Manufacturing 2,400 chassis in 18 months, clear of defects and errors

MORryde International (Elkhart, Indiana) manufactures innovative suspension systems and aftermarket products for the recreational vehicle (RV) industry. It is an industry leader in motorhome and towable RV suspension systems that works closely with OEMs to design and engineer solutions. 

Founded in 1966, MORryde is a family-owned business with nearly 1,000 employees who work across 13 plants.

The company had a few tedious quality issues in its suspension drivelines resulting from improper fastener tightening. Initially, it sought a point solution for torque control. However,  integrating smart torque tools with worker guidance resolved the quality problem and opened the doors to much more.

Challenges

Reinstallation of drive shafts on modified suspension is a complex, multi-step operation. When adding new technicians to this station, MORryde noticed a problem - there was inadequate torque control for critical fasteners.

The root cause of this quality issue was the reliance on hands-on experience, paper-based work instructions, and tribal knowledge.

Greg Whitt, Process Improvement Engineer, said, "Most of our work instructions have been hard copy travelers for a very long time. Our operations need to be better documented."

After implementing Pico MES, Whitt discovered that their assembly lines were gaining efficiencies from the new controls, measures, and instructions.

Solutions

MORryde implemented worker guidance and connected the system to smart torque tools for its driveline assemblies. Driven by process data embedded in the work order's instructions, the system guides the operator to the correct fastener location, activates the tool to provide the correct torque, validates the applied torque, stores the data for each fastener, and then disables the torque tool when completed.

The software highlights which fastener is not properly torqued. Simple guidance like this makes error-proofing easy.

The worker guidance aids every step in the process. In the background, Pico MES logs the actions taken and the time to complete them for both traceability and process improvement. 

Following the successful driveline implementation, MORryde expanded its deployment of Pico MES. In 18 months, it has connected 20 workstations with over 500 digitized processes, creating a digital thread for data collection and continuous improvement.

Local TV station WBST-22 interviewed MORryde on their experience in digitizing the shop floor. Watch the interview. 

Outcomes in 18 months

• 2,400 chassis produced, defect-free 
• 500+ assembly processes migrated from paper to digital
• 50% increase in output for TV mount assembly line
• 100% backwards traceability
• 100% integration with ERP system

Eliminating the fastener torque issue was a long-awaited win for Whitt. But, the biggest advantage is that their factory operations now have a baseline for improvement. Whitt said, "[Before Pico MES] we didn't have feedback loops for production rates. The only way to uncover the inaccuracies in our work plans would have been through labor-intensive time studies. Now, there's so much information from a time study standpoint and from having a feedback loop of how production is actually going on the floor.” 

Connecting smart torque tools with worker guidance resulted in immediate efficiency gains.  MORryde also shares that the ROI is fairly immediate. "Pico MES starts paying for itself right out of the box. There is an immediate value-add with automated data collection and worker guidance," said Whitt. One example he cited is the time for the technicians to refamiliarize themselves with a specific assembly process amongst many variations. As soon as Pico MES' operator instructions were in place, MORryde recovered nearly all of that non-value-added time.

Closing Thoughts 

Whitt said, "We now ask the question, 'What else can we error-proof with Pico MES?'" That line of thinking has MORryde investigating alternative applications for Pico MES, such as quality control inspections and preventative maintenance.

"I'm a fan. I think it's a fantastic, much-needed tool," Whitt concluded.