Otto Bauckhage GmbH & Co. KG

USING CAQ TO IMPLEMENT A ZERO DEFECT STRATEGY

If you are a small, high-performance company wanting to remain successful in the demanding automotive supplier market in the long term, you have to really stand out from all your other competitors. And this is exactly what the Otto Bauckhage GmbH & Co. company has been achieving for decades thanks to their sophisticated quality management system and vision – even assuming a pioneering role for other companies in the industry.

Since 1953, Otto Bauckhage GmbH & Co. KG have been manufacturing stamped, embossed, molded and deep-drawn parts – mainly for the automotive supplier industry but also for the joining technology sector and the electronics industry. The fact that they have their own toolmaking department enables them to react flexibly to customer requirements at all times. In Herscheid in the Sauerland region, around 1.7 billion parts are manufactured annually in six industrial buildings located on 4,600 square meters of production space – an impressive figure for a company that only has around 40 employees. What counts the most at Otto Bauckhage when producing goods for their international customers in both large and small scale series is maximum precision. After all, the automotive supplier industry is unforgiving where quality is lacking – and this is the market where most of their turnover – around 80 percent – is done. Ensuring that their manufactured parts fulfill these high-quality standards at all times is, therefore, what they have aspired to achieve right from day one. As early as 1989 – and as one of the very first companies in the region to do so, especially a company of this size, Otto Bauckhage integrated a CAQ system into their quality management process – thus becoming a benchmark for both competitors and customers alike.

Potential – recognized and exploited

“Driven by the new regulations and specifications issued by the automotive industry, topics such as Statistical Process Control (SPC), verification, documentation and archiving suddenly became important,” recalls quality manager Thomas Hohage. The aim was to optimize the manufacturing processes and to be able to make reliable forecasts concerning the production results. This meant that the automotive supplier industry was suddenly faced with completely new challenges. “All of a sudden, there was enormous pressure to meet the new quality assurance requirements.” Otto Bauckhage recognized that these changes contained great potential for positioning his company as a pioneer in the market: “At the time, there were no competitors in the market to whom we could have looked for ideas. Hence, we simply had to proceed on our own.” This meant that it was absolutely essential to switch to a computer-aided quality system that would actually be capable of processing the volumes of data that were now being generated. Back then, this was verging on the revolutionary.

One thing was clear: For this conversion, they needed a specialist who could not only cope with the technical requirements, but who also had the necessary knowledge and understanding of the standards. And they found this specialist right on their doorstep – at Böhme & Weihs Systemtechnik GmbH & Co. KG in Wuppertal, who had also recognized the potential early on. “We didn’t need a standalone solution, what we needed was an integrated system for our manufacturing process. In order to introduce our employees to these topics, which were completely new to them, the user-friendliness of the data acquisition and input process was also particularly important to us,” continues Hohage when describing the requirements. “Böhme & Weihs was able to offer us this right from the outset – in the shape of their CASQ-it CAQ software solution. This was what won us over – alongside their deep knowledge of the new standards.”

Statistical Process Control – a stable basis for success

The first software module deployed by Otto Bauckhage was CASQ-it SPC. This module addressed exactly those requirements that were now emerging in the Statistical Process Control area and also integrated the employees concerned in a responsible manner. Specially designed operator ergonomics support the quality data acquisition process in the production area – like a red line leading the employees reliably through the inspection procedure. What was important for Hohage was having an appealing test station environment and being able to directly connect up the measuring devices. In addition, the software user interface is focused on transparency and simplicity. “This means that, in my role as Quality Manager, I am still able to stoke up enthusiasm for the processes amongst my staff in a convincing manner – and to incorporate these into the workflows accordingly.”

Process-oriented and structured

The quality management system at Otto Bauckhage was certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001 at a very early stage. However, remarkable for a company of this size is the fact that they were also additionally certified in accordance with IATF 16949 – especially as this is known to be associated with immense effort, costs and a tight organizational structure. “Even though the number of employees at our company has remained constant, at around 40, since the early 2000s, we are nevertheless continually increasing our efficiency through the consistent optimization of our processes,” says Hohage. SPC is – and shall remain – an important control instrument for this series production company. SPC is the tool that creates the required level of process transparency – in conjunction with an ongoing production data acquisition process at service level. There is a two-shift set-up where one employee is responsible for all the processes for a maximum of two machines, including first part and other accompanying inspections. The test stations are located within sight of the machines. This means that the operators can keep an eye on “their” machines and processes at all times so that they can intervene, if necessary. “We simply can’t allow any defects to occur in our production processes,” says Hohage. “In the case of doubt, the respective machine is immediately shut down.” Although this means that the operators bear a high level of personal responsibility, this has definitely proven its worth. Parallel to this process, the CASQ-it Gauge Management module reliably ensures that the connected measuring and inspection devices are maintained and calibrated according to schedule. All in all, the CAQ system has become so deeply integrated into the company’s workflows as a result of its process-oriented structure that it is no longer possible to imagine life without it. And this proves to be a convincing fact time and again during customer audits.

An A supplier with a zero defect stategy

For years, Otto Bauckhage has been listed as an A supplier by their customers. So what are their complaint rates like? These are permanently in the zero percent bracket. This is a direct consequence of their consistent, integrated quality management system and the continual measures aimed at optimizing their processes – a strategy which is well received by their customers.  A prominent example: Stabilus GmbH in Koblenz – one of the world’s market leaders for gas springs, dampers and electromechanical drives. In 2018, this company awarded Otto Bauckhage its coveted Supplier Award. “That really was a great feeling,” Hohage recalls proudly. “As, despite being a small company, we prevailed against large global companies.” And the following year, they managed to do this all over again – through being awarded the Stabilus “Excellent Quality Performance” certificate for the best supplier quality worldwide. “Our zero complaints rate even leads to many a discussion with the auditors. Nevertheless, it’s the real-life situation,” Hohage is pleased to confirm.

Award disc metal certificate picture frame on table

Expertise in demand

When developing the design for the individual components of their electromechanical car tailgate drives, Stabilus GmbH put their trust in the expertise at Otto Bauckhage. “The parts required fitted perfectly into our stamping portfolio,” explains Hohage. Other decisive factors were their extensive know-how with regard to material properties and processing techniques as well as the wide range of different models. “Here, we’re talking about high volumes which we produce for this purpose each and every month. So, if you’re driving a vehicle with an automatic tailgate drive, Otto Bauckhage is more than likely along for the ride.”

As production numbers increase, so do the demands on the quality assurance system. Buzz phrase: 100 percent component inspections. Here, Otto Bauckhage once again took a proactive approach. When production was launched, investments in the latest 3D analysis technology were made. Today, five photo-optical inspection systems are now in continuous operation to ensure optimum performance. Each of these is equipped with up to eight high-resolution cameras and high-end computers for real-time image processing. This is technology which is not normally found in regular stamping operations – but which Otto Bauckhage wanted to use to ensure absolute process reliability. The data are transferred to the SPC system for analysis purposes in order to gain knowledge on an ongoing basis with a view to optimizing potential in the process control area. This foresighted investment once again demonstrates the company’s universal, no-compromise strategy when it comes to process and product quality – thus allowing them to consistently meet the high requirements contained in IATF 16949.

Prepared for future demands

However, the fact that Otto Bauckhage is so precisely aware of where their own products have been installed, is not a commonplace thing. “For the most part, our components are combined with other components to form an assembly,” Hohage explains. “However, we are aware that our products are being increasingly used for electrically powered vehicles – in steering systems, in electrically powered tailgate dampers, for assembling dashboards and connecting chassis parts.” So, is e-mobility going to be the market of the future for the company? After all, it is the one big topic with which the entire automotive industry is currently concerned. Of this, Hohage is certain: Otto Bauckhage will continue to participate in the advancements within the automotive industry in the future. “Many of our products are not tied to the types of vehicle drives that are based on combustible fuels and are also needed in the e-mobility sector – something that has been evident for quite some time. Flanked by our modern quality management system as well as the deployment of complex EDP landscapes, such as the modular CAQ system provided by Böhme & Weihs, we will also master all the challenges the future holds in store for us.”

Otto Bauckhage GmbH & Co. KG

Industry: Automotive

Sites: Herscheid, Nordrhein-Westfalen

Producs: Stamped, embossed, formed and deep-drawn parts mainly for the automotive supply industry

Employees: 40