ITEC is one of our best examples of going the extra mile to meet a customers requirements. It's a model for the future.
Hydro extrudes aluminum components for International ITEC’s second generation, heavy duty Class 8 truck program at our Kalamazoo, Michigan plant. The assembly work takes place in Sidney, Ohio; our 106,000 sq. ft. truck fabrication facility which was designed and constructed from the ground up with the needs of the transportation industry in mind.
High-tech underbody assemblies for the truck industry
When ITEC set out to create a new generation truck cab with the idea of reducing costs and accommodating design improvements, they looked to Hydro for support. Their design engineers worked with Hydro from the project’s inception, before any lines were drawn. The engineers relied Hydro to provide direct input in assembly procedures, extrusion design and verification processes.
This resulted in an expanded role for Hydro in ITEC's truck production. In addition to the underbodies, Hydro provides complete door and side assemblies.
One of the issues during the design of the new cab assembly was meeting the increasingly tighter tolerances required to provide “automotive quality” to the truck industry. By investing in better equipment and quality control methods, Hydro met the challenge.
“One of the side benefits of our work with the transportation industry is what it will mean to our other customers,” said Mike Reed, Operations Manager at Sidney. “We have raised the bar on quality assembly and fabrication. Every one of our customers benefits. This not only affects work here at Sidney, but extends throughout the entire network of Hydro plants.”
From billet to extrusion
The new generation cab assembly components begin as a billet cast at our Monett, Missouri plant. Components for our Sidney truck customers are extruded at the Kalamazoo plant. With its overall size and close tolerance capability, Kalamazoo’s eight-inch press is ideal for the larger pieces used in truck assemblies.
Quality shows
Kalamazoo extrusions must meet extensive quality checks before they are packaged and shipped. Shipments for our Sidney truck assembly operation roll out of Kalamazoo daily.
As soon as the trucks are unloaded at Sidney, the quality checks begin again. Every shipment is carefully examined to ensure that it meets the rigorous requirements for close tolerance work. Quality assurance is continuous throughout the operation. Sidney, like Kalamazoo, is QS-9000 and ISO 9001 certified.
21st century plant
The Sidney operation is based on state-of-the-art 21st century fabrication and assembly technology. Manufacturing cells get the job done fast.
With truck door and cab side assemblies having left and right sides, there is an assembly line for each side. Color coding distinguishes between left and right components.
The latest truck designs require tighter tolerances. Working closely with customer engineers, we jointly devised assembly methods that incorporate new technologies such as space age adhesives and sealants, that reduce the number of welds and improve overall strength.
Careful choreography
A careful choreography of parts, people and machines working together with 21st century precision, produces results for Sidney. This includes advanced CNC equipment designed specifically for close tolerance, high quality work.
“We aren’t reluctant to make the capital investment necessary to meet our customer’s quality requirements,” said Mike Reed. “To date, we have invested more than $5 million in new equipment at Sidney.”
Two 200-ton presses have improved our ability to manufacture parts in-house, while a Motoman Robotic welder provides improved quality and productivity on subassemblies. Two Eagle-Eaton Leonard CNC benders have increased both quality and throughput. Komo CNC routers enable us to control critical dimensions while drilling holes and cutting pockets.
Building long-term partnerships
Assembling a complete truck is a complicated task and involves many manufacturers. For International Truck & Engine Corp., Hydro provides the majority of the components and assemblies for heavy duty truck cabs. The cabs are completed in Springfield, Ohio and then shipped to truck assembly plants in Canada and Mexico.
Hydro's place in this value chain is solidified not just by our technical expertise and innovations, but also by our exceptional employee training programs and hiring practices at Sidney. Our training emphasizes that employees understand their role in each of our customers’ programs. This helps them see the big picture and shows them the critical role they—and Hydro—play in the total manufacturing process. Focusing on the long term by keeping product quality high, recruiting and retaining good employees, and reinvesting to create financial strength helps Hydro build the long-term, strategic business alliances with our customers that leads to mutual success.
