A couple of years back Pazmac had an opportunity to help an existing customer “problem solve for a problem part”. The component in question was machined from a ductile iron casting. Although our customer already had a casting partner, there were quality and delivery issues. They simply did not have a reliable source to meet their needs.
Pazmac has an excellent core competency of machining expertise, but this was much more than a machining challenge. The Pazmac team needed to take a collaborative and holistic approach by looking at all elements of the manufacturing process. Our group has a wealth of manufacturing experience in serial production, product development in the tech sector and custom products for OEM’s. This expertise has allowed us to draw on some exceptional internal and outside resources for support with this project.
We got together with our customer’s engineering, quality and procurement people and rebuilt their manufacturing plan from the ground up using Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) principles. This process is particularly advantageous when creating components with tight tolerances ensuring a seamless fit and function in final assembly. We also wanted to understand their business objectives (scheduling, cost targets, engineering revisions, documentation requirements, etc.) to improve our value as part of their supply chain.
At the core of this challenge was the importance of choosing a reliable casting house. We worked with our customer to bring a new foundry on board and with their expertise developed a process, which included the necessary testing and validation, to ensure reliable delivery.
We then moved on to the machining of the parts. Pazmac’s team developed an entirely new approach for fixturing, machining and inspection.
Next, we tackled a service source to address an induction heat treating requirement on the specification. When this methodology failed to provide the required results, the team moved on to laser heat treating. Through this entire process we assisted with managing the testing and validation to ensure that we could reliably and repeatedly deliver product that met the design specifications.
While casting is a valuable technique, it does not always guarantee the highest quality finished part. This is where our expertise plays a pivotal role – we are committed to problem solving for problem parts. Together with our clients, we ensure their success by delivering precision components that meet or exceed manufacturing requirements.
At Pazmac, we thrive on asking questions and understanding our customers’ needs with the greatest of detail in mind – this case was no different.
Pazmac’s Technology and Business Toolboxes include:
- Our Problem-Solving Approach – To address the challenge, we initiated a problem-solving journey guided by principles of PPAP.
- Precise Understanding – collaborating closely with customer’s engineers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the part’s required functionality.
- Capability Assessment – evaluating the component specification requirements against production capabilities.
- Offering a Business Strategy – Pazmac’s team implemented a comprehensive business strategy for manufacturing the precision part. Every aspect of the components supply chain was scrutinized. We collaborated closely with the casting house, heat treaters, internal production, and our customer to optimize the production process and identify areas for improvement.
By applying PPAP, and addressing all aspects of manufacturing, we successfully produced a functional part but also reduced the lead times for production and improved part quality.
Creating a Collaborative Partnership Beyond Problem-Solving – by working together with the casting house to enhance their business operations, they were able to ensure accurate testing and validation of castings, opening the doors for future business opportunities.
Not only did our team help the casting house enhance their business opportunities, but we also ensured our customer consistently received accurate testing and validation of the castings. Problem solved.
Expect More
Why should you expect more from your manufacturing partner? The real question is why shouldn’t you? We invite you to come and see us to talk about how to expect more in precision parts manufacturing.
Let Pazmac be your collaborative partner and help drive your success.
Seeing is believing! We encourage you to visit our facility in Langley, BC. Discover what makes Pazmac different from other precision parts manufacturers. There is simply no comparison.
Book an onsite visit by contacting us, emailing [email protected] or calling 604-857-8838.
