Improving the Efficiency of the Bowden Cable Terminal Injection Process for the Automotive Industry
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Methods and Problem Characterization
2.1. Objectives and Requirements
2.2. Process Characterization
2.3. Existing Problems
3. Results
3.1. Pre-Design
3.2. Workstation Interventions
3.3. Validation of the Mold Structure
3.4. Validation of the Produced Components
3.5. Process Description
3.6. Results
3.6.1. Raw Material Waste
- Saving on the BX726 production line
- Investment in changing existing lines
- Implementation in new projects
3.6.2. Dedicated Sprue Collection
3.6.3. Final Product Quality Improvement
- Microstructure analysis
4. Conclusions
- The capability to inject 95% of the company products with one standardized type of mold structure led to the reduction of downtime. The improved mold structure was the result of an iterative process combining FEM and SWOT analyses until a suitable solution was obtained.
- As the mold structure was modified and improved, it required further improvements to the measuring kit, namely the front and back positioning fixtures, which ensure the correct location of the control cable throughout the injection process. A similar approach was followed for the structure of the robotic manipulator, which transports the control cables from the injection station to the sprue removal station.
- In all the previous cases, the number of fabricated components was minimal, while existing components were modified slightly by machining; hence, maintaining compatibility with the other production lines operating in the company.
- Establishing the cause of the random size and consequent behavior of the sprues before the improvements were done. Once the cause was found, the mold and mold structures were fine-tuned to produce a controlled sprue size, also reflected in a controlled behavior of the sprues.
- The reduction of the sprue size led to the improvement of the terminal strength, which improved the quality of the control cables produced. The control of the sprue size means that the cooling rate of the terminal was also controlled; additionally, a smaller sprue mass indicates faster cooling rates, which lead to a stronger microstructure.
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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ZAMAK’s Retail Price | 2.8 EUR/kg |
---|---|
Scrap ZAMAK’s retail price | 1.1 EUR/kg |
Sprue mass reduction | 1.21 g |
Total investment | 3970 EUR |
BX726 production line’s annual average production [22,23,24,25] | 1,021,700 units |
Number of Production Lines to Modify | 10 |
---|---|
Expected average investment per production line | 4000 EUR |
Production line’s annual average production | 1,000,000 |
Number of Projects to Be Implemented in 2022 | 3 |
---|---|
Number of projects to be implemented in 2023 | 10 |
Production line’s annual average production | 1,000,000 |
Sample | Porosity [%] | Pores | Pores Density [1/mm] | Porosity According to BDG P202 |
---|---|---|---|---|
A | 10.28 | 2437 | 81.12 | %15.0/ØL1.0 |
B | 9.23 | 732 | 20.06 | %10.0/ØL1.8 |
C | 12.6 | 2286 | 36.19 | %15.0/ØL2.8 |
D | 5.56 | 1004 | 18.65 | %10.0/ØL1.3 |
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Pereira, J.L.T.A.; Campilho, R.D.S.G.; Silva, F.J.G.; Sánchez-Arce, I.J.; Prakash, C.; Buddhi, D. Improving the Efficiency of the Bowden Cable Terminal Injection Process for the Automotive Industry. Processes 2022, 10, 1953. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10101953
Pereira JLTA, Campilho RDSG, Silva FJG, Sánchez-Arce IJ, Prakash C, Buddhi D. Improving the Efficiency of the Bowden Cable Terminal Injection Process for the Automotive Industry. Processes. 2022; 10(10):1953. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10101953
Chicago/Turabian StylePereira, José L. T. A., Raul D. S. G. Campilho, Francisco J. G. Silva, Isidro J. Sánchez-Arce, Chander Prakash, and Dharam Buddhi. 2022. "Improving the Efficiency of the Bowden Cable Terminal Injection Process for the Automotive Industry" Processes 10, no. 10: 1953. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10101953