Apr 23 2007
The Woodbridge Group is a leader in automotive urethane technologies and a specialist in just-in-time assembly and sequencing systems, and operates in 64 facilities, 58 cities, and 20 countries. Its facilities in North and South America, Europe, Australia and Asia provide products to almost every automotive manufacturer.
P3T Lab, Woodbridge’s Corporate quality Laboratory provides corporate and external testing services for a large range of specifications and test methods including: ASTM, DIN, ISO, JIS, SAE, Ford, GM, Daimler Chrysler, JASO, Nissan, Toyota, FMVSS 302 and others. Its Senior Quality Specialist Robert Bailey, together with Dana Cotant and Aaron VanHaecke have set up what they believe is one of the world’s most advanced quality data and testing management system. The LSIMS (Laboratory Standardization and Information Management System) connects and integrates Zwick’s testing products used in Woodbridge production plants around the world to a central computer system in Canada. By setting the control parameters for the remote testing machines from the centralised computer it is possible to accurately measure the compression (or hardness) characteristics of seat foam materials with confidence on a global scale. Hardness is a key element of the vehicle driver’s comfort so consistency is very important.
Woodbridge’s customers are globally distributed and they expect consistent product quality so they set out to develop a quality testing and data management solution with this in mind.
Says Aaron: “Each of our factories tests around 200-400 different types of seat cushion, unique to their local market and this means that the testing machine has to be carefully configured for each test. This takes time and resources and, depending on the local language, is sometimes open to interpretation. With our new system we only have one configuration on the testing machine and all other control parameters and product specifications are centrally stored on the P3T Lab Information system in Toronto, Canada. The parameters are automatically synchronized with the local facilities and made available to the laboratory PC when the operator chooses a particular seat cushion to test.”
“Whenever a specification needs to be updated, it is done on the central P3T system. When it is finally released, all individual laboratories have immediate access and are prompted to work to the new specification immediately. This dramatically improves communication and, as our test sequences are by nature relatively complex, we have removed virtually all potential sources of testing error in setting up and maintaining our testing systems. We are also operating much more safely than before because each new configuration can be thoroughly tested in our own laboratory before being released.”
Hardness tests on seat cushions involve a number of test parameters. These parameters are stored on the central computer system and ‘inserted’ into the plant lab’s Zwick testing programme as soon as the operator enters a cushion identity. Local parameters, such as machine specific settings and tools and fixture dimensions, are incorporated into the system.
Once the test is completed the test results are transmitted back to the central P3T system which ensures that all data is traceable, correctly archived and allows decisions to be made regarding production and moulding parameters much faster than was previously possible.
Since setting up this system Woodbridge Foam has experienced a number of benefits:
- Tests are now being carried out to the same standards regardless of geographical location and the multi-language possibilities of the testXpert software simplifies deployment, and removes ambiguity and misinterpretation.
- Setting up the system in new production plants is now much easier and can be accomplished in 1 to 3 days compared to approximately 2 weeks previously.
- Feedback to the production moulding process can be determined from the test results and relayed much faster.
When the system is fully rolled out the Woodbridge Group will be able to know exactly what is happening in their test laboratories on a global basis in real-time and, as Dana explains, “We differentiate ourselves through advanced technology and, as a result of this project, we think that we are in strong shape to compete in the future. TestXpert is such a flexible and powerful software package. We are impressed by its capability, something not seen in many off-the-shelf commercial packages. Even though it was a standard version we have been able to configure it to our preferred Woodbridge style which has reduced training and enabled a level of control which was not previously possible. TestXpert became the foundation for our project and, without it, our goal would have been much more difficult to achieve.”
Robert also thinks that the close cooperation between the Woodbridge and Zwick teams in Canada and Germany proved to be very effective in finding the ideal solution. “Where other suppliers may only have been interested in selling us their professional services to develop a solution, Zwick had more flexibility. Zwick certainly could have designed and implemented a system for us but they realized that, with Dana Cotant and Aaron Van Haecke of Woodbridge’s Computer Integrated Manufacturing division, Woodbridge has sufficient in-house expertise to develop a “Made in Woodbridge” solution with Zwick’s cooperation and mentorship.”