A company was assembling handles and experiencing issues with 8-10 pieces per day having the wrong knob fitted. Several solutions were proposed, including separating production into left and right handle assembly lines, but these had drawbacks like inefficient resource use. The best solution was to design and implement an assembly fixture for the handles. This fixture ensured the correct knob was fitted and eliminated the wrong knob issue while maintaining a high production rate of around 100 handles per hour. The fixture solved the quality problem and satisfied the customer.

1. Presented By: Vipul Bhardwaj

2.  Wrong Knob Fitment In The Handles.
Daily Supply Of Approximately 10000 Handles
Reported Issues: 8-10 Pieces Per Day

3.  Traditionally the assembly was used to be done
by free hands.
 The final assembled pieces are then checked for
the quality issues by the quality inspectors.
 The final quality checked pieces were then sent
to the customer (MSIL in this case).

5.  Many solutions were proposed for the same by
different persons involved in it.
 Among them, 2 solutions were tried to carry
out.
1. Changing the moulding method and
separating the assembly lines plants for the left
and right handles assembly.
2. Designing an assembly fixture for assembly
process.

6.  In this solution, the moulding machines were
run to produce only 1 side knobs in a shift.
 Produced knobs were used for the assembly in
that specific plant only for that particular side
handle.
Drawbacks:
1. Highly inefficient process as there was high
underutilisation of the machine resource.
2. Difficulty in integrating the assembly lines in
different plants as per the customer order.

7.  This solution was the best one and was
implemented as well.
 The assembly fixture for the handles were
designed and fabricated.
 The assembly of the handles were done in the
fixtures instead of free hand.
 Fool-proofing (poka-yoke) of the process as to
eliminate the customer’s raised issue of wrong
knob.

8. Assembly Fixture Design For The Handle Assembly

10.  So this is what was carried out for the assembly of
handles to eliminate the quality issue and to give a
happy ending to the customer.
 The process started with the designing of the assembly
fixture, its fabrication and then the end use of it for the
assembly production.
 The thing which was to be kept in mind while
designing of it was to match the daily production of
the handles as per the customer demand with minimal
amount of the additional input resources.
 Earlier the production rate was around 110 handles per
hour.
 The production rate after the implementation of the
assembly fixture was around 100 handles per hour.
 There was not much decrease in the production rate
but the gain of customer delight was achieved which
eventually increased the quality level of the company
in the sight of the customer.