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What Is Happening To Quality Thesedays?


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#1
mych

Posted 30 October 2010 - 09:24 PM

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Some recalls were from standard components that have been manufactured for the longest time..
Mych

#2
YSW

Posted 02 November 2010 - 09:53 AM

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QUOTE (mych @ Oct 30 2010, 09:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Some recalls were from standard components that have been manufactured for the longest time..


Competitions and inflation drives components maker to shift the production line to places that offer low labour cost. What they forget to notice is that, you can have the facilities, you can transfer the technologies but it is really really difficult to transfer the work attitude.

These difference of work attitudes explains why certain countries can make it while other find it impossible.



#3
Along

Posted 02 November 2010 - 03:09 PM

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QUOTE (YSW @ Nov 2 2010, 09:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Competitions and inflation drives components maker to shift the production line to places that offer low labour cost. What they forget to notice is that, you can have the facilities, you can transfer the technologies but it is really really difficult to transfer the work attitude.

These difference of work attitudes explains why certain countries can make it while other find it impossible.


Some of the recent recalls may have nothing to do with suppliers shifting production to low-cost countries. We all know that cost reduction has always been an essential part of manufacturing, that's why even parts for the same application are constantly re-designed. What happens nowadays is that the current generations of engineers in charge of the designs are not as skilled or as thorough as they used to be, and most of them totally rely on technology instead of hands-on experience of the old generation of engineers.

About 15 years ago, I and few other engineers from ASEAN countries worked with a young Jap engineer in a top Jap car brand in the development of local parts for a new model. Sometimes we just play around with the meaurements and analysis because we found out that this young Jap engineer doesn't know what he's doing and is only trying to impress us and boss us around until late at night...


#4
YSW

Posted 03 November 2010 - 09:02 AM

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QUOTE (Along @ Nov 2 2010, 03:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Some of the recent recalls may have nothing to do with suppliers shifting production to low-cost countries. We all know that cost reduction has always been an essential part of manufacturing, that's why even parts for the same application are constantly re-designed. What happens nowadays is that the current generations of engineers in charge of the designs are not as skilled or as thorough as they used to be, and most of them totally rely on technology instead of hands-on experience of the old generation of engineers.

About 15 years ago, I and few other engineers from ASEAN countries worked with a young Jap engineer in a top Jap car brand in the development of local parts for a new model. Sometimes we just play around with the meaurements and analysis because we found out that this young Jap engineer doesn't know what he's doing and is only trying to impress us and boss us around until late at night...


What you were saying is making us more worried... You were saying ppl that does not have the skill and know how, not good in design and engineering are assigned to design cars...

Boy... I think we have come to an era where we no longer get to choose a car that is excellent in quality and engineering, we are only able to choose a car that has less mistakes in manufacturing.



#5
cbsteh

Posted 03 November 2010 - 10:24 AM

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I like to speculate that cars, like most technology today, are becoming increasingly sophisticated. So while in the "good, old days", engineers and designers can be more "hands-on" and rely more on human instinct and feelings, reliance on supporting technology today is very crucial as a piece of new machine/equipment/hardware has become too intricate/sophisticated for the "good, old days" methodology.

So while technology today has become more sophisticated and, in many ways, better, there is always a greater risk of dangerous and unexpected failures. So while we ooooh and aaaah on the latest piece of technology, remember that it is a sophisticated piece of equipment that when it fails would even bamboozle the engineers/designers themselves.

Chris

#6
Along

Posted 05 November 2010 - 08:26 AM

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QUOTE (YSW @ Nov 3 2010, 09:02 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
What you were saying is making us more worried... You were saying ppl that does not have the skill and know how, not good in design and engineering are assigned to design cars...

Boy... I think we have come to an era where we no longer get to choose a car that is excellent in quality and engineering, we are only able to choose a car that has less mistakes in manufacturing.


You're spot-on... A luckier owner will get one that has less error in the design, manufacturing (of the parts), assembly & service (mechanics makes errors too...). Errors in the initial design will mostly be corrected on the new cars built after the 1st year, but the rest will remain.

Up to 7yrs ago, I worked in a plant assembling cars from Proton Iswara to BMW 5-Series (E39). I'm responsible for the BMW line and later for Quality, and you wouldn't believe the problems and rectifications that needs to be done on the BMWs (during assembly, after assembly & after sold) compared to Iswaras. Sometime my line leader can solve the problem much better & faster than the German guy... but maybe his big body is a factor, difficult to position himself properly to diagnose & rectify it properly.

#7
ain206

Posted 10 November 2010 - 12:36 PM

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QUOTE (Along @ Nov 5 2010, 08:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
You're spot-on... A luckier owner will get one that has less error in the design, manufacturing (of the parts), assembly & service (mechanics makes errors too...). Errors in the initial design will mostly be corrected on the new cars built after the 1st year, but the rest will remain.

Up to 7yrs ago, I worked in a plant assembling cars from Proton Iswara to BMW 5-Series (E39). I'm responsible for the BMW line and later for Quality, and you wouldn't believe the problems and rectifications that needs to be done on the BMWs (during assembly, after assembly & after sold) compared to Iswaras. Sometime my line leader can solve the problem much better & faster than the German guy... but maybe his big body is a factor, difficult to position himself properly to diagnose & rectify it properly.



yet people still say local are no good........

#8
Newkelisa

Posted 15 November 2010 - 03:15 PM

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QUOTE (ain206 @ Nov 10 2010, 12:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
yet people still say local are no good........

Yup. Our assembly plants 4 UMW, Perodua and Proton are equal and for some better than the foreign companies. This is not from my own words but from the foreign companies themselves that come to survey these plants.

Local can do good or better ... I think main problem is not the people but G policy and interference in local car industry.

#9
ain206

Posted 15 November 2010 - 04:04 PM

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QUOTE (Newkelisa @ Nov 15 2010, 03:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Yup. Our assembly plants 4 UMW, Perodua and Proton are equal and for some better than the foreign companies. This is not from my own words but from the foreign companies themselves that come to survey these plants.

Local can do good or better ... I think main problem is not the people but G policy and interference in local car industry.



we are talking about the quality of manufacturing . The G policy got nothing to do about it. Let just talk about the thread topic.

#10
kaylcar

Posted 25 November 2010 - 10:15 AM

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I don't believe the Iswara is as difficult to assemble as the BMW and it's nonsense to draw a comparison on the "quality" of each in this way. The fact that the BMW had so many quality issues demonstrates the point very well that local assemblers cannot handle sophisticated cars. The Iswara is a crude piece of machinery by comparison.








QUOTE (Along @ Nov 5 2010, 08:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
You're spot-on... A luckier owner will get one that has less error in the design, manufacturing (of the parts), assembly & service (mechanics makes errors too...). Errors in the initial design will mostly be corrected on the new cars built after the 1st year, but the rest will remain.

Up to 7yrs ago, I worked in a plant assembling cars from Proton Iswara to BMW 5-Series (E39). I'm responsible for the BMW line and later for Quality, and you wouldn't believe the problems and rectifications that needs to be done on the BMWs (during assembly, after assembly & after sold) compared to Iswaras. Sometime my line leader can solve the problem much better & faster than the German guy... but maybe his big body is a factor, difficult to position himself properly to diagnose & rectify it properly.

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