indirect way. For example, if an operator doesn’t torque the steering assembly appropriately, it could result in steering failure, when the vehicle is in motion. In order to ensure zero error, the line is equipped with an electronic torque zone, again based on Poka-yoke. In case of an operator missing out, the zone detects the miss and stops the conveyor belt and resumes only once the problem has been…show more content… In case of any defect, the component is taken off the assembly line and sent for inspec-tion. A load & torque testing machine then applies pre-determined torque and
Gurgaon plant has continuously adopted new manufacturing techniques over the past years
load on the steering. This process ena-bles to check for any variation in the torque and load readings for a system. Following the endurance test, the assembly is passed through a perfor-mance-testing machine, which checks
the performance of the pinion. The machine can detect any sound anomalies in the steering, allowing operators to
Test track at the facility
spot a defect. Nearing the end of the assembly line, the hydraulic fluid is removed from the assemblies as they are delivered to the OEMs in a dry state.
The steering is then integrated with the rod gear and tie-rods and sent to the final station. At this point, line operators check the assembly for any dimensional irregularities. In case of any, the