Chassis Brakes International has been part of Hitachi Automotive Systems since 2019. This makes Hitachi Automotive Systems one of the largest brake manufacturers in the world, supplying braking systems to almost all car manufacturers. "At Hitachi Automotive Systems, we manufacture disc brakes, drum brakes, electromechanical parking brakes and rotors within the Brakes business unit," says Hubert Klehenz, Global Purchasing Manager for Brake Systems. The products are used in passenger cars, light commercial vehicles and two-wheelers.

Three plants, one tool management

The Hitachi Automotive Systems Group primarily produces disc and drum brakes at its three plants in Mexico, Poland and Turkey. "We have been working successfully with the plant in Bursa, Turkey, for 13 years," recalls Frank Stäbler, Head of Tool Management Services at Mapal. The two companies gradually expanded their cooperation. "After the Turkish plant, the Hitachi Automotive Systems Group entrusted us with tool management in Wroclaw, Poland," says Stäbler. The most recent cooperation is in Querétaro, Mexico. The company, then still known as Chassis Brakes International, opened a completely new plant here in 2017.

For production in Mexico, those responsible around Hubert Klehenz were looking for a partner company that would take on complete responsibility for tools: "In view of global challenges and global projects, we need a tool management provider that can support us worldwide," says Klehenz. At the time, it was particularly important for the company that this provider delivers consistently high quality and works according to the same automotive standards as the brake manufacturer itself.

"Brakes are among the crucial safety components of every car and must function perfectly under all circumstances," emphasizes Klehenz. For this reason, brake manufacturers process each component with the utmost care in order to meet the high requirements in terms of quality, safety and reliability. "We receive the raw parts for brackets and brake calipers made of aluminum and cast iron and take over the complete machining and assembly."

Exclude errors

The Hitachi Automotive Systems Group must rule out all conceivable failure modes in order to avoid faulty products. This approach, which is consistently applied in the automotive industry, has meant that the brakes in modern cars hardly ever fail. However, this means increasing expenditure in the area of systems and tools for brake production. This is because only components and processes that are guaranteed not to fail are used.

"This makes it all the more important that we can concentrate fully on our core competencies and place our tool management in hands whose core competence is precisely this business," emphasizes Klehenz. "With external tool management, we ensure that we have the best tools in use and receive technical support and assistance in optimizing the costs of our processes," he adds.

Following the consistently successful collaboration in Poland and Turkey, Hitachi decided to work with the precision tool manufacturer in Mexico as well. "Mapal has a similar structure to us and is therefore in a position to support us regionally," says Klehenz. "Mapal also offered us a turnkey solution when we started operations in our plants."

Full scope of tool management

"We have set up a comprehensive tool management system at the plant in Mexico; we are responsible for the procurement and provision of all tools," says Stäbler. Including the adjustment room. "We also benefited from the fact that we have our new Mapal Frhenosa site very close by." Short distances and fast response times are therefore the order of the day.

In Querétaro, Mapal implemented and continues to implement all the components of the modular tool management system, including the installation of its own Unibase-M tool dispensing system and the Uniset-C tool presetter. In addition, as at the sites in Turkey and Poland, a complete setting room is part of the Mapal service. "We use the complete service, starting with the procurement of various consumables, including tools. Right through to dispensing the materials and monitoring their stock levels with automatic replenishment. The tool specialist also takes care of the adjustment and set-up process. We receive the tools ready for use on the machine," explains Klehenz. The tool specialist is also responsible for all regrinding and reconditioning work.

And that's just the visible part of tool management: "In the background, Mapal designs tools and chucks that optimally match our production standards and enable us to produce efficiently and economically." Mapal is also constantly working for the Hitachi Automotive Systems Group to shorten cycle times and increase production output.

Tool Management 4.0

For transparency and even greater efficiency, Mapal further developed its conventional tool management in 2019. Since then, it has been offering "Tool Management 4.0". The tool manufacturer uses the open cloud platform from c-Com GmbH for this purpose. With the help of the subsidiary, Mapal can present the processes relating to the tools to the customer in a digitalized and transparent manner.

"Tool Management 4.0 has definitely brought us a significant increase in digitalization with all its advantages in production," says a delighted Hubert Klehenz. The direct data transfer is noticeable, for example, in the automatic replenishment of stock, which ensures the availability of all required materials. "We have significantly more flexibility when we replace tools. This is noticeable in the form of reduced machine downtimes," says Klehenz, citing one of the benefits. On top of this, those responsible at the Hitachi Automotive Group can now track the tools digitally at any time and receive automated reports.

New billing system: costs per component produced

"With Mapal as Tool Manager, we have the greatest possible transparency in terms of technology and machining process across all locations - also in terms of costs," says Klehenz. The tool manufacturer invoices tool management at the Hitachi Automotive Systems Group according to cost-per-part, i.e. costs per component produced.

Hubert Klehenz names the following specific improvements resulting from tool management:

• No more difficulties in finding the right tool at the right time;
• Precisely matching stock levels - has a positive effect on purchasing costs and tied-up capital;
• More resources for value-adding activities such as brake assembly, as MAPAL takes care of setting up and adjusting the tools;
• Each plant regularly receives its own key figures. This enables cost and output monitoring of the various machines;
• Corrections derived from this increase productivity;
• Access to the latest technologies in terms of tools and their application;
• Mapal takes care of the reconditioning of the tools - longer service life and more efficient maintenance.

Global and local cooperation

It is not only the overarching, global cooperation that is going well. Local cooperation is particularly important. "Although both headquarters have concluded a global agreement, the local Mapal sites make a significant contribution to implementing our requirements regionally," says Klehenz.

In day-to-day business on site, the company's production managers meet regularly with Mapal employees. They then discuss the production plan together and analyze the most important key figures. These include machine and tool downtime, production figures and productivity. Workshops are held annually with the three sites in Mexico, Poland and Turkey to exchange best practices and harmonize processes across sites. It helps that all data is recorded digitally with c-Com.

And so the collaboration will be significantly expanded in the future. "We will now examine and evaluate other locations and units where similar tool management makes sense and increases efficiency," emphasizes Klehenz. The three sites will serve as showcase plants to demonstrate the increase in efficiency.

A contribution from Mapal.