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Project Report on

Industrial Visit
To
Mahindra & Mahindra Nashik Plant ( Satpur MIDC )

Submitted By:
Mr. Kapil Jadhav
PGDM First Year

Mumbai Educational Trust (MET)
Bhujbal Education Centre, Bandra (W)
Mumbai 400050

Academic Year
2013-2015

Date of Submission
30
th
November, 2013











While driving an SUV remains one of my eternal passions, getting a chance to visit
Indias leading automotive manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindras (M&M) facility at
Nashik was a real delight. To add on to the cheer, the Nashik shop floor presented a
chance to see the following cars, being assembled Scorpio , Quanto , Xylo and
Verito . This was also the opportunity to witness the manufacturing of a large product
portfolio catering to a diverse customer base, spanning rural and semi-urban
customers, defense requirements and luxurious urban utility vehicles. M&M has
gained the recognition of becoming one of the top 10 industrial houses in India. Its
ability to deliver top quality products and services in the least possible time has made
M&M a forerunner in the global race. The company has always believed in the
principle of doing it right the first time and has left no stone unturned when it comes
to carrying out advancements in their shop floor. With increasing knowledge and
know-how of the latest advancements in technology & automation, and the zeal to
compete and outperform its global counterparts, M&M follows world class
manufacturing standards & practices at its shop floor.


Shop floor magnificence

As soon as I stepped into the shop floor of my dream SUV, its sheer opulence made
me spell-bound with the kind of sophistication managed by the company. I was
intrigued to know as to how the company has been able to ascertain such precision-
packed manufacturing unit knowing that they need to deliver a product, which is
quality wise superior and provides the right feel and comfort to the customer. To
make me better understand and visualize what goes into making a top-class vehicle,
Latesh Chadhari, shared with me the blueprint of the entire unit.


Automation all the way

Keeping the excitement intact, he explained me that the M&M facility has been
divided into three sections. Assembly (trimming) of the body is performed in the very
first section, while the assembly of chassis is done in the second sector followed by
the final assembly where assembled parts from section 1 & 2 are put together to
deliver the final product. The entire facility is highly automated boasting of state-of-
the-art equipment and processes to deliver best in class products. The facility has five
synchronized ground conveyors three for trimming the body, one each for the
assembly of the chassis and for the final assembly line. Apart from these, there are a
number of overhead conveyors, which are used to carry the vehicle over the
gangways from one line to the other. Since the assembly of models such as Scorpio ,
Quanto & Xylo, along with the single cab and double cab vehicles is performed in the
same line, scheduling becomes a critical factor. To maintain high accuracy, the
sequencing is done using integrated production and manufacturing system (IPMS)
software. Further complicating the process is the number of variants for each vehicle,
which requires sequential feeding. For example, an X part may be required for one
variant, whereas Y part may be required for another variant. As per schedule, the
required parts are fed onto the line. This sequence depends on demands, availability
of materials, accessories, engines, among other factors. The assembly process In order
to ensure precision at each point, the company has a state-of-the-art paint shop.
The body of the vehicle is painted in a paint shop located around a kilometer away
from the shop floor. The painted bodies are then taken to the facility via an automated
overhead conveyor, which adjoins paint shop and the assembly shop. The painted
bodies are then stored in the painted body storage (PBS) area. There are two
conveyors, one incoming and one outgoing, connecting the paint shop and the facility,
which completes the loop, avers Chaudhari. From the area, according to the
sequence determined by the IPMS, the body is fed onto the feeder line. Once the
vehicle is taken from the PBS area, it travels via an overhead conveyor to the line
where the assembly process is slated to begin. Before the body is brought down to the
ground conveyor, basic works, such as realignments, are carried out so that the body
gets transferred easily on the ground conveyor without any damage. After the body is
transferred, the empty hanger on which it travelled goes back to the paint shop via the
overhead conveyor



Trimming activities

Once the body gets transferred to the conveyors, workers cover the body so that the
paint does not get spoiled while the assembly of the other parts is taking place. Also,
each vehicle has a bill sheet attached to it, which contains list of parts required to be
fitted onto the vehicle. While the body passes through the 3 assembly lines with a
pace as per the IPMS, different components are fitted onto the body, and at the end of
the third line ,with the help of overhead conveyors, the body is transferred to the final
line. While different parts are assembled in the body lines, simultaneously, with the
help of IPMS, the corresponding parts are fed into the appropriate chassis. This is
done with such time accuracy that the body along with the corresponding chassis
reaches the final line at the same time. Similar to the bodies, the chassis also has a
sheet attached, mentioning the parts required to be attached before proceeding
towards the final line. As the conveyor moves, people assemble parts as per the
sequence. The movement of the conveyor is programmed as per the time taken by a
particular operation. Stating an example, Chaudhari mentions, The conveyor for the
chassis has to cover 6 meter in 4 minutes. In this case, work worth that much time is
allotted to workers of that particular line to ensure accuracy and time management.
While taking a tour to the facility, I was intrigued to know what if at a particular stage,
a component such as the nut runner stops functioning. Clearing my doubts, Chaudhari
replied that in case something is not functioning, the person writes that on the card
attached to the chassis and then inform the senior operator. The operator will then
check and fix the matter, and once done, will sign the card. In this way, every BWT
ensures that he is delivering defect free product to the next BWT. In the chassis area,
there are 3 BWTs. Additionally, final checking is done on the chassis before it goes to
the final line.









Final Assembly

Once the body and the chassis are assembled with the help of IPMS, they are brought
onto the final line using overhead conveyors. At the final line, the chassis is brought
down onto a ground conveyor, and then the corresponding body is mounted and fixed
on the chassis. All this is done in a much synchronized manner without any human
intervention. Once the assembly gets completed, the vehicle moves onto the conveyor
and operations such as brake oil filling, engine oil filling, gas filling, etc. are
performed. The moment, these operations are over, a complete biopsy is done, where
all the functions of the car are checked. Once the final inspection of the vehicle is
over, for the first time the engine is manually started, and the vehicle is made to run
on wheels in the shop floor. The vehicle is now ready to be tested.




Testing

Then is the time for wheel alignment. A machine from Foray, USA is used to set the
wheel geometry. Along with the wheel alignment, the headlight dimness is set. After
these settings, the car goes in for a roller testing in the roller test booth. Here the
brakes, ABS, gear shifting, speed etc. are tested. After the car comes out of the roller
test booth, it is fine-tuned. For example, the doors are set, gaps are removed, etc.
Once the fine tuning is done, the car undergoes the shower. Then the car is taken on a
rough bumpy track to check if any squeaking, rattling noises occur. On successful
completion of the testing operations, the vehicle is taken for the final inspection in the
warranty reduction audit process (WRAP). The travel card is now verified, and the car
is ready to be dispatched to retail showrooms.





Safety measures implemented


Being a global leader in automotive, the company places utmost importance to safety
and human health. In fact, it takes all the necessary precautions to provide its
employees with a safe working environment. To make the employees aware of the
safety precautions, various day-today illustrations as well as charts have been put
across the walls of the shop floor. In fact, at the entrance of the shop floor, the
company has displayed a mannequin wearing safety gear including safety shoes,
gloves, nonmetallic belt and bump cap (like a helmet and has a PVC covering), which
needs to be worn at locations where there is a danger of head injury.






Verito Model
The first step for production included the printed body storage wherein the main body
that is the outer structure of the car was fixed. Most of the parts were CKD-
completely knocked down. All these parts were ready made. Once the outer structure
is attached then the next stage involves treatment of all internal parts. Then, under
body operations took place wherein all the parts which have to be fitted under the car
are attached like the fuel tank mounting, engine, fuel tubes etc. 90% of the parts are
outsourced from Renault. Mahindra basically assembles all the parts and then
manufactures the car.
The third stage involves fitting of the doors, seats, spare parts and wheels along with
interior accessories. They also fit the break oil machine, AC. We were also told that
customized orders could be made only if a bulk order is placed. For example, Meru
Cabs were also seen there along with a different colour. After the final fitting, VEP-
Vehicle Electronic Process starts which is to detect faults. It then passes through the
tester line where 2 tests are conducted. The Dynamic test includes checking the
roughness of the vehicle and checking it on all type of roads. The Shower test
involves checking for the leakages from any part of the vehicle. If any defect is found,
then the car goes back for correction.
Two types of audit are done for their customers which is called RFI. One included
sample testing wherein almost 50% of the cars are tested and the second one include
ANOVA which involves checking functional defects on a detailed basis. They also
follow Two Bin System for inventory management. Some of their machines had
indicators and symbols such as red, green and yellow. Red includes breakdown of
machine, green is completed and no defect, yellow shows that there is some problem
which needs to be repaired.

Optimum quality control

In order to ensure that the quality is maintained at every stage and an error free
product is passed on to the next stage, the five assembly lines are divided into 12
basic working teams (BWTs). Each BWT makes sure that a fault that occurs is
determined and rectified at the stage at which it occurs and not at the final stage. This
averts the possibility of delaying the delivery of products to the customer. However,
before the product is dispatched, it undergoes final testing. In the ready for inspection
(RFI) audit, the status of the vehicle is inspected. The central quality personnel selects
a 10 per cent sample size from the dispatch yard and conducts an overall audit for that
batch. Discrepancies, if any, are resolved and the vehicles are then
released for dispatch.









Setting benchmarks in training


The company places paramount importance on continuous skill enhancement of its
employees. For the same, model training vehicles are deployed in the shop floor. Here,
different bodies and chassis are kept besides their appropriate line, and whenever a
new operator comes in, he is imparted with hands-on training on the model vehicles
before working on the line. The moment they are well-versed with the operational
intricacies, employees are given tasks to manage with utmost precision. Justifying the
same, Chaudhari explains, When a worker is recruited, he first has to undergo the
training at the Dexterity School. The basic dexterity skill involves learning of basic
operations such as nut-bolt fixing. Then the employee is taken to the shop floor for
imparting training on the model. Here, he will be trained for the process he is to be
deployed. Standard operating sheets (SOS) are being referred for training. These
sheets contain information about the parts involved and how it is to be held and
handled. It is prepared keeping in mind the minutest of details such as whether a
particular part is to be held upright, with five fingers, etc.

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