AUTOMOTIVE QUALITY TOOLS. A COMPLEX SYSTEM

AUTOMOTIVE QUALITY TOOLS. A COMPLEX SYSTEM? José Lara T.C.M. Consulting. Valencia, Spain Andrés Carrión, Angela Grisales UPV, Centre for Quality and Change Management, Valencia, Spain Summary: The automotive sector is well known for its intense use of quality principles and tools. Since 1980’s (or even before) this sector has been in the front line of quality advance and continuous improvement. In this paper we present an overview of the structure under which quality efforts are aligned, and a short introduction to some of the key tools used. The structure, recognized in International Standards as ISO-TS 16949 is known with name of APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning). Some of the tools reviewed are FMEA (both design and process FMEA), Control Plans (indifferent levels or stages), Measurement System Analysis (MSA), Process Flow Chart, Capability Analysis and Statistical Process Control, etc. Key words: Quality, automotive sector, APQP. 1. INTRODUCTION Among the different economic sectors with international impact, few have developed a role in the extension of the Quality Culture as important as the Automotive Sector. With the present situation, with a global market and supplier, constructors and customers distributed all around the world, this question of Quality is still more relevant. In concordance with this global structure, the sector has global standards that aim to simplify and clarify the daily life of suppliers and constructors, defining unique and universally accepted rules. Nevertheless, this situation is, by the moment, more a dream than a reality. There is one international standard that is reference in at least a significative number of countries and for a significative number of car constructors. Is the ISOTS 16949 Technical Specification. In ISO-TS 16949, on element that is a central key for the Quality Management in the sector and for the formalization of clear relations between constructors and suppliers is the Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) scheme.

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In this paper we present a review of the nature and role of APQP, is fundamentals and the tools related with its application. 2. APQP: CONCEPT AND HISTORY APQP is a structured method for defining and executing the actions necessary to ensure a product satisfies the customer. The goal of APQP is to facilitate the communication between all persons and activities involved in a program, understanding this as the full process of designing a product, defining the corresponding process and implementing in a production facility. APQP also aims to ensure that all required steps are completed on time, with a high quality-of-event, at acceptable cost and quality levels. APQP appears for the first time as one key requirement of ISO/TS 16949 (and also in Ford's QS-9000 internal standard) since 1994. North American brands (Ford, Daimler-Chrysler and General Motors) supported from the beginning the conception of this standard and its application. In 1996 Ford Motor Company introduced the APQP Status Reporting Guideline and an aid for the suppliers that were required to use this approach. The successive versions of ISO-TS 16949 have continued enhancing the relevance of APQP. Today this standard has the support of not only North American firms, but also the European ones, as well as different Associations in the Automotive sector: ANFIA, AIAG, FIEV, SMMT, VDA, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, Citroën-PSA and Renault. For firms in the rest of the world, the standard is an essential reference, even they don’t expressly support it. 3. PROJECT MANAGEMENT. GENERIC APQP As it has been commented above, APQP is a Project Management Tool. It defines six phases if the management process: 1. plan and define, 2. product design and development, 3. prototype build, 4. process design and development, 5. product and process validation, 6. feedback assessment and corrective actions When should APQP be applied? The APQP status reporting must be completed in three cases: First in a new product launch, and for all new and changed parts; second, when significant product and process changes are to be implemented (for Tier 1, 2, 3… suppliers) requiring a new PSW (Part Submission Warrant); finally, APQP must also be developed/reviewed by all internal and external suppliers irrespective of status (e.g. Q1 / non-Q1, PPAP level). The APQP Reporting Period starts when sourcing is confirmed by purchase. Typical examples are: "Early Sourcing Involvement Letter", "Sourcing Confirmation Letter", "Purchase Order" or "Letter of Intent".

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The end of the APQP implementation correspond to the date when supplier can confirm that approved latest level PSW parts have been successfully delivered to the customer plant. As part of ISO-TS 16949, APQP is the responsibility of all Suppliers. Those suppliers that may have a relevant impact in quality and customer satisfaction (some time referred as "High-Impact Suppliers") shall submit the status report to the STA (Supplier Technical Assistant) Program and Site Engineer as required. General suppliers shall submit the APQP status report upon request. Who should participate in APQP elaboration and review? Only as general guidelines, we can say that in this team should participate: • supplier program APQP champion (typically the program manager), • design and release engineer, • STA site engineer (high-impact parts), • buyer, • PMT leader, • supplier quality manager, • supplier design engineers, • Ford manufacturing engineer, • Ford program timing analyst, • other pertinent personnel. These above mentioned APQP six phases are developed in 23 APQP Elements, that define a managerial route starting with the sourcing decision and ending with the starting of the parts submission. These 23 elements are: 1 sourcing decision, 2 customer input requirements, 3 craftsmanship, 4 design FMEA, 5 design/manufacturing review(s), 6 design verification plan and report, 7 sub-contractor APQP status, 8 facilities, tools and gauges, 9 prototype build control plan, 10 prototype build(s), 11 drawings and specifications, 12 team feasibility commitment, 13 manufacturing process flowchart, 14 process FMEA, 15 measurement systems evaluation, 16 pre-launch control plan, 17 operator process instructions, 18 packaging specifications, 19 production trial run, 20 production control plan,

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21 preliminary process capability study, 22 production validation testing, 23 part submission warrant (PSW). In the next paragraphs some of these elements will be briefly reviewed. 4. REVIEW OF SOME APQP ELEMENTS 4.1 Design FMEA Failure Mode and Effect Analysis defines a systematic approach to assures that potential design failure modes and their associated causes have been considered and addressed. This is done mainly by the design responsible team, but is not only a design people task. As required by ISO-ST 16949 a multidisciplinary approach must be used. Design FMEA has be done concurrently with the design process to allow for the determined Recommended Actions to positively affect the design process and results. On of the outputs is the identification of potential Special Characteristics. 4.2 Prototype build control plan This Plan describes the dimensional measurements and material/functional tests that will occur during CP build (Confirmation Prototype). This element includes the review of Product Characteristics. All potentially relevant characteristics from the DFMEA's must be included in this review. It is important to obtain design engineering input and concurrence for Product Characteristics required for PBCP. It is also relevant to document process parameter conditions. 4.3 Prototype build Building prototypes is a common resource used during the intermediate phases of product development. It entails the manufacture and assembly of components, subsystems, systems, or assembled vehicles (e.g. Confirmation Prototypes) that will be supplied to the customer and built prior to the 1PP trial run. This element not only includes the actual build process itself, but the preparation for the build and its control, using the above commented Prototype Build Control Plan. 4.4 Manufacturing process flowchart This flowchart is a graphic representation of the current or proposed sequence of manufacturing process. It can be either in the traditional flow chart format, or depicted in Cycle Line, Tooling Line, Plant Layouts or other appropriate types of layouts, providing all necessary information is included or attached. Manufacturing Process Flowchart ensures that process definition, Process FMEA and Control Plans can be created and analyzed in the appropriate sequence.

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It is also a visual confirmation that everyone involved understand the proposed sequence of manufacturing. 4.5 Process FMEA Process FMEA (PFMEA) is a systematic approach used by a manufacturing responsible team to assure that potential process related failure modes and their associated causes have been considered and resolved. The Manufacturing Process Flow diagrams are used as visual inputs for PFMEA. Potential Special Characteristics from the DFMEA are a key input to the PFMEA, and are the basis to identify Quality Special Characteristics, that will require special attention in control plans. PFMEA is used to help in determining if those potential Characteristics will need to be monitored in production, or if there is a way to control them through the process. 4.6 Measurement systems evaluation Before starting any control and measurement activity, Measurement System Analysis (MSA) is required to assess the variation of the measurement system and determine whether it is acceptable for monitoring the process. Generally, under ISO-TS 16949, the use the AIAG MSA handbook is required or at least recommended. Gauges and test equipment are to the latest engineering level prior to the Production Trial Run and added to the Pre-Launch Control Plan. Checking and verifying gauges and test equipment for repeatability and reproducibility is mandatory, as well as performing correlation studies when duplicate gauges or test equipment exists. 4.7 Pre-Launch control plan Pre-Launch Control Plan is a written description of the dimensional measurements and material / functional tests (in-process checks) that will occur after the Prototype Builds and before the Production Builds. This should include any additional necessary product/process controls until the production process is valid. Pre-Launch Control Plan also aims to contain potential non-conformities after prototype, but prior to full production. Some examples of these types of checks include: • increased inspection, • increased audits, • increased statistical charting. 4.8 Operator process instructions These instructions will describe the details of the controls and actions that operating personnel must perform to produce quality products. Usually is is divided into two major components:

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• process description • operator instructions, e.g.: - operator allocations - verification of process definition - operator training. 4.9 Preliminary process capability study This preliminary capability study is a statistical assessment of the ability of the process to produce product within specifications. To develop this study it is usually recommended to refer to the AIAG PPAP & SPC manuals. Perform process capability studies should be developed on new or revised processes and for Special (relevant) Charactistics. Also, these studies should be applied after installation in the part manufacturing plant, s documented in the Pre-Launch Control Plan and when it is required to achieve a minimum Pp/Ppk of 1.67. 4.10 Part submission warrant (PSW) PSW is the documented verification that the Internal and External supplier meets all engineering design requirements and the process has the capability to meet these requirements during an actual production run. The PSW is the final sign-off that the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) has been followed, and is the final element of APQP. 5. FINAL COMMENTS Is the practical application of Quality Principles complex in the automotive sector? Obviously yes. It is impossible that when the number of suppliers and subsuppliers is as important as in this sector, complexity is inherent to the system. To give order in this complex situation, APQP defines a clear set of requirements to meet, helping both constructors and supplier in following an ordered route from early contacts to mass production supplying of parts. In our opinion, APQP may be an example to follow by other sectors, maybe adjusting its complexity to the nature of the sector and taking care in not building an excessively burocratized scheme. REFERENCES [1] ISO-TS 16949:2009. Quality Management Systems - Particular Requirements for the Application of ISO 9001:2008 for Automotive Production and Relevant Service Part Organizations. [2] AIAG. 2010. Reference manual for Measurement System Analysis. 4th Edition. [3] AIAG. 2005. Reference Manual for Statistical Process Control. 2nd Edition. [4] AIAG. 2008. Advanced Product Quality Planning and Control Plan. 2nd Edition.

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