Comparative Analysis of Undercarriage Components Rajesh Shah Pramod Kokane August 2015 1
Table of Contents Abstract:... 3 1. Introduction... 3 2. Methodology Adopted... 4 3. Tools Used... 4 3.1 Dimensional Measurement... 4 3.2 Material Characterization... 4 3.3 Hardness Characterization... 4 3.4 Sample Preparation... 5 4. Project Activities... 5 4.1 Dismantling of Assembly... 5 4.2 Visual Observation & Pictures... 6 4.3 Dimensional Measurement... 6 4.4 Sample Preparation... 6 4.5 Metallurgical Testing... 6 4.6 Manufacturing Process Evaluation... 7 4.7 Should Costing... 7 5. Final Report Generation... 7 6. Conclusion... 8 7. References... 9 About L&T Technology Services... 10 2
Abstract: In recent years, the undercarriage components market has grown competitive. Suppliers are facing huge competition to manufacture parts at lower cost by using advanced techniques to meet the prevailing market demand and specification. Comparative analysis of undercarriage components provide a good insight into the properties of your own product/components vis-à-vis competitor and helps the undercarriage manufacturers to optimise their own product. This paper highlights the process followed in comparative analysis and various tests conducted to achieve the desired output with findings and conclusions for product cost performance optimization. Keywords - Comparative analysis, Benchmarking, Metrology, Value Engineering, Undercarriage Assembly, Construction Equipment 1. Introduction The Original Equipment (OE) undercarriage component markets have grown competitive day-by-day and OE spare parts prices are declining by 1 to 2% each year. This pressure of keeping prices low has also forced the industry to consolidate, because bigger suppliers can realize economies of scale and offer products at lower prices. The suppliers have responded by redesigning products to be less expensive without losing functionality or quality, and by maximizing manufacturing efficiencies. On the other hand, technological advances have opened various avenues to market leaders to adopt state of the art technologies resulting in significant growth in market share. In this scenario, it is important to know the trends of competition with respect to technology, cost, performance prediction and product range. Hence, comparative analysis of companies product vis-à-vis competition product becomes a very important activity to understand these trends and these can be best achieved by detailed competitive benchmarking. Through the exercise of benchmarking, undercarriage manufacturers understand how the competitors are better from a design, manufacturing and performance standpoint, leveraging cost reduction opportunities and exceeding customer expectations. In addition, the intention of management is to look beyond engineering and market place and cater most market needs. 3
2. Methodology Adopted The methodology used for Competitive Benchmarking of components is shown below: 3. Tools Used Fig.: Methodology Adopted Below are the major tools used for comparative analysis under various processes. 3.1 Dimensional Measurement i. Micrometre ii. Coordinate Measuring Machine iii. Vernier Callipers iv. Radius & Thread Gauges 3.2 Material Characterization i. Optical Emission Spectrometers ii. Optical Microscope 3.3 Hardness Characterization i. Surface Roughness Tester ii. Surface Comparators iii. Hardness Tester 4
3.4 Sample Preparation i. Wire Cut ii. Water Jet Cutting Based on the above tools and methodologies, the intention of this project is to unfold the following information: a) Dimensional comparison of components b) Metallurgical Composition with information of alloying elements c) Hardness profile and case depth d) Various methods of heat treatment to elucidate process characteristics e) Microstructure examination to elucidate quality of heat treatment during processing f) Elucidation of manufacturing processes of competitors products g) Should-costing of competitor s products 4. Project Activities A team of engineers with experience in various domains along with industry experts worked to complete the project including: i. Pre-planning before the arrival of shipment ii. Coordination with freight forwarder from the pick-up to the arrival in India iii. Visual observation & Dimensional measurement iv. Sample preparation v. Metallurgical testing vi. Should-costing vii. Report preparation 4.1 Dismantling of Assembly A typical dismantling activity includes: i. Transportation of assembly (~500 Kgs) to service station for dismantling ii. Prepare necessary fixture and tooling for dismantling iii. Dismantling using double acting 300T hydraulic press iv. Collection of lubrication oil during dismantling v. Transportation of dismantled part to storage area with proper identification vi. Arrangement of parts as per layout 5
4.2 Visual Observation & Pictures This activity comprises: i. Recording pictures of all the components capturing distinct features or ii. specific identification Visual comparison of components comparing design features 4.3 Dimensional Measurement i. Measurement of major dimensions using conventional tools like vernier ii. iii. caliper and micrometre Use of specialized equipment s like CMM for critical dimensions Creation of assembly drawings for all the components 4.4 Sample Preparation Under this process test pieces are prepared for its microstructure analysis and heat transition zone. This can be done by: i. Conventional methods for sample preparation e.g. Hack-saw cutting ii. Parts with high hardness and large size use the following methods: Wire Cutting Water Jet Cutting 4.5 Metallurgical Testing Following major tests were conducted on components: i. Chemical Composition & likely Material ii. iii. iv. Surface Roughness Surface & Core Hardness Case Depth Measurement v. Microstructure Examination vi. vii. viii. ix. Macrostructure Examination Micro Hardness Lubrication Oil Testing Hardware Testing x. Bimetal Thickness 6
4.6 Manufacturing Process Evaluation i. Evaluation of manufacturing process such as casting and forging ii. Evaluation of Hardening process e.g. Induction Hardening, Direct hardening iii. Evaluation of welding process iv. Detail analysis of steps used in manufacturing of components v. Details of machine/tools used for manufacturing 4.7 Should-Costing i. Estimated Material cost as per Indian market ii. Detail cost for each manufacturing process performed considering the batch size & setup cost of special machines iii. Final cost considering overheads and profit 5. Final Report Generation During this project, the team has generated test reports for all the components. Below is a glimpse of the activities performed: i. Pre-planning before arrival of Shipment ii. Identification of space for Storage iii. Layout design for efficient utilization of space and easy accessibility to parts iv. Efficient material flow between storage and metallurgical lab v. Contingency planning in case of schedule slippage vi. Project plan with details at micro level for each activity with responsibility matrix vii. Assembly Identification, tagging & measurement viii. Placing assembly according to layout ix. Tagging of assembly as per its part number x. Weight measurement of assembly xi. Visual Observation of assembly (engravings, sticker etc.) xii. Assembly dimensional measurement 7
6. Conclusion The detailed process followed for benchmarking results in a good amount of data for analysis of undercarriage components. The type of data gathered and its interpretation is captured in the table below: Data Interpretation Depicts Dimensional Machining operations, Fits Design Intent, Cost of machining Material Heat Treatment Raw material type and the grade of material Type of heat treatment process followed for the specific duty requirements Initial cost Process reliability and associated cost for the service life of the product Visual Observation Any special feature and its functionality Good comparison with competitors parts and the value add of the product in total life including maintenance cost of the assembly Such interpretation provides a platform for engineering and product design teams to re-visit various in-house manufacturing processes and product designs to consider cost reduction opportunities in order to exceed customer expectations. 8
7. References i. Mechanical Engineering Handbook, Frank Kreith, 1999 ii. Metrology and Heat Treatment, SMDC27, 1996 iii. Indian Standard, Methods for measurements of case depth of steel, IS6416:1988 iv. Specification for superstrength alloy steel forging, ASTM A579-1, 2000 v. Basic components and elements of surface topography, Dec 2012 vi. Cooper R., Slagmulder R., 1997. Target Costing and Value Engineering, Productivity Press, Oregon. vii. Ugo I., Paulo C. K., 2006. Product development process with a focus on value engineering and target costing: A case study in an automotive company. International Journal of Production Economics 105(2007) 459-474. 9
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