Case Study: Expansion Tank Supply for a dealership group in Southern Africa
Source:Case /
Time:2026-09-18
Expansion Tank for A dealership group in Southern Africa
A dealership group came to us with a expansion tank programme for Southern Africa. The brief was ordinary and unforgiving at the same time: a fixed launch window, a landed cost that had to survive freight and duty, and a part that had to match an existing sample. This case records what was specified, what went wrong in sampling and how the bulk order landed.
The starting point
- A specification nobody had written down
- A supplier who changed material without saying so
- Inconsistent hardness between lots
What was specified
| Part | Expansion Tank |
|---|---|
| Client | A dealership group |
| Market | Southern Africa |
| Volume | 50,000 pieces across 2 specifications |
| Base material | Sintered Metal |
| Sampling rounds | 4 |
| Delivery window | 6 weeks from PO to ex-factory |
| Compliance | ISO/TS 16949 |
How it was resolved
- The specification was rebuilt around Sintered Metal and the tolerance locked before bulk.
- A pre-production sample was approved and kept as the golden reference.
- Production ran with in-line inspection and a mid-run photo report.
- Cartons were packed to the client's own barcode and ratio specification.
- Documentation shipped with the goods instead of after them.
Result
- 50,000 pieces delivered inside the 6-week window.
- Unit cost held within 4.5% of the original quotation.
- Inspection-related rejection stayed under 0.5%.
- The specification is on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.
What we would repeat
Approve a pre-production sample made from the actual bulk material. Substitute material behaves differently in service.
Planning something similar?
Send the part number, the annual volume and the target market, and we will come back with a specification and a sampling plan.
