Turnkey solutions: Building a system line equipped with top-tier technologies
We have entered an era in which people buy and sell products together with the technologies involved. Indeed, customers no longer buy just the machine, but also aim to secure the technologies, know-how and devices required for efficient operation of a machine under optimal production conditions. The systems business of Doosan Machine Tools is operated by a group of experts designed to address customers’ needs and offer them integrated solutions for their various work processes.
What would be the best way to exploit the experience and know-how the company has accumulated over the decades on behalf of its customers? The answer is ‘System Engineering,’ which provides turnkey solutions for the entire range of customers’ manufacturing processes instead of just selling them the machine. Such a process enables Doosan Machine Tools to share its many invaluable intellectual properties with its customers, who can expect to benefit a great deal from the arrangement.
Technological Know-how, the Key to System Engineering
System engineering refers to a series of processes ranging from the provision of a consulting service on production processes to the setting up of a system line that makes the best use of jigs, fixtures, tools and automation devices on the basis of the company’s abundant experience and know-how about manufacturing process capabilities, with the goal of ensuring that its customers achieve their target production values most efficiently. In sum, it is all about offering customers ‘a customized production line’ optimized for their respective production process, which ensures that customers can secure what they really need from every one of their machines and tools. The most important elements for the successful setting up of a production line to a customer’s total satisfaction are the level of the technologies used to meet the customers’ needs and the know-how accumulated through actual manufacturing experiences. These are the areas on which Doosan Machine Tools places the most emphasis. Most members of its Systems Business are seasoned engineers with decades of experience at both its domestic and overseas business sites. Their experience has been built into a database, which the company systematically manages to facilitate continuous improvements in its technological prominence.
The company also runs its own System Engineering Manpower Education Program to further expand its pool of talented human resources in this area. Furthermore, in an effort to deliver more efficient solutions to its customers, the company has equipped itself with a complete system engineering organization composed of System Team 1 and System Team 2, which are in charge of technological responses to solutions and implementation of projects, and the System Planning Team, which is responsible for establishing the basis for continuous technological upgrades. With standard manuals prepared for all the technical areas concerned, the company ensures that its customers will receive a quality system configuration service from any engineer of the organization.
Secure Trust through Perfect Customer-Centered Services
As an outstanding characteristic of its solution engineering, Doosan Machine Tools does its best to practice its philosophy of ‘The Customer Always Comes First.’ “Producing the best results even under the worst conditions – that is our job,” declared Taeyong Lee, general manager of System Team 1. “Once we know what our customer wants, we deliver it to him even if that involves putting our competency to the severest test. This is a conviction the system engineers of Doosan Machine Tools have long cherished.” A good example is the company’s success in securing an engine line contract with Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co., Ltd. (JAC Motors), a Chinese state-owned automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer, which displays great confidence and trust in Doosan Machine Tools.
These days, System Team 1 is busy applying the final touches to the 1.9 L and 2.0 L engine cylinder block production line for JAC Motors. A series of machines customized for JAC Motors is undergoing trial operation to check that work pieces are being rolled out as the customer requires in terms of cycle time, surface roughness, and allowance, among other factors. A total of 26 machines have been mobilized for the project. It is the fourth project for which Doosan Machine Tools and JAC Motors have joined forces since 2005. The two companies have been able to maintain cooperative relations not just because of product quality but also because of the trust built up through Doosan’s devotion to long-term customer response management. An official of JAC Motors said, “We already had some degree of trust in Doosan Machine because of its stable machine operating ratio and machine durability among other things. While proceeding with the system line project, we were satisfied with Doosan’s technology sharing and its responsive attitudes to our requests for additional features to meet our country’s various extra regulations.” Changmin Seo, deputy general manager of System Team 1, mentioned a typical episode related to the Doosan customer response policy: “We once had a problem with a component installed in an already delivered system line. We embarked upon
internal investigations immediately, and concluded that the same problem could happen in other machines as well. So, we replaced all the components installed in the line. JAC Motors was surprised by our decision.” An official of JAC Motors concurred, adding, “We were happy about Doosan’s proactive response to the issues it was confronted with.” JAC Motors and other customers of Doosan Motors are deeply impressed with the company’s acceptance of customers’ requests from pre-contract negotiations right up to product delivery, punctuality in its delivery promises, responsible after-sales services, and fundamental solutions of problems.
For Technological Sophistication
Based on such a high degree of customer satisfaction, Doosan Machine Tools’ system business grew by an annual average of 21% from 2008 to 2011, exceeding US$100 billion in sales. Although its growth has slowed down somewhat in recent times due to the protracted worldwide economic recession, the company has been active in expanding its lines of business, too, and is placing particular emphasis on the development of CAD/CAM-based multitasking machining technologies at present. Its plan is to gain momentum in the fiercely competitive system engineering market by presenting highly sophisticated solutions including computer-aided design, simulation, multi-axis machining
and measurement for complex shapes instead of simple machining lines.
“Ultimately, such technological sophistication is an essential part of our efforts to respond to our customers’ needs perfectly,” said Taeyong Lee, general manager of System Team 1. “Technological sophistication is what we have to pursue to keep up with industrial development, but, above all else, we are ready to listen to what our customers really want and present them with optimal solutions under any circumstances.
Courtesy: Doosan Machine Tools
