NETAJI SUBHAS INSTUTUTE OF TECHNOLOGY,

University of Delhi, Delhi

Summer Training Report

SONA KOYO STEERING SYSTEMS LTD.,
Gurgaon, HARYANA

[A 6-week Summer Training after completion of Second year

of B.E. in Mfg. Process & Automation Engg, in Process Quality
Department at Sona Koyo Steering Systems Ltd.]

PIYUSH GUPTA
Roll no, -637/MP/10
Manufacturing Process & Automation Engineering
Date: 10th July 2012
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE NO.

1. Preface 7

2. Acknowledgement 8

3. Introduction to Sona Koyo Steering System 9

4. Introduction to Steering System 16

5. Manual Steering System 20

6. Recirculating Ball Steering 23

7. Axle And DIfferential 30

8. Steering Column And Its Type 37

9. Steering System Testing 42

10. Project Work 43

9. Hydraulic Power Steering 45

10. Subparts Of Project 67

11. Kaizen And Kanban System 73

12. How this Training was helpful to Me 76

1
 LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE NO. TITLE PAGE

1.1 View of company 10

1.2 Plant locations 12

2.1 Basic steering system 17

2.2 Ackermann Steering Geometry 19

3.1 How car steering works 20

3.2 Assy. of rack and pinion 21

4.1 R.B.S. Parts 23

4.2 Working of R.B.S. 24

4.3 Final Assy. of R.B.S. 24

5.1 Differential Assembly 31

5.2 Working of Differential 32

5.3 Axle assembly 32

5.4 Universal Joint 35

6.1 Steering Column 38

6.2 Steering wheel with column 39

6.3 Collapsible Steering 40

2
FIGURE NO. TITLE PAGE

7.1 Track for steering testing 42

7.2 Endurance Testing Actuater 42

8.1 Basic steering system 44

9.1 Assembled view of power steering 45

9.2 Power rack and pinion steering 46

9.3 Rotary vane pump 47

9.4 Rotary Valve 49

9.5 Process of centerless grinding 53

9.6 Flat milling machine 54

9.7 Broaching tool 55

9.8 Induction hardening 56

9.9 Induction tempering process 57

9.10 Process of stone lapping 58

9.11 Process of paper lapping 59

9.12 Centering and facing on pinion 60

9.13 Pinion rod 60

9.14 Turning process 61

9.15 Serration rolling 61

3
FIGURE NO. TITLE PAGE

9.16 Grinding process 62

9.17 Hobbing done on pinion 62

9.18 Leakage testing machine 65

9.19 Complete H.P. Steering 66

10.1 Leakage testing machine 67

10.2 Outer ball joint 68

10.3 Collet Gun and Collet Chuck 69

10.4 Forward and reverse input testing 70

10.5 Honning machine 71

10.6 Pinion 72

4
 PREFACE

As a student of Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, I have attended six weeks Industrial
Training after my second year from 4th June,12 to 10th July,12 to get a better knowledge of
industrial atmosphere and floor work. As a part of it, I went for the six week Industrial training at
SONA KOYO STEERING SYSTEM at Gurgaon to gain some practical and shop floor
experience. These give me the opportunity to have an exposure to experience and to interact with
engineers, supervisors and workers.

During the training, I went for that discipline, sense of responsibility, orderliness, proper
communication, leadership guidance are necessary to convert company or organization
objectives into products/services through channel called production. The changing industrial
scenario and environment needs trained and experienced engineers who can affectively handle
the manpower without many grievances and ensure the effective utilization of machines and
materials to achieve the objectives laid down by the organization. Accordingly engineers find
placement in respective field such as Research and development, Designing, Production,
Inspection, Quality control, Marketing, Maintenance, Material handling etc.

I might not have understood all the procedures and process of industry but I have tried my best to
gain practical knowledge from this training. I think that this training has proved to be beneficial
in upcoming life.

5
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It brings me immense pleasure for an opportunity to have undergone training at Sona Koyo
Steering Systems Limited.

I would like to thank my training supervisor Mr. Vijay Sethi for his valuable guidance
throughout my training. I would also like to thank the entire Quality Assurance Department
especially Process Quality Department in which I have undergone my training for the help
extended to me through the course of my training. I would also like to thank Mr. Rakesh Bansal
and Mr. Krishan Rohilla for their invaluable support.

There is always a sense of gratitude which one expresses to others for their helpful and needy
services, which they render during all phases of life. I would like to do the same as I really wish
to express my gratitude towards all those who have been helpful to me during different stages of
my Industrial training and encouraged me with their ideas and views, which were guiding and
motivating factors in completion of mighty and tedious tasks of project report writing to be a
success.

In presenting this Report I would like to convey my deep and profound gratitude towards all
Engineers and Operators at Sona Koyo Steering Systems Limited for their co-operation and
guidance.

PIYUSH GUPTA
NSIT, DWARKA
New Delhi

6
 Introduction
to
Sona Koyo Steering Systems
Ltd.

7
 INTRODUCTION TO SONA

Figure 1.1: View of company

With its beginning as a small company in 1987, now the $80 million SONA Group comprises
several companies each of which are in joint venture partnerships and technical and financial
collaboration with global leaders in their specialist areas. Sona Koyo Steering Systems Limited
(SKSSL) is a technical and financial joint venture company of Koyo Seiko Company, Japan.
With a Market share of 50%, the company is the largest manufacturer of steering gears in India
and is the leading supplier of:

 Hydraulic Power Steering Systems

 Manual Rack & Pinion Steering Systems

 Recirculating Ball Steering, propeller shaft, Differential Assy.

 Collapsible, Axle Assy., Tilt and Rigid Steering Columns for Passenger Vans and MUV’s.

8
MILESTONE OF SONA GROUP

9
 PLANT LOCATION

PLANT-1 PLANT- 2

PLANT-3 Figure 1.2: Plant locations PLANT-4

Total Site Production Commenced - 56970 m2

ArePalant –1 19&8P7Steering Gear
R 2933 m2
Steering Column
Plant-2 RBS Steering Gear 5363 m2
Axle and Prop Shaft, Diff. Assy
Plant –3 R&P Power Steering 1265 m2
Plant-4 Case differential, Collapsible 2213 m2
column, Uj,
Others Utilities, Stores etc. 1330 m2

Certification QS 9000, ISO 14001, TS16949

10
CUSTOMERS

11
 PRODUCTS

PLANT-1

1) RPS Assembly Manual (TOYOTA)

2) RPS Assembly Manual (MARUTI 800)
3) Collapsible Column (SAFARI)
4) Collapsible Column (YE-2R)
5) Collapsible Column (MODEL-A)
6) Collapsible Column (SCORPIO)

PLANT-2

1) Shaft Propeller Assembly

2) RBS Assembly (OMNI,GYPSY)
3) Case Differential Assembly (TELCO)
4) Case Differential Assembly (OMNI)
5) Case Differential Assembly (YE-2R)
6) Axle Assembly (OMNI,GYPSY)
7) Sector Shaft Assembly

PLANT-3

1) Hydraulic Power Steering(all models)

PLANT-4

1) Case Differential (SWIFT)

2) Collapsible Column (MARUTI 800)
3) Column Assembly (ALTO)
4) IMV Column (INNOVA)
5) Column Assembly (OMNI)
6) Column Assembly (SCORPIO)

12
 SONA KOYO WORKING PHILOSOPHY

SONA KOYO respects the dignity of human beings at all levels. In the matter of employment, it
believes in the concept of equality in caste, religious, creed., race, sex and nationality.
Employees selection shall be merit based and made on basis of proven ability of the
incumbents(s).

SONA KOYO endeavors to provide equal opportunity to all and one in the matter of internal
promotion. Only the right person for the right job however, shall be promoted.

SONA KOYO is conscious of fact that the growth an d progress of its employees and the
company is inter –dependent, hence the concept of all round development of its team members
shall be of prime importance.

SONA KOYO encourages meaningful participation of its team members to achieve the
organizational goals and objectives.

SONA KOYO constantly endeavors to establish and promotes clean and safe working
environment where it team members may work happily and drive joy and pleasure.

SONA KOYO shall encourage and promote sports and such other cultural activities, which may
be useful in building the moral values and national character of honest, discipline and integrity
among its team member.

SONA KOYO as a good cooperate citizen shall like to participate in the community
development and welfare programs in its surroundings areas so as to develop understanding and
generate goodwill amongst the inhabitancy of local society.

13
 Introduction
to
Steering Systems

14
 INTRODUCTION TO STEERING

Steering is the term applied to the collection of components, linkages, etc. which will allow
a vessel(ship, boat) or vehicle (car, motorcycle, bicycle) to follow the desired course. An
exception is the case of rail transport by which rail tracks combined together with railroad
switches (and also known as 'points' in British English) provide the steering function.

The most conventional steering arrangement is to turn the front wheels using a hand–
operated steering wheel which is positioned in front of the driver, via the steering column, which
may contain universal joints (which may also be part of the collapsible steering column design),
to allow it to deviate somewhat from a straight line. Other arrangements are sometimes found on
different types of vehicles, for example, a tiller rear–wheel steering. Tracked vehicles such
as bulldozers and tanks usually employ differential steering — that is, the tracks are made to
move at different speeds or even in opposite directions, using clutches and brakes, to bring about
a change of course or direction.

Figure 2.1: Basic steering system

15
 PURPOSE OF STEERING SYSTEMS

The purpose of the steering system is to allow the driver to control the direction of the vehicle by
turning the front wheels. Together with the suspension system, it plays an important role in
ensuring easy, comfortable driving all the way from the low speed range to the high-speed
ranges.
A good and efficient steering system has to ensure the following:
1. Excellent Maneuverability: When the car is cornering on a narrow, twisting road, the
steering system must be able to turn the front wheels sharply yet easily and smoothly.
2. Proper Steering Effort: If nothing is done to prevent it, steering effort will be greater
when the car is stopped and will decrease as the speed of the car increases. Therefore, in
order to obtain easier steering and better feel of the road, the steering should be made
lighter at low speeds and heavier at high speeds.
3. Smooth Recovery: While the car is turning, the driver must hole the steering wheel
firmly. After the turn is completed, however, recovery- that is, the return of the wheels to
the straight-ahead position- should occur smoothly as the driver relaxes the force with
which he is turning the steering wheel.
4. Minimum transmission of Shock from Road Surface: Loss of steering wheel control
and transmission of kickback due to road surface must not occur.

16
 BASIC GEOMETRY

The basic aim of steering is to ensure that the wheels are pointing in the desired directions. This
is typically achieved by a series of linkages, rods, pivots and gears. One of the fundamental
concepts is that of caster angle - each wheel is steered with a pivot point ahead of the wheel; this
makes the steering tend to be self-centering towards the direction of travel.
The steering linkages connecting the steering box and the wheels usually conforms to a variation
of Ackermann steering geometry, to account for the fact that in a turn, the inner wheel is actually
traveling a path of smaller radius than the outer wheel, so that the degree of toe suitable for
driving in a straight path is not suitable for turns. The angle the wheels make with the vertical
plane also influences steering dynamics (see camber angle) as do the tires.

Figure 2.2: Ackermann Steering Geometry

17
 Manual Steering Systems

RACK-AND-PINION STEERING:

Rack-and-pinion steering is quickly becoming the most common type of steering on cars, small
trucks and SUVs. It is actually a pretty simple mechanism. A rack-and-pinion gear set is
enclosed in a metal tube, with each end of the rack protruding from the tube. A rod, called a tie
rod, connects to each end of the rack.

Figure 3.1: How car steering works

18
 ASSEMBLY VEIW OF RACK AND PINION STEERING

Figure 3.2: Assy.of rack and pinion

The pinion gear is attached to the steering shaft. When you turn the steering wheel, the gear
spins, moving the rack. The tie rod at each end of the rack connects to the steering arm on the
spindle (see diagram above).
The rack-and-pinion gear set does two things:
(1) It converts the rotational motion of the steering wheel into the linear motion needed to turn
the wheels.
(2) It provides a gear reduction, making it easier to turn the wheels.
On most cars, it takes three to four complete revolutions of the steering wheel to make the
wheels turn from lock to lock (from far left to far right).
The steering ratio is the ratio of how far you turn the steering wheel to how far the wheels turn.
For instance, if one complete revolution (360 degrees) of the steering wheel results in the wheels
of the car turning 20 degrees, then the steering ratio is 360 divided by 20, or 18:1. A higher ratio
means that you have to turn the steering wheel more to get the wheels to turn a given distance.
However, less effort is required because of the higher gear ratio. Generally, lighter, sportier cars
have lower steering ratios than larger cars and trucks.

19
 SPECIAL FEATURES OF RACK AND PINION STEERING

(1) Inexpensive:-Generally when rack and pinion steering is used the gearbox is fitted into the
steering link structure. The Linkages are very much reduced because the RPS is complete in
itself. Therefore the cost is much cheaper with respect to other types.

(2) Light in weight:-As a steering gear assembly the no. of linkages are less. From the angle of
strength the material of gearbox is aluminum die cast compared to RBS, it is light in weight.

(3) A Sharp Steering feeling:- In the case of RBS type steering the torque applied to main shaft
goes through the Ball Screw to Ball Nut and then to Sector Gear. Vis a Vis the RPS where Rack
and Pinion are in direct contact therefore, the feeling is sharper in response. At high speed
driving there is a direction in the handle is steady and a sharp response can be need where the
steering handle is turned.

(4) Strength is high:- In the RPS type the meshing force between the teeth of the gears is lower
in comparison to the RBS type, therefore the impact strength can be higher.

(5) Noise and nitration counter measure :- The gear portion and the rack bush in the RPS
steering are the negative points of the RPS steering as compared to the RBS type, the noise
through their interference and the vibration arising due to type and the steering line portion and
rack bush. By the usage of anti vibration ball joints a satisfactory fitting can be had.

20
 RECIRCULATING BALL STEERING

Recirculating ball steering is used on many trucks and SUVs today. The linkage that turns the
wheels is slightly different than on a rack-and-pinion system.

Figure 4.1: R.B.S. Parts

The re-circulating-ball steering gear contains a worn gear you can image the gear in two parts.
The first part is a block of metal with a threaded hole in it. This block has gear teeth cut into the
outside of it, which engage a gear that moves the pitman arm (see diagram above).
The steering wheel connects to a threaded rod, similar to a bolt, that sticks into the hole in the
block. When the steering wheel turns, it turns the bolt. Instead of twisting further into the block
the way a regular bolt would, this bolt is held fixed so that when it spins, it moves the block,
which moves the gear that turns the wheels.

21
Instead of the bolt directly engaging the threads in the block, all of the threads are filled with ball
bearing that recirculate through the gear as it turns. The balls actually serve two purposes: First,
they reduce friction and wear in the gear; second, they reduce slop in the gear. Slop would be felt
when you change the direction of the steering wheel without the balls in the steering gear, the
teeth would come out of contact with each other for a moment, making the steering wheel feel
loose.

Figure 4.2: Working of R.B.S.

COMPLETE & EXPLODED VIEW OF RBS

Figure 4.3: Final Assy. of R.B.S.

22
 SPECIAL FEATURES OF RECIRCULATING BALL STEERING

(1) Handle is light :-Highly efficient (about 85%), very light, very little fatigue even in long
distance driving. Especially our patented product of variable ratio steering. Even when full
rotation of the steering wheel is required the handle is still light. In the neutral position the
steering has a very sharp response, the steering feeling at low speed and high speed is extremely
good.

(2) Stability is good:- Appropriate gear ratio has been achieved through research in design and
along with the guarantee of a comfortable driving and exceptional stability at high speeds can be
achieved with the employment of variable ratio gear.

(3) Dependability: -Turning of the handle is very smooth, especially at high speeds the
dependability and certainty of turning is very high.

(4) High Endurance of Safety: The critical parts have been selected through extensive tests and
are of high qualities carburised steel and with the help of highly balanced design. The parts are
exceptional in anti impact qualities and the wear is very little even in long term use.

Merits of the Recirculating-Ball Type steering gear

1. Efficiency is high (about 85%), making it light and causing a very little fatigue, even in
long distance travel.
2. It is more stable at higher speeds.
3. It has high endurance making the wear low even in long-term use.
4. Turning of the handle is very smooth, thus the dependability and certainty of turning is
very high.

23
 STEER BY WIRE

The aim of steer-by-wire technology is to completely do away with as many mechanical

components (steering shaft, column, gear reduction mechanism, etc.) as possible. Completely
replacing conventional steering system with steer-by-wire holds several advantages, such as:

 The absence of steering column simplifies the car interior design.

 The absence of steering shaft, column and gear reduction mechanism allows much better
space utilization in the engine compartment.
 The steering mechanism can be designed and installed as a modular unit.
 Without mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the road wheel, it is less
likely that the impact of a frontal crash will force the steering wheel to intrude into the
driver's survival space.
 Steering system characteristics can easily and infinitely be adjusted to optimize the
steering response and feel.
As of 2007 there are no production cars available that rely solely on steer-by-wire technology
due to safety, reliability and economic concerns, but this technology has been demonstrated in
numerous concept cars and the similar fly-by-wire technology is in use in both military and
civilian aviation applications. Removing the mechanical steering linkage in road going vehicles
would require new legislation in most countries.

24
 ARTICULATED STEERING

Articulated steering is a system by which a four-wheel drive vehicle is split into front and rear
halves which are connected by a vertical hinge. The front and rear halves are connected with one
or more hydraulic cylinders that change the angle between the halves, including the front and
rear axles and wheels, thus steering the vehicle. This system does not use steering arms, king
pins, tie rods, etc. as does four-wheel steering. If the vertical hinge is placed equidistant between
the two axles, it also eliminates the need for a central differential, as both front and rear axles
will follow the same path, and thus rotate at the same speed. Long road trains, articulated buses,
and internal transport trolley trains use articulated steering to achieve smaller turning circles,
comparable to those of shorter conventional vehicles. Articulated haulers have very good off-
road performance.

25
 REAR WHEEL STEERING

A few types of vehicle use only rear wheel steering, notably fork lift trucks, camera dollies,
early pay loaders, Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion car, and the ThrustSSC.[6]
Rear wheel steering tends to be unstable because in turns the steering geometry changes hence
decreasing the turn radius (oversteer), rather than increase it (understeer). A rear wheel steered
automobile exhibits non-minimum phase behavior.[7] It turns in the direction opposite of how it
is initially steered. A rapid steering input will cause two accelerations, first in the direction that
the wheel is steered, and then in the opposite direction: a "reverse response." This makes it
harder to steer a rear wheel steered vehicle at high speed than a front wheel steered vehicle

26
 SAFETY REGARDING STEERING
For safety reasons all modern cars feature a collapsible steering column (energy absorbing
steering column) which will collapse in the event of a heavy frontal impact to avoid excessive
injuries to the driver. Airbags are also generally fitted as standard. Non-collapsible steering
columns fitted to older vehicles very often impaled drivers in frontal crashes, particularly when
the steering box or rack was mounted in front of the front axle line, at the front of the crumple
zone. This was particularly a problem on vehicles that had a rigid separate chassis frame, with no
crumple zone. Most modern vehicle steering boxes/racks are mounted behind the front axle on
the front bulkhead, at the rear of the front crumple zone.
Collapsible steering columns were invented by Bela Barenyi and were introduced in the
1959 Mercedes-Benz W111 Fintail, along with crumple zones. This safety feature first
appeared[when?] on cars built by General Motors after an extensive and very
public lobbying campaign enacted by Ralph Nader. Ford started to install collapsible steering
columns in 1968.[8]
Audi used a retractable steering wheel and seat belt tensioning system called procon-ten, but it
has since been discontinued in favor of airbags and pyrotechnic seat belt pre-tensioners

27
Axle and Differential

28
 Rear Axle

DIFFERENTIAL OPERATION:
The differential is the thing that works both drive axles at the same time, but lets them rotate at
different speeds so that the car can make turns. When a car makes a turn, the outer wheel has to
turn faster than the inner wheel, due to the difference in the length of the paths they take. The
differential is located between the two wheels, and is attached to each wheel by a half-shaft
rotated through a bevel gear. Four-wheel drive cars have a separate differential for each pair of
wheels.

Figure 5.1: Differential Assembly

A grooved, or splined, axle side gear is positioned on the splined end of each axle. The side gears
are driven by "spider" gears, which are little gears mounted on a shaft attached to the differential
case. As it is supported by the differential case, the side gear can turn inside the case.

The differential case can be turned, revolving around the axle gears. The differential pinion (a
pinion is a small gear that either drives a larger gear or is driven by one) shaft turns the ring gear,
which is fastened to the differential case. The propeller shaft (drive shaft) connects the
transmission output shaft to the differential pinion shaft. The turning differential case is mounted
on two large bearing holders. These bearings are called carrier bearings.

29
 Working of Differential Unit

Figure 5.2: Working of Differential

The propeller shaft rotates the ring gear pinion, and the pinion turns the ring gear. The ring gear
then turns the differential case and pinion shaft, but the axle side gears will not turn. By passing
the differential pinion shaft through two differential pinion gears that mesh with the side gears,
the case will turn and the axle side gears will turn with it. During turns, the side gears turn at
rates dictated by the radius of the turns, and the spider gears then turn to allow the outer wheel to
turn faster than the inner one.

Figure 5.3: Axle assembly

30
 Differential Fluids

For lubrication fluid, very heavy oil must be used in rear axle housings. Special hypoid oils are
used in the differential case. Even another type of fluid or oil must be used in a posit action type
differential.

The oil is circulated by the ring gear, and flung all over all the parts. Special troughs or gullies
are used to bring the oil back to certain spots, like the ring and pinion area and the piston
bearings. The fluid is kept in with gaskets and oil seals. The bottom of the housing has a drain
plug, and another filler plug is located part way up the housing. The housing must never be filled
above this plug.

The housing fluid lubricates some of the outer bearings, but others have lubrication fittings for
the injection of wheel bearing grease. A handgun, not a pressure grease gun must be used to
grease these bearings (sparingly). A pressure grease gun could inject grease into the brakes--
greasy brakes are inefficient at best!

Finally, some bearings are filled with grease at the factory and are sealed. These never require
attention unless they are defective.

31
 The Drive Shaft

The drive shaft, or propeller shaft, connects the transmission output shaft to the differential
pinion shaft. Since all roads are not perfectly smooth, and the transmission is fixed, the drive
shaft has to be flexible to absorb the shock of bumps in the road. Universal, or "U-joints" allow
the drive shaft to flex (and stop it from breaking) when the drive angle changes.

Drive shafts are usually hollow in order to weigh less, but of a large diameter so that they are
strong. High quality steel, and sometimes aluminum are used in the manufacture of the drive
shaft. The shaft must be quite straight and balanced to avoid vibrating. Since it usually turns at
engine speeds, a lot of damage can be caused if the shaft is unbalanced, or bent. Damage can also
be caused if the U-joints are worn out.

There are two types of drive shafts, the Hotchkiss drive and the Torque Tube Drive. The
Hotchkiss drive is made up of a drive shaft connected to the transmission output shaft and the
differential pinion gear shaft. U-joints are used in the front and rear. The Hotchkiss drive
transfers the torque of the output shaft to the differential. No wheel drive thrust is sent to the
drive shaft. Sometimes this drive comes in two pieces to reduce vibration and make it easier to
install (in this case, three U-joints are needed). The two-piece types need ball bearings in a
dustproof housing as center support for the shafts. Rubber is added into this arrangement for
noise and vibration reduction.

32
 The Universal Joint (U-joint)

Figure 5.4: Universal Joint

The Universal joint (U-joint) is used to connect the drive shaft to the transmission output shaft
and the Differential pinion gear shaft. This joint must be flexible enough to allow changes in the
driving angle (road incline) and the drive shaft. This way, the torque is constantly transmitted
when the rear axle is moving up and down. Smaller U-joints are used to route the turning motion
of the steering wheel through the steering column to the steering box.

There are two types of U-joints, the cross and roller type and the ball type. The cross and roller
type is used the most; it allows the drive shaft to bend. The ball and trunnion type less frequently
used; it allows the drive shaft to bend and also permits backward and forward motion of the drive
shaft.

33
 UNIVERSAL JOINT ASSEMBLY MACHINE

MAJOR PROBLEMS

S.NO. PROBLEMS CAUSES COUNTERMEASURES

1 Incomplete Bearing
Press
2 Stacking Out
3 Jerky Movement of
Bearing
4 Yoke expansion
5 Leg Bend
6 Articulating Torque
More/Less
7 Bearing crack
Misalignment of Fixture alignment to be done
Fixture properly.
Slipping of Yoke Yoke to be placed properly in
From Fixture, Due the fixture.
to BOP
Bearing Needle Avoid use of Rusty Spider,
Fall, Rusty spider, Stacking force should be less.
More staking force
Spider Tolerance, Spiders of equal tolerance
Excess Widening of should be made available.
Claws
Incomplete Bearing Application of correct
Press, Slipping of stacking force, Place Yoke
Yoke properly.
Increase/Decrease To be done manually by the
in Widening operating the Joint Assembly
Distance of Claws Machine.
Misalignment of Fixture alignment to be done
Fixture properly.

MINOR PROBLEMS

S.NO. PROBLEMS COUNTERMEASURES

1 Loosening of Side Wedge To be done manually
2 Breakage of Union Pipe Replacement of New Union
Connected with Pneumatic Pipe
Cylinder
3 Stuck-up of Bearings Apply Air Pressure
4 Falling of Bearings during Replacement of Cassette of
Inversion of Cassettes suitable size

34
Steering Columns
and its Types

35
 COLLAPSIBLE COLUMN

In recent times with increase in automobile accidents, the progress of research into how far the
life of the driver can be protected has resulted in the development of a new product called
collapsible column (Impact absorbing type column), In case of an automobile accident where the
chart of the driver strike the handle and due to the collapsing nature of the handle the shock of
the impact is reduced thereby preventing a death in the accident. In our country from 1st
Oct’1973 a rule was implemented which specifies that all the automobiles sold in the domestic
market must have the above mentioned impact absorbing handle. In other words it’s a
contraption, which has been made as a product because of safety regulations. Our company
developed a product, which matched well with the impact features of the vehicle under special
license from G.M. for the 1st makers of the automobile in the World. Our company started using
it on 1200cc Honda in 1972 and as such the history of the product is very. But our company’s
R&D has brought up the product as a high technology, high safety and presently due to the
independent development of collapsible column by our company, it is being used in Mitsubishi
Debonair, Diamate, Sherio, GTO and Suzuki Alto.

(1) Functions, which a collapsible column must have :-

In case of an accident a collapsible column must have the ability to abort the shock due to the
impact on the handle when the driver strikes. Along side being a product when protects the
drivers it must have the function of normal steering. Legally it should satisfy safety regulations
(FMVSS-203). In the experimentation rooms the column must satisfy and collapse at force of
1135 Kgf due to the burst portion of the dummy body strike.

(2)Structure:-
The collapsible column is an apparatus, which absorbs the impact to the body from the handle at
the time of collision and the structural parts, are column, Jacket, steering shaft column bracket
etc.

Figure 6.1: Steering Column

36
 FUNCTIONS OF STEERING COLUMN

A steering column performs the following functions:

(1) The automotive steering column is a device intended primarily for connecting
the steering wheel to the steering mechanism or transferring the driver's input torque from
the steering wheel.
(2) The energy dissipation management in the event of a frontal collision;
(3) It provide mounting for: the multi-function switch, column lock, column wiring, column
shroud(s), transmission gear selector, gauges or other instruments as well as the electro
motor.
(4) It offer (height and/or length) adjustment to suit driver preference.

Steering
Wheel

Steering
Column

Figure 6.2: Steering wheel with column

37
 TYPES OF STEERING COLUMNS

There are two types of steering columns are manufactured in Sona.

1. Energy absorbing collapsible steering columns
2. Rigid steering columns.

1. Energy absorbing collapsible steering columns: They are designed for mass
production and best suitable for stabilized Load at time of impact absorption. These
types of columns break when load of more than 170 to 190 kgf are applied on it.

Figure 6.3: Collapsible Steering

2. Rigid steering columns: This type of steering columns is used with or without
universal joints. It transmits torque from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These
columns are used in MARUTI and OMNI.

38
 Paint Shop

SKSSL has a paint shop for catering to its in-house demand of painting of various components.
The shop is located in Plant II and paints about 100 pieces per hour, working one shift a day. The
cycle time for painting each component is about 2 hours and 45 minutes. The main components
that are painted in the shop are propeller shaft, RBS Assy, I-Shaft Assy, lower shaft and
collapsible column. The main activities that are carried on in the paint shop in the order of taking
place are:
1. Degreasing: Degreasing is the process of removing rust, chemicals etc. from the surface
of the component by washing it in alkaline powder solution (pH 12) in the degreasing
tank. The solution is changed once a month.
2. Water rinsing: It is the process of washing off the degreasing solution from the surface of
the component. This is basically washing the piece in water of pH between 7 and 8. This
water is replaced daily.
3. Activation: This is a prerequisite to the phosphatising process. Here the component is
treated with a solution of Ultra Act-C (of pH 8-9)
4. Phosphatising: This process is important because it makes sure that the paint sticks to the
component and does not remove easily. Here the component is sprayed with a solution of
Ultra-Bond 5P and accelerator. The solution is changed once a month.
5. Washing: Here the component is washed in DM water.
6. Drying: After washing, the component passes through a furnace (oven) where the
moisture and water on the surface is dried.
7. Painting: The components are spray painted one-by-one manually by the operator.
8. Drying: The paint is then dried by passing it again inside the oven. The time spent by the
component in the oven this time is twice that of the time spent before painting.

39
Track for Steering System Testing

Track for Noise Test Figure ‘8’ for Steering Effort

Figure 7.1: Track for steering testing

Figure 7.2: Endurance Testing Actuater

40
 PROJECT WORK
AT
SONA KOYO STEERING SYSTEM
LIMITED

41
Project: To Study and Solve the Problems occurs in Hydraulic Power Steering
Assembly Lines and To Increase Production.

STEERING SYSTEM

Figure 8.1: Basic steering system

DESCRIPTION:
The rotary motion of the steering hand wheel is changed to the linear motion of the drag link
through the steering gear box & pitman arm. The drag link pulls & pushes the steering center
level. So that this lever turns the right and left front wheels around their kingpins through the two
tie rods and knuckle arm.
The whole system has a self restoring property & is designed for easy steering and high
durability. The self restoring action is reliable the operating effort required for turning the hand
wheel is small & the system components are easy to service. The rotary joints of the steering
linkage are of ball & socket type. There are mainly three types of steering systems manufactured
in Sona.
 Rack & Pinion type manual steering system
 Re-circulating ball screw type manual steering system
 Rack & Pinion type power steering system.

42
 HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING

NECESSITY: To improve the driving comfort, most modern automobiles have wide, low-
pressure tires that increase the tire-to-road surface contact area. As a result, more steering
effort is required. Even though the steering effort can be decreased by increasing the gear
ratio of the steering gear, this will make sharp turns impossible. Thus, a steering assist is
required in the passenger cars as well.

Outer ball Pinion Outer ball

joint Hydraulic joint
Fluid lines cylinder
Pinion
housing

Inner ball
joint Inner ball
Bellows
joint

Figure 9.1: Assembled view of power steering

43
 POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING

When the rack-and-pinion is in a power-steering system, the rack has a slightly different design.
Part of the rack contains a cylinder with a piston in the middle. The piston is connected to the
rack. There are two fluid ports, one on either side of the piston. Supplying higher-pressure fluid
to one side of the piston forces the piston to move, which in turn moves the rack, providing the
power assist.

Figure 9.2: Power rack and pinion steering

Working of Power Steering Mechanism:

Power Steering is an assist device that helps keep the steering agile and at the same keeps the
steering effort small. SONA manufactures the rack and pinion type power steering mechanism,
which is primarily used in passenger cars. Power rack and pinion steering assemblies are
hydraulic/mechanical unit with an integral piston and rack assembly. An internal rotary valve
directs power steering fluid flow and controls pressure to reduce steering effort. The rack and
pinion is used to steer the car in the event of power steering failure, or if the engine (that drives
the pump) stalls. When the steering wheel is turned, resistance is created by the weight of the car
and tire-to-road friction, causing a torsion bar in the rotary valve to deflect. This changes the
position of the valve spool and sleeve, thereby directing fluid under pressure to the proper end of
the attached to the rack) helps move the rack to reduce turning effort. The fluid in the other end
of the power cylinder is forced to the control valve and back to the pump reservoir. When the
steering effort stops, the control valve is centered by the twisting force of the torsion bar.

44
 PUMP

The hydraulic power for the steering is provided by a rotary-vane pump.

Figure 9.3: Rotary vane pump

This pump is driven by the car's engine via a belt and pulley. It contains a set of retractable vanes
that spin inside an oval chamber.
As the vanes spin, they pull hydraulic fluid from the return line at low pressure and force it into
the outlet at high pressure.

45
The amount of flow provided by the pump depends on the car's engine speed. The pump must be
designed to provide adequate flow when the engine is idling. As a result, the pump moves much
more fluid than necessary when the engine is running at faster speeds.

The pump contains a pressure-relief valve to make sure that the pressure does not get too high,
especially at high engine speeds when so much fluid is being pumped.

46
 ROTARY VALVE

A power-steering system should assist the driver only when he is exerting force on the steering
wheel (such as when starting a turn). When the driver is not exerting force (such as when driving
in a straight line), the system shouldn't provide any assist. The device that senses the force on the
steering wheel is called the rotary valve.

Figure 9.4: Rotary Valve

The key to the rotary valve is a torsion bar. The torsion bar is a thin rod of metal that twists
when torque is applied to it. The top of the bar is connected
to the steering wheel, and the bottom of the bar is connected to the pinion or worm gear (which
turns the wheels), so the amount of torque in the torsion bar is equal to the amount of torque the
driver is using to turn the wheels. The more torque the driver uses to turn the wheels, the more
the bar twists.

47
The input from the steering shaft forms the inner part of a spool-valve assembly. It also connects
to the top end of the torsion bar. The bottom of the torsion bar connects to the outer part of the
spool valve. The torsion bar also turns the output of the steering gear, connecting to either the
pinion gear or the worm gear depending on which type of steering the car has.
As the bar twists, it rotates the inside of the spool valve relative to the outside. Since the inner
part of the spool valve is also connected to the steering shaft (and therefore to the steering
wheel), the amount of rotation between the inner and outer parts of the spool valve depends on
how much torque the driver applies to the steering wheel.
When the steering wheel is not being turned, both hydraulic lines provide the same amount of
pressure to the steering gear. But if the spool valve is turned one way or the other, ports open up
to provide high-pressure fluid to the appropriate line.
It turns out that this type of power-steering system is pretty inefficient. Let's take a look at some
advances we'll see in coming years that will help improve efficiency

48
Manufacturing Processes in
Hydraulic Power Steering
Assembly

49
THE MAIN PARTS OF HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING
ASSEMBLY ARE

(1)POWER RACK BAR ASSEMBLY LINE

(2) HYDRAULIC CYLINDER LINE

(3)POWER PINION LINE

(4)FINAL H.P.S. ASSEMBLY LINE

50
 POWER RACK BAR LINE

(1) CENTERLESS GRINDING MACHINE:- Centerless grinding is a method of

material removal through grinding, similar to centered grinding except for the absence of the
spindle. It has high throughput, i.e., a large number of parts can be manufactured in a short time.
The workpiece is set up between the regulating wheel (or back up wheel) and the grinding wheel,
and is supported by the work blade or work rest. The work rest is located between the wheels.
The work is placed on the work rest, and the latter together with the regulating wheel is fed
forward forcing the work against the grinding wheel. Axial movement of the work past the
grinding wheel is accomplished by tilting the regulating wheel at a slight angle from horizontal.
An angular adjustment of 0 to 8 or 10 degrees is provided in the machine for this purpose.

Figure 9.5: Process of centerless grinding

51
(2) FLAT MILLING:- A milling machine is a machine tool used to machine solid materials.
Milling machines are often classed in two basic forms, horizontal and vertical, which refers to
the orientation of the mainspindle. Both types range in size from small, bench-mounted devices
to room-sized machines. Unlike a drill press, which holds the workpiece stationary as the drill
moves axially to penetrate the material, milling machines also move the workpiece radially
against the rotating milling cutter, which cuts on its sides as well as its tip. Workpiece and cutter
movement are precisely controlled to less than 0.001 in (0.025 mm), usually by means of
precision ground slides and lead screws or analogous technology. Milling machines may be
manually operated, mechanically automated, or digitally automated via computer numerical
control.
Milling machines can perform a vast number of operations, from simple (e.g., slot and keyway
cutting, planing, drilling) to complex (e.g., contouring, diesinking). Cutting fluid is often
pumped to the cutting site to cool and lubricate the cut and to wash away the resulting swarf.

Figure 9.6: Flat milling machine

52
 (3) RACK TEETH BROACHING:- Broaching is a machining process that uses a toothed
tool, called a broach, to remove material. There are two main types of
broaching: linear and rotary. In linear broaching, which is the more common process, the broach
is run linearly against a surface of the workpiece to effect the cut. Linear broaches are used in
a broaching machine, which is also sometimes shortened tobroach. In rotary broaching, the
broach is rotated and pressed into the workpiece to cut an axis symmetric shape. A rotary broach
is used in a lathe or screw machine. In both processes the cut is performed in one pass of the
broach, which makes it very efficient.
Broaching is used when precision machining is required, especially for odd shapes. Commonly
machined surfaces include circular and non-circular holes, splines, keyways, and flat surfaces.
Typical workpieces include small to medium sized castings, forgings, screw machine parts,
and stampings. Even though broaches can be expensive, broaching is usually favored over other
processes when used for high-quantity production runs.[1]
Broaches are shaped similar to a saw, except the teeth height increases over the length of the
tool. Moreover, the broach contains three distinct sections: one for roughing, another for semi-
finishing, and the final one for finishing. Broaching is an unusual machining process because it
has the feed built into the tool. The profile of the machined surface is always the inverse of the
profile of the broach. The rise per tooth (RPT), also known as the step or feed per tooth,
determines the amount of material removed and the size of the chip. The broach can be moved
relative to the workpiece or vice-versa. Because all of the features are built into the broach no
complex motion or skilled labor is required to use it.[2] A broach is effectively a collection
of single-point cutting tools arrayed in sequence, cutting one after the other; its cut is analogous
to multiple passes of a shape.

Figure 9.7: Broaching tool

53
(4)WASHING OF RACK BAR:-Washing liquid is Techniclean SF 2-3% and washing
liquid temperature is 30˚C to 40˚C . Air drying after washing is required. Gundrilling side of the
rack bar must be on top side.

(5) INDUCTION HARDENING:- Induction hardening is a form of heat treatment in

which a metal part is heated by induction heating and then quenched. The quenched metal
undergoes a martensitic transformation, increasing the hardness and brittleness of the part.
Induction hardening is used to selectively harden areas of a part or assembly without affecting
the properties of the part as a whole. Induction heating is a non contact heating process which
utilises the principle of electromagnetic induction to produce heat inside the surface layer of a
work-piece. By placing a conductive material into a strong alternating magnetic field electrical
current can be made to flow in the steel thereby creating heat due to the I2R losses in the
material. In magnetic materials, further heat is generated below the curie point due to
hysteresis losses. The current generated flows predominantly in the surface layer, the depth of
this layer being dictated by the frequency of the alternating field, the surface power density,
the permeability of the material, the heat time and the diameter of the bar or material thickness.
By quenching this heated layer in water, oil or a polymer based quench the surface layer is
altered to form a martensitic structure which is harder than the base metal.

Figure 9.8: Induction hardening

54
(6)INDUCTION TEMPERING:- Untempered martensitic steel, while very hard, is too
brittle to be useful for most applications. A method for alleviating this problem is called
tempering. Most applications require that quenched parts be tempered. Tempering consists of
heating a steel below the lower critical temperature, (often from 400 to 1105 ˚F or 205 to 595 ˚C,
depending on the desired results), to impart some toughness. Higher tempering temperatures,
(may be up to 1,300 ˚F or 700 ˚C, depending on the alloy and application), are sometimes used to
impart further ductility, although some yield strength is lost.
Tempering may also be performed on normalized steels. Other methods of tempering consist of
quenching to a specific temperature, which is above the martensite start temperature, and then
holding it there until pure bainite can form or internal stresses can be relieved. These
include austempering and martempering.

Figure 9.9: Induction tempering process

55
(7)BATCH CODE PUNCHING:- In this a code is punched on the rack bar. It specifies the
date, month, year and shift of manufacturing. The size of letters should be 2mm.

(8)STRAIGHTNING:-In this the straightness of rack bar is checked. While checking it must
be ensure that rack teeth should be parallel to ram after runout correction before pressing start
button again. Reverse bend are not allowed. The max bend must not exceed 0.1mm.

(9)CRACK DETECTION: - There should be checking of cracks in the rack bar

(10) RUST PREVENTION OIL APPLICATION:-After checking rack bar is put in the
oil drum so that no rust will be present.

(11)CENTERLESS STONE LAPPING:-After stone lapping the surface finish will be 0.2
Ra. tone pressure during finishing must be 0.16 MPa.

Figure 9.10: Process of stone lapping

(12) PISTON CRIMPING ON THE RACK BAR:-Piston crimping is done in one grove
and in other a circlip is fixed which is used to stop the piston movement beyond a limited
distance.

(13)REVERSE SIDE BUFFING:- After this operation the surface finish will be 0.4 Ra.
The coolant is used in this process is soluble oil 24/91.

56
(14)PAPER LAPPING:-The condition of the surface will be free from scratches and burrs.

Figure 9.11: Process of paper lapping

(15) WASHING:-Washing liquid is WS 500 NR and washing liquid temperature is 30˚C to

40˚C . Air drying after washing is required. Gundrilling side of the rack bar must be on top side.

(16) RACK BAR INSPECTION:-Clean the piston crimping area by brush and there
should not present any chips in gun drill.

(17)ANTI RUST OIL APPLICATION:-The coolant used is NISSEKIP-1600. There

should be presence of oil film on complete area of rack bar.

57
 POWER PINION LINE

(1)CENTERING AND FACING:- In this centering and facing of pinion rod is done.

Figure 9.12: Centering and facing on pinion

(2) LENGTH OF PINION ROD CHECK:-In this length of pinion rod is checked.

Figure 9.13: Pinion rod

58
(3) TURNING, GROVING, RADIUS AND CHAMFERING:- Turning is the process
whereby a single point cutting tool is parallel to the surface. It can be done manually, in a
traditional form of lathe, which frequently requires continuous supervision by the operator, or by
using a computer controlled and automated lathe which does not. This type of machine tool is
referred to as having computer numerical control, better known as CNC. and is commonly used
with many other types of machine tool besides the lathe. A chamfer is a beveled edge
connecting two surfaces. If the surfaces are at right angles, the chamfer will typically be
symmetrical at 45 degrees.

Figure 9.14: Turning process

(4)SERRATION ROLLING:- Thread rolling machine is a special designed for serration

type working pieces, UM-35H thread rolling machine is setting up with horizontal movable
center-seat to roll the serration type working pieces . To ensure steady teeth shape, concentricity
of work-piece and vertical degree.

Figure 9.15: Serration rolling

59
(5)FINISHED TURNING GEAR SIDE:- In this again turning of pinion is done.

(6)COLLECT DIA GRINDING:-grinding is used to finish work pieces which must show
high surface quality (e.g., low surface roughness) and high accuracy of shape and dimension.

Figure 9.16: Grinding process

(7)HOBBING:- Hobbing is a machining process for making gears, splines, and sprockets on
a hobbing machine, which is a special type of milling machine. The teeth or splines are
progressively cut into the workpiece by a series of cuts made by a cutting tool called a hob.
Compared to other gear forming processes it is relatively inexpensive but still quite accurate,
thus it is used for a broad range of parts and quantities.

Figure 9.17: Hobbing done on pinion

60
(8)HEAT TREATMENT:-Heat treating is a group of industrial and metalworking
processes used to alter the physical, and sometimes chemical, properties of a material. The most
common application is metallurgical. Heat treatments are also used in the manufacture of many
other materials, such as glass. Heat treatment involves the use of heating or chilling, normally to
extreme temperatures, to achieve a desired result such as hardening or softening of a material.
Heat treatment techniques include annealing, case hardening, precipitation
strengthening, tempering and quenching. It is noteworthy that while the term heat
treatment applies only to processes where the heating and cooling are done for the specific
purpose of altering properties intentionally, heating and cooling often occur incidentally during
other manufacturing processes such as hot forming or welding.

(9)GRINDING:- Grinding is used to finish workpieces which must show high surface quality
(e.g., low surface roughness) and high accuracy of shape and dimension.

(10)CRACK CHECK:- There should be checking of cracks in the PINION.

(11)BEARING PRESS:- In the end a bearing is pressed in the pinion. A bearing is any of
various machine elements that constrain the relative motion between two or more parts to only
the desired type of motion.

61
 CYLINDER TUBE LINE

(1)FLARING:- It is an expansion on the end of hydraulic cylinder.

(2)TURNING:-Turning is the process whereby a single point cutting tool is parallel to the
surface. When turning, a piece of material (wood, metal, plastic, or stone) is rotated and a cutting
tool is traversed along 2 axes of motion to produce precise diameters and depths. Turning can be
either on the outside of the cylinder or on the inside (also known as boring) to produce tubular
components to various geometries.

(3)WASHING:-In this washing of hydraulic cylinder is done after turning process.

(4)PART HOLE PUNCHING: In this two holes are punched in the hydraulic cylinder
through which flow is occur.

(5)DEBURING:- There are many deburring processes, but the most common are mass-
finishing, spindle finishing, blasting, sanding, grinding, wire brushing, abrasive flow machining,
electrochemical deburring, electro polishing, thermal energy method, machining, and manual
deburring.

(6)CAPACITY DISCHARGE WELDING:-Fabrication or sculptural process that joins

materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done
by melting the work pieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material
(the weld pool) that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes used in conjunction
with heat, or by itself, to produce the weld.

(7)DEMAGNETISATION: - Demagnetization is the process by which the magnetic field of

an object is reduced or eliminated.[3] The process of demagnetizing can be accomplished in
many ways. One technique used for demagnetization is to heat the object above its Curie
temperature. The reason for this is that when a magnetic material is heated to its Curie
Temperature, the material's magnetivity is eliminated. One other way of achieving
demagnetization is to use an electric coil. If the object is retracted out of a coil with alternating
current running through it, the object's dipoles will become randomized and the object will be
demagnetized.

62
(8)LEAKAGE TESTING: - Here I have to take the reading of this leakage machine and see
the bubble formation from its two ends. The leakage is checked at 15 bar. But after checking and
machine say GO the same pieces will found showing leakage at final testing.

Figure 9.18: Leakage testing machine

(9)HONING: After leakage testing honing process occurs.

(10)ANTI RUST OIL APPLICATION: - In the end cylinder is put in the oil tank. There
should be presence of oil film on complete area of hydraulic cylinder.

63
 FINAL H.P.S. ASSEMBLY LINE

(1)HOUSING FITTING ON CYLINDER TUBE

(2)CYLINDER TUBE WASHING
(3)ROD SEAL PRESSING
(4)ONE NEEDLE BEARING AND ONE BALL BEARING IS FITTED
(5)RACK BAR INSERTION
(6)RACK BUSH AND RACK STOPPER FITTING
(7)PINION VALVE ASSEMBLY FITTING
(8)FEED TUBE FITTING
(9)LOCK NUT, SPOT YOKE FITTING
(10)COUPLERS FITTING
(11)EXTERNAL AIR LEAKGE TESTING
(12)FINISHING OF RACK BAR TEETH MESHING
(13)YOKE CLEARANCE CHECKING
(14)FORWARD AND REVERSE TESTING
(15)NOISE CHECKING AT GIVEN TORQUE
(16)OIL PURGE
(17)INNER BALL JOINT FITTING
(18)BELLOWS FITTING
(19)OUTER BALL JOINT FITTING
(20)PINION CAP AND LOGO FITTING
(21)FINAL INSPECTION

Figure 9.19: Complete H.P. Steering

64
 Sub Parts of Project

(1) TO TAKE THE READING OF LEAKAGE TESTING MACHINE AND

ALSO SEE THE BUBBLE FORMATION FROM ITS TWO DIFFERENT
SIDES OF HYDRAULIC CYLINDER.

SOLUTION:
Here I have to take the reading of this leakage machine and see the bubble formation from its
two ends. The leakage is checked at 15 bar. But after checking and machine say GO the same
pieces will found showing leakage at final testing. So I have to work on this machine to check
the problems.

Hydraulic
cylinder Air pipe

Figure 10.1: Leakage testing machine

65
(2) TO INCREASE THE PRODUCTION OF HYDRAULIC POWER
STEERING ASSEMBLY LINE IN WHICH AFTER EVERY 100 SEC
ASSEMBLY OF ONE STEERING DISPATCH i.e. THE
PRODUCTION PER HOUR IS 36.

SOLUTION:
In this it is observed that if we place a table at outer ball joint so that one outer ball joint is
assembled at one table and for second outer ball joint is assembled at second new table so the
work load one first table worker decreased and idle time is consumed. Now after every 90 sec
assembly of a hydraulic power steering dispatch for customers.

Figure 10.2: Outer ball joint

66
(3) TO MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF RACK BAR AND ITS PISTON POSITION.

SOLUTION:
If we observed the piston crimping machine the run out was more i.e. holding of rack bar for
piston fitting shows the eccentricity from actual center. The problem for this may be old jaws in
which some teeth was broken and loose holding of jaw chuck. So in this machine the collet
chuck is used which has bought from Germany. Now the workload of worker also reduced and it
becomes easy to work on that machine.

Figure 10.3: Collet Gun and Collet Chuck

67
(4) TO CHECK THE FITTING PROBLEM OF IMV MODEL (TOYOTA
INNOVA) STEERING ASSEMBLY FROM THE PINION SIDE WITH THE
MACHINE COLOUMN IN FORWARD REVERESE INPUT TESTING.
SOLUTION:
In this I have to check all fixtures and note the reading. Then I have select I master piece whose
fitting is correct and compare the entire v blocks mounted on fixture with the master piece v
block. Then the undesired dimensions are removed using grinding machine.

Figure 10.4: Forward and reverse input testing

68
(5) TO INCREASE THE PRODUCION IN HYDRAULIC CYLINDER LINE.
SOLUTION:
In this the work has to be done at honing machine whose cycle time is 100 sec which is a bottle
neck machine. Firstly the cycle time has to be decreased from 100 sec to 90 sec then another
machine has ordered which we do the half of work of this honing machine. So 45-45 sec is
divided into two machines. Thus that work which is already occurs in 100 sec now occurs in 45
sec. I have also participated in the commissioning of honing machine.

Figure 10.5: Honning machine

69
(6) TO DO THE PROCESS CAPABILITY TEST OF PINION LINE.
SOLUTION:
In this I have made 30 pieces of pinion regularly. After production I have marked them from
1 to 30 with the help of marker. Then these pieces are sent in the quality assurance room.
They have check all the dimensions of the 30 pieces. Then they send me the final report.
Then the dimensions of all the 30 pieces are under the tolerance limits. So the process is
capable of producing all the pinions in the accurate dimensions.

Figure 10.6: Pinion

70
 KAIZEN

KAIZEN means improvement and continuing improvement in personal life, social life, home
life, and working life. When applied to the workplace KAIZEN means continuing improvement
involving everyone – managers and workers alike.
KAIZEN is a Japanese word meaning gradual and orderly, continuous improvement. The
KAIZEN business strategy involves everyone in an organization working together to make
improvements “without large capital investments”.
KAIZEN is a culture of sustained continuous improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all
systems and process of an organization. The KAIZEN strategy begins and ends with people.
With KAIZEN, an involved leadership guides people to continuously improve their ability to
meet expectations of high quality, low cost, and on time delivery. KAIZEN transforms
companies into ‘Superior Global Competitors’

Two Elements of KAIZEN

There are two elements that construct KAIZEN, improvement/change for the better and
ongoing/continuity. Lacking one of these elements would not be considered KAIZEN.
For instance, the expression of “business as usual” contains the element of continuity without
improvement. On the other hand, the expression of “breakthrough” contains the element of
change or improvement without continuity. KAIZEN should contain both elements.

71
 Basic Features For KAIZEN Activities

 Discarding conventional fixed ideas.

 Thinking of how to do it, not why it cannot be done.
 No place for excuses. Starting by questioning current practices.
 Less emphasis on seeking perfection. Doing things right away even if for achieving only
50% of target.
 Correcting it right away, if some mistake is made.
 Using wisdom, not money for KAIZEN
 Wisdom is brought out when faced with hardship.

72
 KANBAN SYSTEM

Many people think the Toyota production system a Kanban system: this is incorrect. The Toyota
production system is a way to make products, whereas the Kanban system is the way to manage
the Just–in–time production method. In short, the Kanban system is an information system to
harmoniously control the production quantities in every process. It is a tool to achieve Just-in-
time production. In this system what kind of units and how many units needed are written on a
tag like card called Kanban. The Kanban is sent to the people of the preceding process from the
subsequent process. As a result, many processes in a plant are connected with each other. This
connecting of processes in a factory allows for better control of necessary quantities for various
products.

The following supports the Kanban system:

 Smoothing of production
 Reduction of set up time design of machine layout
 Standardization of jobs
 Improvement activities
 Automation

A Kanban is usually a card put in a rectangular vinyl envelope. Two kinds are mainly used:
Withdrawal Kanban and Production-ordering Kanban.

A Withdrawal Kanban details the kind and quantity of product, which the subsequent process
should withdraw from the preceding process, while a Production ordering Kanban specifies the
kind and quantity of the product, which the preceding process must produce.

73
 How this Training was helpful to Me

I am thankful to entire SONA family for providing me this golden opportunity, which made me
to learn a lot of valuable things. In our college, we are taught theoretical knowledge which is not
sufficient to cope up in the industry. So, here in SONA I learnt how production activities are
carried and various activities are coordinated. Here, I learnt the organizational behavior, which
is a very important part of engineering education. I saw the various production activities, which
were just taught in the classroom to us.

Practical knowledge is entirely different from theoretical knowledge, so it is very necessary to

gain practical aspect of technical knowledge. Here in SONA I learnt this thing i.e., practical
knowledge. Here, I saw how objectives could be achieved by the hard work of a group. It is the
hard work of the SONA family, which made them the market leader in their field. It was a
pleasure to see the SONA family members working with such devotion.

So, again, I thank the entire SONA group for making me familiar with the practical aspect of
knowledge.

Thanks & Regards

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