For many years, the manufacturer had relied on external suppliers for the majority of its component needs, and therefore did not have any staff with knowledge in component manufacturing. However, when the manufacturer approached its external supplier for advice, it did not get the response it was hoping for. An employee in the production engineering division recalls:
“I think our supplier was scared that if we started producing components in-house, they would lose orders,” said the employee.
The manufacturer decided to put together a team to work on a project to install a machine for producing prototypes that could be used to collect data as well as acquiring skills and expertise in machining.
“The machine used to produce prototype parts needed to offer enough flexibility to enable machining to be performed under a range of conditions. In order to acquire expertise cooperation from machine manufacturers was also important,” explained the employee.
However, when it came time to select a suitable machine, the project team struggled to find a honing machine brand that met its requirements. It could not find a manufacturer that would listen sympathetically to its problems, either. The project team became increasingly anxious.
