e-Traction: With two consultants, we found out how it can be done!

Real eye-openers!

“I found the PFMEA sessions to be a real eye-opener,” said Sabine Dekkers, Quality Manager at e-Traction. “These have led to awareness of why it is so important to think systematically about the intended process and risks already during a development process. Among other things, you avoid having to do crazy operations later in production to get it done. Or that you introduce 12 different bolts when half could have been done. Poka Yoke is an important aspect here. We are developing in such a way that it is almost impossible to go wrong.”

“All in all, our eyes have been opened, by looking at the process anew, so to speak, with Symbol’s consultants and thinking ‘out of the box.’ For example, we want to move toward an ideal flow. That means less transport between the various production activities. Further eliminating waste, in other words.”

“A tip? A workshop and training are good investments. But only when you really put someone next to you do you find out how things can be done. Taking in a consultant for a short period of time after a training has paid off so much more for us!”

We had attended trainings and already gained a lot of knowledge. But by working intensively for a short time with two consultants with a hands-on mentality, we really found out how it can be done! In a short time, we improved the production process, addressed the supply chain and streamlined the development process. That has given us a lot!

In recent years, e-Traction has evolved from a visionary inventor to a professional and future-proof company. With a young team of nearly 40 employees, e-Traction makes innovative electric drives (The Wheel) for city buses, as well as urban distribution. This drive is in the wheel of the vehicle. That means less transmission and thus more efficiency.

‘The Wheel’ is now so mature that it is currently being mass produced in smaller batches and the product will soon be produced in larger volumes in China. This requires effectively designed production, tailored to the requirements within the automotive industry.

“Only with someone beside you do you find out how it can be done!”

“We were initially looking for a party that could help us with ISO9001 and provide training on APQP/PPAP, 8D, PFMEA , etc. Ultimately we wanted not just advice, but implementation, from consultants with a hands on mentality. We found that combination of a lot of training in our field with the actual practical implementation of our projects at Symbol,” says Cees Rijkaart, Production Engineer.

At the Apeldoorn facility, electric drives are produced through 4 workstations. This production process was not optimal. “This allowed us to gain more efficiency by having each successive workstation check products instead of at the end of the complete process. We were also able to reduce the number of errors in incoming goods by having the supplier perform some checks themselves.

Optimization of production process

“Together with Symbol’s consultants, these 4 workstations were adapted. Using a Value Stream Map, the process was already mapped out, which provided a good starting position. First, we redistributed the work among the 4 workstations. Measurements showed that over time the distribution over the stations had grown disproportionately, partly due to product changes. Of course, e-Traction uses standard parts as much as possible, which reduces the chance of errors and offers a logistical advantage in the process. We then developed a method in which the exact number of parts required is offered at the workstation. This way there was a natural check that all parts were also placed. As a basis for these improvements, we created a PFMEA, in which we looked at the possible chances of error in the process for each operation.”

Culture Change

“In addition, we examined the production in detail. By looking at it with fresh eyes and taking everything apart and reassembling it step by step, we found that the order of assembly could also be more efficient. By always doing the check at each station, before handing over to the next workstation (error-free from me), errors came to light early and could be fixed more easily. After all, there is no need, in the worst case scenario, to disassemble a completely assembled product by not finding an error until final inspection. This has made operators much more aware of quality. A consequence of this is the will to deliver a good product. This has led to a culture change among the operators. They feel much more involved in the process and responsible for the quality of the product delivered. All in all, this has led to as much as a 25% reduction in throughput/processing time.”

“Meanwhile, we test incoming goods with a lower frequency and instruct our suppliers to ship outgoing goods error-free. They have received clear work instructions from us, which they must adhere to. This saves an enormous amount of time. Moreover, we no longer need test engineers for this. In addition, incoming goods are better marked, so that the content is immediately visible. As a result, processing is also a lot faster.”