Case Study: Drive Shaft Supply for a government fleet in Latin America

Drive Shaft for A government fleet in Latin America

A government fleet came to us with a drive shaft programme for Latin 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

• A fitment that looked right on paper and failed on the bench
• Warranty claims traced back to a single lot
• Inconsistent hardness between lots

What was specified

How it was resolved

1. The specification was rebuilt around Sintered Metal and the tolerance locked before bulk.
2. A pre-production sample was approved and kept as the golden reference.
3. Production ran with in-line inspection and a mid-run photo report.
4. Cartons were packed to the client's own barcode and ratio specification.
5. 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 2.0%.
• 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.