Case Study: Drive Shaft Supply for a mining contractor in Southern Africa
Source:Case /
Time:2026-09-18
Drive Shaft for A mining contractor in Southern Africa
A mining contractor came to us with a drive shaft 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
- Inconsistent hardness between lots
- Packing that arrived crushed at the port
- Warranty claims traced back to a single lot
What was specified
| Part | Drive Shaft |
|---|---|
| Client | A mining contractor |
| Market | Southern Africa |
| Volume | 5,000 pieces across 2 specifications |
| Base material | Carbon Steel |
| Sampling rounds | 4 |
| Delivery window | 10 weeks from PO to ex-factory |
| Compliance | IATF 16949 |
How it was resolved
- The specification was rebuilt around Carbon Steel 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
- 5,000 pieces delivered inside the 10-week window.
- Unit cost held within 2.0% 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
Fix the specification count early. Adding variants after production starts is the most expensive change a client can request.
Planning something similar?
Send the specification you are working to and we will confirm what we can match, what we would change and why.
