Customer Background
A leading Tier-1 automotive supplier in the Pune MIDC area was assembling fuel injector sub-components on a manual 6-station carousel. Output was capped at 200 assemblies per shift, and first-pass yield was averaging only 94% due to manual fastening variation.
The Challenge
The customer needed to increase output to 330 assemblies per shift to fulfil a new OEM contract, while simultaneously improving first-pass yield to 98.5% or better. Floor space was constrained to the existing 4 × 3 m footprint.
The Kalapremi Solution
After a detailed process audit, our engineering team proposed a rotary 8-station assembly machine with the following automation:
- Station 1–2: Vibratory bowl feeder + pick-and-place loading of body and valve seat
- Station 3–4: Automatic torque-controlled screw driving with 100% torque monitoring
- Station 5: Leak test station (helium tracer gas, 2-second cycle)
- Station 6: Vision inspection for dimensional conformance
- Station 7: Laser marking of batch/serial number
- Station 8: Good/reject sort and tray loading
Results
After a 14-week build and 2-week commissioning programme:
- Cycle time reduced from 18 s to 10.8 s — a 40% improvement
- Output increased to 333 assemblies per shift
- First-pass yield improved to 99.1%
- Headcount reduced from 6 manual operators to 1 machine minder
- Payback period: 18 months
Customer Feedback
"Kalapremi delivered exactly what they promised — on time and within budget. The machine has been running for 8 months without a single unplanned stoppage." — Production Manager, Pune Automotive Plant.