This is the story of a wheel arch liner. Volvo Cars had an idea for how to reduce transport, but needed help in project managing the intended change. We at Together Tech accepted the assignment. With clear project management and a great commitment, we managed to successfully implement an environmentally-saving project!
The manufacturing of a wheel arch liner was done in such a way that it was constructed as a single piece, but where a certain part was welded to make the article a circular shape. The problem was that the various parts took up an unnecessary amount of space during shipping from factory to factory.
The stroke of genius, which was hatched by an engineer at Volvo, involved skipping a process step, namely the welding, in the manufacture of the wheel arch liner. This would mean that you only needed to fold the wheel arch liner at the factory. The welding process was eliminated!
Removing the welding step after the article came out of the production tool meant in turn that you could fit more articles in the shipping containers that Volvo used. A test was carried out, and it was concluded that this was the case.
However, making this change was more difficult than initially thought, as some factories resisted the change for various reasons.
The assignment went to us at Together Tech. Our project manager, a very driven and careful person, had a lot of contact with the various stakeholders and methodically managed to solve the challenges that arose along the way. Anders Bengtsson at VCC was very helpful throughout the project and contributed to a smooth cooperation.
Challenges, among other things
From the time we received the assignment until the change was implemented, only 8 – 9 months passed, a very fast project progress that was appreciated by the customer. In addition, thanks to this project, Volvo has managed to save transport with reduced carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to 905 tonnes/year. Talk about Better World Tech!
A really good result for the world
This is a great example of how we at Together Tech can deliver so much more than technical expertise. Thanks to our knowledge and our experience, we can undertake specific and well-defined tasks that require technical competence, but also ensure that the project runs completely according to plan. We take on the assignment, get to the start quickly and present exactly what the customer is asking for, and some more!