The order, which was for seat frames and trim wires, comprised a number of different complex parts, all of which would be used in five different vehicles types, including SUVs and saloons. In addition to bending and forming, several of the frames also required welding. The accuracy demands were such that engineers used 3D scanners and Vernier calipers to ensure the parts precisely matched the customer specifications.
“Although we had won the order a few months previously, and had turned [a]round the prototype parts in just four weeks, the customer hit a scheduling snag, which ended up with us having a very short time period in which to produce the first thousand pieces,” explains George Cairns at William Hughes. “These had to be delivered on time to ensure the product milestones were achieved.”
Read the full article in the January issue of DPA