1) The project aimed to improve the direct pass ratio of castings produced by SUPPLIER for CUSTOMER from 0% to acceptable standards over 2 years. 2) Initial analyses found major casting defects and non-conformances due to issues like casting defects, poor mechanical properties, dimensions, and quality control processes. 3) Actions taken included establishing quality systems, control plans, process FMEAs, improving raw material combinations, training, and establishing testing standards. 4) Results showed significant improvement over 8 quarters from 17.65% to 93.36% direct pass ratio, with over 15,000 metric tons of acceptable castings produced after the project.

1. Casting Direct Pass Ratio
Improvement
(Macro Report)
At SUPPLIER – India
Duration Jan-2009 to Mar-2011
Project Leader – Abdullah Ansari (ASQ CSSBB)
Team members – Seenivasa Ragavan
Senthil Nathan
Chirag Panchal
Vicky Dongade
Dhaval Vyas

2. Background
• Involvement
– In Dec-2008 CUSTOMER Supplier Quality received information that
SUPPLIER has started manufacturing castings for CUSTOMER
– CUSTOMER SQM got involved for routine inspections and setting up
system for material clearance from SUPPLIER to CUSTOMER
– 2 member team Abdullah Ansari & another member visited SUPPLIER
in Dec-2008 for system assessment & inspections.

3. Castings produced in first phase and status in nutshell
0
20
40
60
80
Qty
Produced 26 18 60 13 2 10 12
Rejected 26 18 60 13 2 10 12
Yet to be checked 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2.1 MW
Main Beam
2.1MW
Main Beam
2.1MW
Cross
2.1MW Hub
body
2.1MW
Main Frame
1.5 Main
Beam
1.5 Cross
Beam
Major Reasons for non-
acceptance
 Casting Defects
Dross
Porosities
Blow holes
Failed in Mechanical
properties
Visual
Poor surface
Mismatch
 Dimensions
Casting Acceptance – Pre Project Status
For castings produced in First phase
prior to 31 Dec 2008
Direct Pass Ratio – ZERO 0%

4. Define: Project Kick-off
• Project Scope
– To participate with Team of SUPPLIER in developing fully finished
casting components for CUSTOMER WTGs
– Castings acceptable to global standards such as EN1563, EN12680 etc
• Team
– Abdullah Ansari – Project Leader CSSBB-ASQ & SPOC from CUSTOMER
– Seenivasa Ragavan – SUPPLIER QA Head
– Senthil Nathan – NDT Expert
– R. Subramanian – Inspection & Testing
– Chirag Panchal – Analyst
– Vicky Dongade – Analyst
– Dhaval Vyas – Analyst

5. Define: Strategic Planning
• Component Prioritization
– Hub body & Main Frames are heavy section castings, CUSTOMER running
short of supplies – Priority with Average weight per piece 12MT
– Small castings such as main beam, cross beams analyzed thru make or buy
matrix. Found suitable to be bought from other source than SUPPLIER
• Core Tool
– Plan – Do – Check – Act (PDCA) at each stage
– Various tools as per applicability e.g. Pareto, trend chart, FMEA, CE matrix
• Key Measurement
– Direct pass Ratio wrt to Inspected
– Why Direct pass Ratio only to be measured?
• Direct indicator of acceptance/scrap
• Gives indication of process & action effectiveness
• Doesn’t count parts accepted under deviation
• Triggers prioritization & further detailing on which part/defects actions to be
initiated.

6. Define: Generic Process Flow
Pattern & core
box
Raw Material
Receipt
Molding Core making
Mold assemblyMelting
Magnesium
Treatment
Pouring
Knockout
Fettling & Shot
blasting
Destructive &
Preliminary
NDT
Machining &
Inspection
Non
Destructive
Testing
Surface
preparation &
Coating
Coating
Inspection
Packing &
Forwarding

7. Measure & analyze
• Old Casting Data
– Old castings rejected for multiple defects are around 141nos
– Now prioritized castings are Main Frame & hub body, amount to 13
Nos out of 141nos.
– Castings were mainly rejected because of
• Failed in tensile
• Failed in impact
• Failed in Nodularity
• Failed in visual acceptance
• Failed in Ultrasonic inspection
• Failed in Magnetic particle inspection
• Failed in as cast dimensions
• Failed in Machined dimensions

8. Analyze: Casting Process Control
Sr. No Process Stage Key controls Output
1 Receipt Inspection
Receiving inspection of all major raw
material.
Inspected and certified raw material for
production.
2 Sand mixing
Ratio of new/old sand, ratio of resin and
catalyst
Quality sand with required bonding
properties.
3 Core making Ramming to ensure fully filled core. Core without any cracks and damages.
4 Molding Ramming to ensure fully filled core. Mold without any cracks and damages.
5 Mold closing
Alignment of cope and drag by locating pin.
Vent provision for gases
Closed mold ready for pouring without
any damage & with required cavities
6 Melting
C, Si & CE and spectro analysis, Liquid metal
temperature
Liquid metal with required chemistry
ready for Mg treatment
7 Mg treatment Ramming of Mg alloy and covering
Mg treated metal in required quantity and
quality
8 Pouring
Pouring should finish within prescribed
time after treatment, metal temperature
Poured mold
9 Knockout
Cooling time to be maintained for each
item
Casting with runner & risers.
10 Cleaning & Fettling Manual operations Dressed casting, ready for machining.

9. Analyze: Cause & Effect Matrix (Casting)
10 10 10 7 10 8 8 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Tensile
Impact
Nodularity
Visual
Ultrasonic
Quality
Magnetic
Particle
Ascast
dimension
MachinedDim.
Total
1 Molding Gating system 8 10 8 8 300
2 Melting & pouring Chemical composition 8 8 8 240
3 Molding Sand mixing ratio 8 8 8 200
4 Melting & pouring Time to pour after Mg treatment 8 10 180
5 Molding Chills 6 8 6 170
6 Melting & pouring Residual Mg 8 8 160
7 Knockout Time to Casting cooling 8 8 160
8 Melting & pouring Deslagging 10 8 150
9 Melting & pouring Pouring temperature 8 8 136
10 Molding Venting 8 6 128
11 Melting & pouring Inoculation 8 6 122
12 Melting & pouring Treatment temperature 8 80
13 Molding Refractory painting 8 56
Rating of Importance to Customer
Sr. No Process InputsProcess Step

10. Analyze: Cause & Effect Pareto (Casting)
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Gatingsystem
Chemicalcomposition
Sandmixingratio
TimetopourafterMg
treatment
Chills
ResidualMg
TimetoCastingcooling
Deslagging
Pouringtemperature
Venting
Inoculation
Treatmenttemperature
Refractorypainting
EffectScore
Cause
Cause & Effect Matrix

11. Improve – Actions Taken (on Casting)
Improvement Need Score Actions Tool To address issue of
Gating system 300
Correction in ingate size,
Runners & Risers
Magma Simulations for mold filling
& solidification
Visual, UT, As cast, Machined
Chemical composition 240 Establishment of charge mix DOE, Regression Tensile, Impact, nodularity
Sand mixing ratio 200 Sand mixing
Control plan for mixing ratio of
sand, resin & hardnere
Visual, As cast, Machined
Time to pour after Mg
treatment
180
Establish time range to be
followed
DOE Impact, Nodularity
Chills 170 Fixing chill positions & sizes
Magma Simulations for mold filling
& solidification
Visual, UT, MPI
Residual Mg 160 Establishment of charge mix DOE, Regression Impact, Nodularity
Time to Casting cooling 160
Establish time range to be
followed
Generic recommendation & trials Tensile, Impact
Deslagging 150
Establish Deslager quality &
training
Supplier development & training Visual, UT
Pouring temperature 136 Establish temperature range Generic recommendation & trials Nodularity,Visual
Venting 128
Correction in ingate size,
Runners & Risers
Magma Simulations for mold filling
& solidification
UT, MPI
Inoculation 122 Establishment of charge mix DOE, Regression Nodularity,Visual
Treatment temperature 80 Establish temperature range Generic recommendation & trials Nodularity
Refractory painting 56 Even coated film on mold Training Visual

12. Improve – Actions Taken Summary (Overall)
Sr Issue Actions for improvement
1 Skill enhancement Establishment of Quality System & training
2 Process Control FMEA, Control plan, Process adherence audits
3 Casting Defects Raw material combinations, Process control
HR On the job trainings, Process redesign
class room trainings on International Standards
4 Machining Explanations on drawing & specifications
5 Corrosion Protection Coating specifications, acceptance criteria, training
6 Packaging Development of specification & prototyping
7 Tracking Establishment of tracking mechanism for each castings
8 Inspection & testing Establish testing laboratory & right practices

13. Improvement Trend
09-10 Q1 09-10 Q2 09-10 Q3 09-10 Q4 10-11 Q1 10-11 Q2 10-11 Q3 10-11 Q4
Direct Pass % 17.65 6.67 53.76 61.75 74.26 73.74 82.69 93.36
0.00
10.00
20.00
30.00
40.00
50.00
60.00
70.00
80.00
90.00
100.00
DirectPass%
Direct Pass Ratio over 8 Quarters

14. Take Away of Project - Quality
 Supplier ISO certified & Quality culture established
 Trained & Skilled human resource
 Control parameter establishment thru FMEA
 Technical Register for melting
 Inspection & test procedures
 Lessons learned for defects & causes
 Knowledge of errors in testing leading to flaws in acceptance
 Process for Corrosion protection & acceptance criteria
 Validated Packing guidelines
 Tracking mechanism of each individual component
 Ongoing measurement of process adherence index
 Ongoing measurement of Direct Pass Ratio
 All components PPAP completed

15. Take away of Project - Commercial
 SUPPLIER 1st Indian Supplier to develop & supply >80% of
CUSTOMER requirements of hub & main frame castings in fully
finished condition
 During Project at SUPPLIER, important numbers (Cummulative)
[Average Casting weight considered-12MT]
– Details Qty. Weight %
– Castings Produced : 2653 Nos. 31836 MT 100
– Castings Direct OK : 1859 Nos. 22308 MT 70
– Castings Conc OK : 288 Nos. 3456 MT 11
– Castings Rejected : 506 Nos. 6072 MT 19
 Castings direct OK in last quarter of Project – 93.36%
 Development at SUPPLIER
– Main Frame & Hub for all CUSTOMER WTG models, Total 4 models

16. Important Numbers
During Project:
Castings Produced :2653 Nos.
Castings Direct OK :1859 Nos.
Castings Conc OK : 288 Nos.
Castings Rejected : 506 Nos.
DPR % @project handover:93.3
4 quarters data after project handover
Castings Produced :1251 Nos.
Castings Direct OK :1102 Nos.
Castings Conc OK : 08 Nos.
Castings Rejected : 42 Nos.
Castings WIP: 99 Nos.
DPR % @ Q4 FY11-12:97.2
Effectiveness of Project
More than 15000 Metric Ton of castings produced after project
with DPR more than 93.3 consistently

17. The search for excellence is never ending…
Thank You