In 2005, the automotive industry paid out an estimated $13 billion in warranty claims with more than 15 million cars being recalled, inevitably causing huge damage to brand and reputation that is sometimes irrecoverable. This situation will potentially get worse as the incorporation of technology in vehicles continues to increase. The solution lies in the implementation of a full traceability system that could reduce the tangible recall costs and thereby protect the value of the brand. Such a system should address potential risks: before manufacturing by preventing wrong parts from being assembled in the wrong place; during manufacturing by detecting and preventing errors in real-time; and also in post-production by tracking all the components used in the end-vehicles.
The TraceXpert production monitoring and control solution is said to be effective in reducing the number of repairs and recalls for automotive companies by doing just that. Not only does the system result in improved end-product quality, but it also allows for better equipment utilization, improved inventory turns, and higher profit margins.
The solution collects data in real-time and provides a precise ‘as-built’ bill of materials for the manufacturing of each PCB and variant. The system prevents wrong parts from being assembled, and further downstream. It also provides the ability to quickly identify those products affected by these sub-standard components, so that only defective products ever need to be recalled. Production processes from incoming material registration to production completion are monitored and controlled, including storage, verification, and dry component management.
Henning Maerkedahl, executive vice president at Valor Denmark, commented: “Think of it as an insurance policy. TraceXpert protects against unnecessary and costly product recalls by detecting and preventing errors in real-time – before, during and after manufacturing.” And he added: “Unlike most MES and ERP systems that are based on theoretical or inaccurate data, and often targeted at the mechanical vehicle components and not the electronics or embedded software, TraceXpert is based on real-time information.”
EPP EUROPE 418
