Case Study: Oil Pan Supply for a mining contractor in Europe
Source:Case /
Time:2026-09-18
Oil Pan for A mining contractor in Europe
A mining contractor came to us with a oil pan programme for Europe. 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 supplier who changed material without saying so
- Reorders that did not match the approved sample
- Lead time that slipped twice before bulk started
What was specified
| Part | Oil Pan |
|---|---|
| Client | A mining contractor |
| Market | Europe |
| Volume | 2,000 pieces across 6 specifications |
| Base material | Sintered Metal |
| Sampling rounds | 4 |
| Delivery window | 10 weeks from PO to ex-factory |
| Compliance | REACH |
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
- 2,000 pieces delivered inside the 10-week window.
- Unit cost held within 4.5% 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.
