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When Chuck Sulkala told his wife he was making another 10-day trip to Taiwan to tour factories producing non-OEM parts, her response was just one word: Why?
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Chuck Sulkala
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"She wanted to know why I would do this again, after going to Taiwan on a similar trip in 1999," said Sulkala, a Massachusetts shop owner and past chairman of both the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) and the Collision Industry Conference (CIC). "I told her because this time the Taiwanese government has asked us to come and speak, and maybe that interest and involvement of the government will help make a difference."
Indeed, Sulkala and four others from the U.S. collision repair market spoke at the September conference in Taipei sponsored by the Corporate Synergy Development Center (CSDC) as part of that government agency's efforts to help the Taiwan automotive parts industry - collision and mechanical - expand internationally.
But the conference was just the start of a week that took the U.S. delegation - which also included this reporter - to nine parts factories, a body shop and a Taiwanese vehicle proving ground. Travel expenses for the U.S. visitors were paid for by the CSDC and the nine non-OEM parts manufacturers the group visited.
While it was a first-time visit for most of the delegation, Sulkala and former shop owner turned industry consultant Lou DiLisio had a chance to see what had changed since their first visit to the island nation four years ago.
Improvements since 1999 visit
Back in 1999, DiLisio had prepared a detailed report on the trip, including recommendations for changes and improvements, and although he and the other delegates pointed out problems with many of the parts looked at in the factories on this most recent trip, many of the problems were minor compared to those seen four years ago.
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Partner
Su (center), president of Taiwan's Corporate Synergy Development Center
(CSDC), presents a plaque to the U.S. collision delegation that spoke
at a conference CSDC sponsored in Taipei in September. The U.S.
delegates, who spoke to about 100 representatives of Taiwanese parts
manufacturers, were (from Left): Geralynn Kottschade, Dan Risley, Lou
DiLisio, Chuck Sulkala and Bob Pearson.
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| Workers
running the hood stamping presses at Gordon Auto Parts Co., one of the
largest manufacturers of non-OEM sheet metal parts in Taiwan. |
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Research and Testing Center
About
a third of the way down Taiwan's western coast - is the Automotive
Research and Testing Center (ARTC), a 14-year old government facility
focused on component and vehicle testing for the Taiwanese automotive
industry. Emissions and fuel economy, noise and vibration, salt spray
and artificial weathering, seat and seat belts and lighting are among
the more than 40 tests performed in this 21-lab facility and training
center that employs more than 200 people.
After
touring several of the ARTC labs, the U.S. delegation headed outside
for a closer look at ARTC's vehicle proving ground, including a lap
around the 2.25- mile high-speed circuit with its 38-degree banked
turns. The sprawling proving grounds includes test hills with grades of
up to 50 percent; a variety of road surfaces on which to test for
noise, vibration and handling; and coast down and braking test tracks.
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"Back in 1999 we gave you a list of things we felt needed to be improved upon in the factories," DiLisio told a gathering of representatives from the Taiwanese factories at the end of the week. "And we're very happy to see that many of those things have been improved. There are some things that still need to be improved, but as we've talked about, continuous improvement is a way of life."
"They are small things, but they still can make a difference between whether I can use your part or will return it," Sulkala told the manufacturers.
Here are some of the key issues discussed.
Inner panels and hole punching
"As we explained to you in 1999 and again on this trip, one thing that is very, very important to the repair industry is that the inner panels, and where holes are punched out, be smooth," DiLisio said. The sharp edges, U.S. delegates explained, can cut technicians when they are sanding or handling the parts, leading to costly injuries and lost time. DiLisio and Sulkala agreed the non-OEM sheet metal parts makers had improved in this area, but some sharp or rough edges were still found on some parts.
Hemming
Back in 1999, U.S. delegates pointed out that non-OEM parts makers were hemming the flanges of outer skins over the inner differently than OEM hemming, resulting in a flatter rather than a rounded hemming. This can result in a difference in both the strength and appearance on the part.
"I noticed in many factories on this trip that the machines that hem the materials over have been changed so the edges of the parts look very similar to that of the OEM," DiLisio said.
Hood strikers
"When we were here four years ago, many manufacturers were welding hood strikers when the OEM strikers [were] peened over," DiLisio said. "This time we saw many of the factories . . . not only doing them differently, and making them the same as the OEM, but testing them as well. I don't think [they] were doing that four years ago."
Welding of inner panels and braces
Sulkala and DiLisio said that during their 1999 visit to Taiwan, they noted problems with the positioning of hinge braces and inner and outer panels.
"Last time we were here, there were no fixtures that held these parts firmly in place, and sometimes they moved when they got welded and got put in the wrong place," DiLisio said. "In every factory we went to this time, we saw fixtures changed to make sure those pieces were in the same place."
Tooling
"There were a lot of issues with the tooling the last time we were here that with little modifications or improved maintenance could become better," DiLisio said. "We saw many factories where the quality of the parts went way up because they spent more time on their tooling. I'm very happy to see that."
The news was not uniformly positive in this area, unfortunately. DiLisio and Sulkala said they were disappointed to learn that one of the factories - which they felt had been producing some of the better sheet metal parts back in 1999 - is now subletting out production of its non-OEM parts tooling to reduce costs. The quality of this factory's parts had declined, the two believe.
Measuring fixtures
DiLisio and Sulkala were also disappointed to see that each manufacturer still creates its own checking fixtures, and that some of the issues they noted with CAPA-approved fixtures back in 1999 still exist. CAPA-approved checking fixtures for several hoods the group looked at last month, for example, had rounded corners while the hood has pointed corners. DiLisio and Sulkala said this is as much an issue CAPA needs to address as the manufacturers.
Packaging
Back in 1999, even good quality non- OEM parts were frequently unusable because of damage during shipping and handling.
"I'm very happy to say that the packaging we saw in the factories on this trip has improved significantly," DiLisio said. "We saw foam rubber pieces put on the edges so the edges don't get bent. We saw reinforced cardboard. We saw some new packaging with foam in it. A lot of enhancements in the packaging."
DiLisio and Sulkala also noted improvements in how parts are handled within the factories - such as foam spaces placed between hoods - to prevent damage.
Appearance issues
"Not only does the part have to work, but it has to be identical in appearance to the OEM part," DiLisio said the delegation told - or reminded - the non-OEM parts makers. The group explained that seemingly minor differences - even those only visible when the hood is opened or the car is put up on a lift - can have an impact on diminished value claims, on lease returns, etc.
"That means the materials the parts are made from have to be exactly the same, the colors of the materials on plastic parts have to be exactly the same, and the markings and stampings need to be put on in a way that they don't take away from the integrity and the value of that vehicle," DiLisio told the manufacturers.
The delegation, for example, was disappointed to see that some of the non- OEM headlamps they saw that qualified to be certified under the Manufacturer's Qualification and Validation Program (MQVP) had at least a dozen easily-seen appearance differences from their OEM counterparts. They also pointed out grinding marks on some sheet metal parts that, if not sanded by the shop, could show when the part is painted.
DiLisio and Sulkala said the most recent delegation to Taiwan felt there was a wide range of response to such concerns from the manufacturers visited on this trip; some seemed much more receptive to suggested changes than others.
Was the return visit worthwhile?
So was the return visit to Taiwan worthwhile? Both DiLisio and Sulkala agree that it was. In addition to being able to see some positive results from their 1999 visit and recommendations, they were able to push for more improvements, they say. And they came away with a better understanding that the non-OEM parts makers need to hear more directly from repairers - not just from insurers, parts distributors and certifying organizations that might not always know or convey the repairers' needs adequately.
"It's important that you understand who your customer is," DiLisio told the manufacturers. "Repairers are the people who purchase your parts. We need to tell you what we need, and you need to deliver to us what we need."
John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988.
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