United on quality
“That goal is to keep improving so we provide our customers with the best products possible.”
— Manuel Muñoz, Quality Circle participant from DENSO Manufacturing Mexico
“Quality is everyone’s responsibility.”
Although seemingly simple, this very important observation came from the late Quality Control guru W. Edwards Deming.
Some might say his words of wisdom were personified at the 2009 North American Quality Circle Convention (NAQCC), held in Niagara Falls, Canada.
“Meeting associates from around the world helped me realize we’re all united by the same goal,” said Manuel Muñoz, a Quality Circle participant from DENSO Manufacturing Mexico (DNMX). “That goal is to keep improving so we provide our customers with the best products possible.”
DENSO has been striving to improve quality since the very beginning. In fact, DENSO earned the Deming Prize for quality control—named after none other than Deming himself—in 1961, and continues to push forward today.
Employee Quality Circle teams that work to improve manufacturing equipment, processes and procedures are a great example. In 2009, there were more than 900 Quality Circles at DENSO companies in North America. The top 16 showed their stuff in Canada.
“To me, it seems like the projects keep getting better and better,” said Jenny Gordon, Sr. Quality Planning Specialist at DENSO International America (DIAM) and ’09 NAQCC chair.
Quality Circle activities often lead to cost savings and improved efficiency. Such was the case with activities for the five-person team from DNMX, nicknamed “Imperio,” who earned this year’s NAQCC Benchmark Award.
The team targeted reduction of manufacturing defects for internal non-contact sensors.
The non-contact sensor is part of the electronic throttle body basically responsible for engine air intake, responding to the driver’s acceleration and deceleration. It also helps to increase vehicle fuel efficiency.
For months, the team conducted studies and analyzed piles of technical data until they identified four root causes related to assembly machine inconsistencies.
One such problem had to do with the height of an important component for welding, the electrode. They discovered a lower electrode height during welding caused an irregular voltage output, creating a spark.
“We discovered that we could eliminate the spark and resulting defects by maintaining proper electrode heights during welding,” explained Muñoz of team Imperio.
To do this, they researched the frequency at which they should adjust a stopper screw—every two months—to keep the electrode within the proper height parameters.
The team’s combination of fixes, which consisted of specific checks and adjustments performed regularly, led to savings of $47,000 in machine down time and another $2,740 in scrap parts each year. They reduced defects specific to a spark in the terminal by a whopping 84 percent.
These countermeasures were also shared at DENSO Manufacturing Hungary (DMHU). Quality activities are often applied at more than one location, as looks to be the case with another NAQCC top finisher, the “Production Pleasers” from DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee (DMTN).
The Production Pleasers targeted cost reduction of manufacturing die costs for starters that will result in $9,400 in estimated savings at DMTN compared to 2008 costs. The countermeasures are expected to impact global die costs.
“We’re still researching, but the Starter/Alternator Division in Japan seems to be excited about the possibility of adopting our ideas into similar processes in their group,” said Joe Brock, a DMTN employee who is a member of the Production Pleasers.
Aside from regional kudos, DNMX and DMTN teams also earned global recognition at the Quality Circle Convention at DENSO headquarters in Japan. Imperio snagged a Gold Award and the Production Pleasers took Silver.
Along with all the accolades, cost savings and process improvements, almost all of the Quality Circle participants report a noticeable boost in morale because of their activities.
“I think it gave us renewed purpose and I know it contributed to the personal development of each member,” said Jesus Navarro of DNMX’s Imperio team. “Now we’re all motivated to challenge ourselves daily and find more ways to improve.”
And so, by way of Quality Circles as just one example, DENSO continues to improve. It’s all a part of the kaizen and personal development philosophy at the very heart of DENSO.
