Case Study: Gearbox Mount Supply for a tour operator in Central America
Source:Case /
Time:2026-09-18
Gearbox Mount for A tour operator in Central America
A tour operator came to us with a gearbox mount programme for Central America. 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
- Premature wear on the first batch
- Inconsistent hardness between lots
- Documentation that arrived after the container shipped
What was specified
| Part | Gearbox Mount |
|---|---|
| Client | A tour operator |
| Market | Central America |
| Volume | 50,000 pieces across 3 specifications |
| Base material | Aluminium Alloy |
| Sampling rounds | 4 |
| Delivery window | 4 weeks from PO to ex-factory |
| Compliance | IATF 16949 |
How it was resolved
- The specification was rebuilt around Aluminium Alloy 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 4-week window.
- Unit cost held within 3.0% of the original quotation.
- Inspection-related rejection stayed under 1.5%.
- The specification is on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.
What we would repeat
Lock the material standard before sampling. Once the base changes, every downstream approval has to be redone and the calendar slips.
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.
