SKH Magenti Marelli cuts overall response time in half with FARO

By Niraj M Wanikar, Chief Editor, CNCTimes.com, 2016-09-22 11:56:00

Currently the world’s seventh largest producer of cars, India has an automotive industry that accounts for 7.1% of its gross domestic product (GDP) . Even as the government seeks to develop the industry further, it is also careful about minimizing air pollutants released from motor vehicles. The authorities have implemented Bharat Stage (BS)-IV vehicular emission norms across major cities in 2014, and they are eager to move towards BS-VI emission standards by 2023.

For SKH Magenti Marelli Exhaust Systems Pvt. Ltd – an automotive components manufacturer that specializes in manufacturing catalytic converters and exhaust systems – a change in regulations for vehicular emission norms may mean big adjustments in its manufacturing plants. Anil Sharma, Chief Technical Officer at SKH Magenti Marelli, shared, “The move from BS-IV to BS-VI in the near future will require technological upgrades at the OEM level. Indirectly, SKH Magenti Marelli will be affected since we supply exhaust systems to the major OEMs in India.”

Limitations of a Fixed CMM
Since 2009, SKH Magenti Marelli has been producing catalytic converters for the automobile industry, before expanding its operations to include exhaust systems, and accompanying components in recent years. A joint venture between Magneti Marelli (part of Fiat Automobiles) and SKH Metals Limited (part of the Krishna Group), SKH Magenti Marelli’s headquarters are located in Gurgaon, with three separate manufacturing plants in Manesar, Pune, and Chennai.

Catalytic converters and exhaust systems have an important role to play when it comes to compliance of auto emission standards in vehicles. Catalytic converters are essentially an emissions control device to convert toxic pollutants in exhaust gas to less toxic pollutants, while exhaust systems support this process by piping exhaust gas through catalytic converters so as to reduce air pollution.

SKH Magenti Marelli’s products – catalytic converters and exhaust systems
SKH Magenti Marelli’s Manesar plant develops a majority of its auto components for Maruti Suzuki, as well as for Polaris. As the Manesar plant was focused solely on manufacturing catalytic convertors when the joint venture was first established, SKH Magenti Marelli acquired a fixed coordinate measuring machine (CMM) that sufficiently met its measurement needs at that time.

“Before, the Manesar plant was dedicated to manufacturing catalytic convertors with dimensions below 500mm, so the fixed CMM was sufficient then,” Anil explained. “However, as the company expanded its manufacturing process to develop more auto components and complete exhaust systems, we realized then that we hit a wall with our fixed CMM, since the equipment could no longer carry out inspection tasks effectively.”

Crossing Paths with FARO
Apart from the inability to inspect complete exhaust systems accurately, SKH Magenti Marelli was also challenged when required to validate and calibrate tooling gauges. This sparked off a search for a portable CMM that would facilitate measurement tasks, and also allow easy sharing across the manufacturer’s three manufacturing plants. As SKH Magenti Marelli had clear opinions of what they needed in a portable CMM, the team very quickly carried out a comprehensive research of the different non-contact measurement systems available in the market.

It was during this period that the team at SKH Magenti Marelli met with FARO. As the production team at Magnetti Mareli’s manufacturing plants in Europe have long since been using the FaroArm, SKH Magenti Marelli was no stranger to FARO’s suite of metrology devices. In addition to having a good understanding of the client’s measurement needs, FARO’s engineers also shared some positive references from satisfied international exhaust manufacturers with SKH Magenti Marelli. FARO’s rich experience, along with the assurance from Magnetti Mareli, provided SKH Magenti Marelli with more reasons to lean towards choosing the FaroArm.

Having considered their measurement needs, inspection requirements, and other cost- and time-savings factors carefully, SKH Magenti Marelli decided on the 12-foot FaroArm to assist in the manufacturing process at the Manesar plant. Anil elaborated, “At present, the team here already works with components that measure up to four meters in length. As we are planning to manufacture even larger-sized products in the next few years, we had to invest in a device that can support our future needs.”

The FaroArm in Action
With the FaroArm, SKH Magenti Marelli can better ensure quality standards across its products. Right from the design phase at the beginning, the FaroArm is essential in measuring the manufacturer’s prototype tooling and components, especially for its silencer systems. Prior to integrating the FaroArm, SKH Magenti Marelli was unable to check for errors and deviations after reassembling, which significantly delayed overall lead time. Now, recalibration and validation procedures can be carried out during the reassembly process with the FaroArm, improving SKH Magenti Marelli’s process capability, since errors are considerably minimized or eliminated.

The portability function of the FaroArm also benefitted SKH Magenti Marelli when measurements had to be taken outside of the quality lab. For one, operators have the option of moving the FaroArm to the component that needs to be measured, facilitating in-line measurements and improving efficiency. In addition, SKH Magenti Marelli was able to achieve extra mileage with the portable FaroArm by sharing the device with other teams in the Pune and Chennai plants.

Another noteworthy feature that SKH Magenti Marelli appreciated was in the area of measurement reports. In the past, it used to take SKH Magenti Marelli up to five days to generate reports for their customers, and third-party agencies had to be engaged at times to provide these reports. However, with the FaroArm, SKH Magenti Marelli can now generate accurate and objective measurement reports for customers in-house, which further provides peace of mind.

Perhaps one of the most significant changes that SKH Magenti Marelli has witnessed is the overall response time-savings. Since integrating the FaroArm, the automotive components manufacturer has been able to reduce overall response time by 50%. Anil shared, “Purchasing the FaroArm turned out to be an advantage for us, as response time in reacting to problems or defects has reduced. In the past, we checked our tooling by manually shifting components in various directions before making a part, and then indirectly check the tool by measuring the output with the fixed CMM. This was costly both in terms of time and material wastage, as we often went up to more than 20 parts before we got the tooling right. With the FaroArm, we can now measure the fixtures and correct any deviations before manufacturing the parts. This has increased our efficiency, provided us with direct cost-savings, and also gave us faster response times.”

Good Experience Working with FARO
Three months into service, the FaroArm has been used daily. SKH Magenti Marelli’s Quality Department is satisfied with the device, and the team is also pleased with how FARO helped them to manage the transition from their old fixed CMM to the new FaroArm.

Anil acknowledged, “We are very satisfied with the way FARO handled this project. The FaroArm was quickly delivered within 15 days, and our staff was also given proper training on how to operate the device. We have been able to save up to 7% in direct cost-savings since implementing the FaroArm, and we have also enjoyed significant reductions in overall response time. Productivity of our manufacturing process has increased tremendously with the FaroArm, and we are hopeful of developing catalytic converters and exhaust systems of higher quality to support new emission standards.”

When asked about the possibility of integrating more FARO solutions into its manufacturing processes, SKH Magnetti welcomes the idea of adding the FARO Laser Scanner to its inventory next year. The manufacturer is also considering another FaroArm to support its operations as it expands its business portfolio across the country, and engage in more projects and reverse engineering activities.

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