Assembly in Action: Coated Punches Cut Cost, Increase Quality
BorgWarner-Diversified Transmission Products Inc. (Muncie, IN) manufactures four-wheel-drive and traction control systems for the automotive industry. Its primary products are four-wheel-drive transfer case assemblies used by Ford Motor Co. and General Motors in sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks.
In 2001, shortly after introducing a new transfer case model, BorgWarner found it had a problem. The punches used to deform the ends of shafts, or axles, in the cases’ reduction carriers and differential carriers were wearing out almost as fast as the company could manufacture them. The cost in toolmaker time, maintenance and press downtime was becoming prohibitively expensive.