APQP Craftsmanship requirements - What customers see, touch, hear, smell, & how used

[Chris Willis]

Hi All,

Long time no post.

Craftsmanship requirements of the current APQP process.

According to the Ford APQP status reporting guidelines, craftsmanship is an assessment of what the customer (I assume here end user) sees, touches, uses, hears and smells.

Source Ford APQP Status reporting guidelines (www.covisint.com)

An Ex FORD STA that we use has looked at our APQP documents and asked why we have not assessed craftsmanship as parts of the process. (to the point of demanding that we carry out craftsmanship assessments).

The products we are developing are hydromounts and torque roll restrictors that we have assessed as not having craftsmanship requirements. (not easily seen by the customer and only heard if they go wrong.

Does anyone have experience of the craftsmanship requirements and if they apply to the type of products we are developing?

I would be grateful for any help here, as I have searched all of the Ford documents I can find and can't find any examples what under hood components should have a craftsmanship assessment.

Cheers,

Chris

 

[Marc]

This is a new one to me, but I haven't been keeping up ...

 

[Howard Atkins]

Ford added craftsmanship to their APQP requiremenst a while ago
I have not any specific information as to the actual requirements but in the file posted in this thread:
(broken link removed) there is a checklist which might help to point you in the right direction.

Keep us informed

 

[kbg1000]

Chris,

I recently worked as an APQP manager for a Tier 1 on a very large Ford program. I had to spend some time looking for it, which is why it took me so long to respond, but I do have some craftsmanship info that includes underhood components.

These are copyrighted documents, so I can't post them here. If you are still interested, send me an e-mail through this site & I'll try to get them to you.

kbg1000

 

[Marc]

How about outlining some of the 'basics' of the documents you have? I'm particularly nterested in how this applies to underhood components.

 

[kbg1000]

Underhood Craftsmanship

Marc, sorry it took me so long to respond. There was a lot of information to go through and summarize.

Craftsmanship requirements apply to everything the consumer can see, hear, smell, or touch during normal operation. The requirements are more stringent in a higher class vehicle (Lincoln vs. Ford), and far more detailed for things the consumer sees every day, like the instrument panel or the body exterior. However, craftsmanship is always a consideration, even underhood. The information I have was for a Lincoln program, so it is probably more detailed and more stringent even underhood, than for lesser-class vehicles.

Ford has an elaborate system for evaluating craftsmanship. Items are audited at various stages of the development process and rated against ideal standards. Demerit points are assigned for things that don’t meet the ideal. Some items can earn “enhancement” points for providing extra nice touches or an unexpected level of craftsmanship.

Underhood, for molded components such as washer fluid reservoir, fan shroud, battery cover, etc., things like parting lines, sink marks, and gates/sprues should not be visible to the consumer in normal viewing mode (if you have to bend unnaturally or remove the component to see it, it is probably OK). Things like plastic covers and panels should not sound tinny or hollow when tapped. Anything you have to touch, like the washer reservoir cap, should have smooth edges.

The ergonomics and location of components are also important. Things that move, such as the hood prop rod or dipsticks, should be easy to reach and use. Washer fluid reservoir and other service items shouldn’t be in “unexpected” locations. They shouldn’t be slippery to grab, or feel too hard, and the grasp surfaces should be large enough to be comfortable.

All components, metal or plastic, should have no rough surfaces or edges, no obvious blemishes in paint coating, and be of a color that is in "harmony" with all the other visible components. Obviously, corrosion of any kind is going to earn demerit points. They even issue demerits for excess grease on those components that use it.

Liners and visible sound deadeners underhood need to be smooth, clean and free of inconsistent gaps, flushness, and alignment. No exposed adhesive or unpleasant plastic smell allowed.

It was my experience that there are always tradeoffs. Many things that could be perceived as "higher craftsmanship" sometimes are not implemented due to other considerations like packaging space, weight, or cost.

Overall, it is amazing how much attention to detail Ford is paying to this stuff these days. I know it has improved over time. I’m currently driving an 01 Escape, and the interior is full of things they wouldn’t allow nowadays – like too-large gaps between panels, and exposed fasteners.

BTW, I love the Cove. I have been lurking here for over a year, and have of course gotten tons of useful advice, some of which aided us in our recent certification to TS16949. Thanks to everyone, and especially to you, Marc, for the time and effort to help anyone who asks.

Regards,

kbg1000