Manufacturing Process Of A Frame And Assemble

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Introduction

The T-Rex bicycles manufacture is based in Johannesburg. It mainly builds 10 speeds and 11speed racing bikes. It started as small business in South Africa in 2007 by a group of retired cyclists bikes.

They are board members and the ambassadors of the company. The brand gained popularity on the Toured France. It gained recognition in Canada, Australia and Japan. This is our company exports eighty percent to Canada, Australia and Japan.

Organogram

Chief Executive Officer

Logistics

Marketing

Production

Marketing Specialist

Quality

Product

Packaging

Organisational Design

Board of Directors

Logistics Planning Manager

Material Handling Manager

Material Supply Manager

Operator

Co-ordinator

Marketing Specialists

Clerk

Accountants

Clerks

Auditors

Production Team leaders

Maintenance Technicians

Human Resource Manager

Marketing Manager

Logistic Manager

Quality Inspector

Production Manager

Quality Manager

Financial Manager

Plant Engineer

Chief Executive Officer

Organisational Structure

Board of Directors

Board as it is often called; it is a board who are agrees on activities involving company activities of the board are determined by the power, duties and responsibility. They are mainly delegated by chief executive officer because he has no power to make decisions due to company policies and laws that board decisions are final. The board regulates itself and its member as matters and there are detailed in the companies by laws.

Board of directors is made of people who represent their interests and that of the company mainly because they are shareholders of the company and senior management members. It is commonly for board representatives to specify a maximum number that should attend board meetings, how they are selected when they due to meet again. Board of directors are mainly responsible to protect shareholders assets and make sure they receive a profitable return in their investment. Senior management and chief executive officer is mainly there to protect the employees of the company first and then those of the shareholder.

Since the board of directors is the highest ruler in the management it is their responsibility and duty to evaluate the performance of the chief executive officer, evaluate profitability of dividends, approve or disapprove organisational financial statement. They establish an audit and compensation committee that make sure financial statements and reports are done accurately.

Chief Executive officer

The chief executive officer is the most demanding role and the most important role in the management level of the company. This is a broad role also since they are a singular organisation and primarily responsible to carry out strategic plans and policies made by board of directors for the chief executive officer. They responsible to set direction and oversee the operation of the company by leading with implementing company policies, advises the board on matters that happen on the shop floor affecting the company with its employees positively or negatively and promotes company and shareholder change even support employee motivation.

A chief executive officer has vision and look to the future for improvement and opportunities to make a better profitable production process. Ensures staff and Board of Directors are well informed and up to date with company policies. They are an interface between the board of directors and the employees and community and company. They guide actions and operation of the staff by formulating planning and policies to implement human resources and managing financial physical resources.

Plant Engineer, Human Resource manager, Marketing manager, Logistic manager report to the CEO and the CEO Reports to the Board of Directors.

Plant Engineer

This is a genuine Professional role in the company and needs someone with an understanding of physics, process control, chemistry and many other sciences that affect the plant on a daily basis. In order for the plant to function well Plant engineer must have a sound engineering knowledge in a broad range of engineering discipline like mechanical, control and process, electrical and chemical engineering as it applies to his operation duty distribution. He should have a thorough knowledge of Mathematics and Science because when it comes to problem solving he might need to go beyond his mechanical discipline. Knowing the proper operation of the equipment, their design, they systematically work and how they operated and its effect on the production process and on its materials of construction during its service. It is scarcely and irresponsible to put some without an Engineering University degree.

Plant is responsible of a maintenance strategy by choosing maintenance activities and set a maintenance frequency for the plant. He researches about the equipment maintenance, cycle analysis, operational risk management and reliability improvement of equipment. He is the second person to call when Mechanical technician to resolve problem when equipment fails or not operating proper Plant engineer. He has to make sure the plant equipment is at its optimum so htat the plant has the capacity to produce its required target.

He has to report to the CEO every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with the rest of top Management in which he reports problems from the floor. He has to communicate with H.R. Manager, Financial Admin for Labour demand. He attends daily meetings where Quality, Production and Logistics Manager give him daily reports to resolve

He reports to Chief Executive Officer.

Production Manager

Production Managers does not need a tertiary degree in small manufacturing companies but experience and planning, that is why you find in most companies Production are their long serving employees because they know core function in the company. He has draft of a production plan to make sure that the manufacturing process runs according to a required schedule to meet the customer. Oversee the demand for extra labour and consult with plant engineer for additional of permanent or temporal workers or machinery. He has to make sure that every machine reaches its target of specified demand it should produce. He organises meeting at least fifteen minutes before production process starts to discuss problems on the floor investigate them and come up with solution if possible.

He reports to plant Engineer

Quality Manager

Quality on the shop floor mainly depends on someone who knows the standard of the company who ensures that everyone including Top Management complies with standard. Has to make sure that quality is not breached and when that occurs ensures it is investigated with a view that they do not happen again.

He publishes data and reports regarding the quality of the plant to top management so that if there are any issues those need to be resolved at a management level. This is done through the communication of production manager, logistic manager and via Plant engineer. He ensures the quality of the system is functioning properly involving the health and safety standards of the company with the environment and staff.

He is responsible for approving and certification of equipment received on the production floor and make sure that the condition the goods arrives at the store ,receiving and packaging is within standards of the company . He also motivates hesitant staff to change their way of working to integrate with quality methods of the company.

Since maintaining quality demands is an on-going process to meet customer expectation, marketing is invited to involve media and get feedback what customers expect a high quality product is. Quality manager then introduces a variety of measures to make quality a priority in the company.

He reports to Plant engineer.

Quality inspectors

He ensures that quality is maintained by picking sample products and taking them for laboratory tests and then he compiles report of the products whether they scrapped, reworked or good quality. Reports to quality Manager.

Maintenance Technician

Performs the maintaining of when there are breakdowns on the shop floor when machine fails or do not work properly. He ensures that the required services of machine either cycle services or repairs take place as requested by Production manager.

Reports to Production Manager

Production Team Leader

The team leader is responsible for scheduling work which she/he will direct the activities and answer daily and weekly outputs to production manager. Production team leader reports directly to production and interfacing with functions which include quality, team work, clear communication initiative, intelligent judgement, maintaining and achieving production efficiency and dedication to the quality if the product produced.

Team leader leads the production on shop floor by mentoring and motivating members while ensuring individual and group productivity. He is the spokesperson of the team by giving important production information to his team. He maintains and boost production efficiency by initiating and implementing continuous improvement of production. He is a hands on assistant to quality outputs during production and assembling functions while implementing and agile manufacturing function. Reports daily to the Production Manager.

Production Co-ordinator

Co-ordinator’s role is doing all activities with final review of manufacturing batch records, is also representative for release of manufacturing batch to Quality Manager for the final review. He ensures that the correct production orders are running to the right specification and assigned machines. Co-ordinators participate in routine checks such Scrap, Safety, Quality, and Collection of batch from the manufacturing shop floor. Reports to Team Leader

Operator

Operators do many different jobs in the plant from brazing steel tubes together to maintaining machines. Production operators perform a broad variety of duties like preparing materials for assembly line to covering of frames before painting and for packaging. Reports to Team Leader.

Manufacturing process of a frame and assemble of a bicycle

The steel tube are then thoroughly cleaned by passing a compressed water to remove oil and other foreign material on the tubes and tried up. The steel tubes are then tacked together in two different production line forming two different frame structure’s, starting with front triangle then as it progress down the production the rear triangle is tacked. After the tacking alignment checks are done by Quality inspectors on the frame then every connector that was tacked is completed with a sequence that makes it remain aligned while out of the Quality fixtures. The completing is when a brazing is used and the frame is finished.

After the frame is completed it goes through a frame hardening process by quenching the flame to the hot water and also cools down by cold water. Then look over to the components or fixtures like paint color, profile tubing, lung details and customer requirement details on the build sheet. This process usually consume a lot time depending on frame complexity and details at this stage frame are plated lugs are detailed, brazes are made clean and precise, fillet made smooth and equal. The frame is then re-checked for alignment on a flat and hand polished thoroughly. The head tube is reamed and brake heads anased

We make two types of geometry frame a commuting bike racked and a road eleven speed. Our target is to manufacture at least 200 bicycle per day but depending on a style of a bicycle requested by a certain market, what color, what details would you like incorporated which geometry frames does it want to fit their riding style. the chief executive officer, Quality manager and marketing manager and his department take the pride in spending time with the companies clients. The go out and take time to listen and understand the latest requirement of the markets riding style once a decision is made, the production manager informs production technician and production supervisor the geometry of the frame requested by latest customers evaluated by marketing manager.

A geometry is established, then an assemble build sheet that details the frame geometry tubing selection initial color and geometry with the budget of the unit which gives an idea what the bicycle will look like at end of the day. The build sheet is attached to the flame through the station process because it is working should look like when it’s complete the seats tube is the reamed and honed. Graphics sizes unique details mock ups upon the frame are done, chemically cleaning to remove any oils that would prevent prime frame adhering all frames are painted primarily with PPG paint epoxy primer is applied to the surface for corrosion resistance. The color is then carefully masked and applied to primer surface and any graphics are masked and coloured. Once colour toner is applied a final coat is laid on the frame. Therefore in our production 20% of the frames will assemble in our company then 80% will be exported to Australia and Japan without assemble only the frame

Manufacturing of a wheel and assemble of it, firstly in material we use a forged aluminum for the hub used for radial spoked front wheel and also CNC machining for the flange to make hole around the flange, front hub is deferrer from a rear hub. Spokes we use stainless steel, number of spokes 32 at front and 40 at the back, spokes are deferrer. Nipples are made of nickel-plated brass. Rims are made of aluminum also by extrusion process, squeezed out of a special-shaped opening which determine the cross section of the rim then joined by welding and number of holes corresponding with holes in the hub, there is certain procedure that followed to place spokes to the hub and to the rim. Then after an alignment of wheel place the wheel to the jig and place it to the HTC 601 drive machine to insert the nipples to assemble the rim, spokes and hub. Then after all assembled complete the wheel frame must taken to HTC 606 drive machine to tighten the nipples where each nipple is tighten one by one. Then after that take the wheel frame to HTC 6084 which is a special machine where all the wheels have to go through measurement and tightening all the wheels which they have a fault they reject by this machine, then all the rejected wheels are taken to HTC 6035 is manual machine controlled by an operator manual to verify the fault and fix those have a minor problem then the unfix ones are scrap.

Then some of the other parts we will order from our suppliers something like tires/cubes, handlebars, stem, brake hangers front, seat clamp ,seat post ,chain, cassette, pedals, bottom brackets, cranks,4brake housing,4 derailleur housing,2*brake brakes,2*derailleur housing,2*brake brakes,2*derailleur cables, cable guide, headset, shifters, brake levers, brakes, front derailleur, rear derailleur, headset and a fork then we assemble all these parts together by using all the relevant tools after that we use lubrication where it’s necessary, worse when assembling the fork before we assemble. wheels are attached to the bicycle frame by means of an axle which runs through the hub of the wheel, axle tightened with bolt at ends. Put the grease in the treads both the fork. Derailleur’s and gear shift levers the gear shift levers are mounted either down tube because it’s a racing bike. on the handlebar end and also cables is attached which extend ends to the front and rear derailleur’s front derailleur’s, which move the chain from one drive sprocket to another, brazed onto the seat, rear derailleur’s mounted with bolted on hangers. Handlebars raised, bolted to the bicycle stem which is then fitted into the head tube, headset does not interrupt fork to turn inside the head tube.

Brake, brake levers are to the handlebars, cables extend to the brake and are fastened to the handlebars and the ends are plugged. Saddle and seat, seat post are aluminum alloy and are bolted into position, saddle is made of mould padding and covered with nylon. Crank sets are consists of aluminum alloy crank arms, chain rings and the bottom brackets. Assembly of axle, cup and bearing. Are attached with bolts and caps into the bottom brackets of the bicycle frame, pedal are screwed to the end of the crank arms.

Human Resource Manager

A human resource manager is a planner, director and coordinates the administrative functions of the company. Human resource manager oversee the recruiting, interviewing and hiring of new staff, consult with top executives on strategic planning and serve a link between company’s management and its employees. And also handle personnel decisions including hiring, position assignment, training, benefits and compensation.

Human resource manager make sure that appropriate matches are made between support staff and producers between assistants and managers and coworkers to enhance productivity support the company’s business strategy and long term goals and provide a satisfying work experience for employees. Human resource manager also involved in compensation analysis work with department managers to determine pay scales and bonus structures. Also hiring specialist/ recruiters place ads in appropriate publications, review resumes and interview candidates for employment. Human resource manager is also involved in handling the dirty work and is involved in the staffing of a company, dealing with understaffing, refeeing disputes between two mismatched personalities and also involved on firing employees, informing employees of small or nonexistent bonuses.

Human resource manager also allow their employees to learn new job skills and offer training opportunities for those who want to improve. Human resource manager also offers eLearning courses and online training may take their employees away from his/her job for few hours but what he/she gains is self confidence and knowledge from effective training will more than make up for any inconvenience the might feel. Human resource manager also let the employees to work together, share ideas and develop a sense of ownership over their jobs and the workplace. When workers feel free to share ideas, it helps them to be more productive and more effective in their jobs. Give them the freedom to express their thoughts and utilize their creativity whenever you can.

Human resource manager build relationships with their staff, colleagues and managers. This is done by expressing concern for others, treating people with respect, trusting them to want to do their jobs well and giving them full attention when required. Human resource manager create environment that encourages employees to perform better and recognize their efforts when they do. It’s easy to overlook a job well done, simply because it’s expected that employees perform enough. But if the employee who has been struggling to improve and she/he finally makes noticeable progress.

Marketing Manager

A marketing manager is assessor and a create of consumers demand and co-ordination of the resources of personnel’s, finance, production distribution to meet such a demand at a planned profit. Marketing manager is a processer whereby a company tries to find out what its customers want and then develops its product accordingly.

Marketing manager must set techniques covering selling, sales, management, market research, new product development, product management, pricing, advertising and sale promotion distribution, consumer guidance, after sales service and public relations. Marketing manager will covers a very broad range of this company business activities. Marketing manager must know the needs likes and dislikes of the customers. A marketing manager is know where are the customers and know what motivate the customers to buy our product and is able to define the competitors and to keep in touch with changing circumstances that necessitate changes to our product or marketing strategy.

A marketing manager is the one who know the budget availability and skills of the team. And is the one who choose to outsource certain parts of the marketing process such as market research or decide to do the job in-house. A marketing manager researching and reporting on external opportunities and understanding current and potential customers. Is managing the customer’s journey (customer relationship management). Marketing manager is developing the marketing strategy and plan management mix. And is managing agencies also managing success. Marketing manager also managing a budget ensuring timely delivery written copies and is also approving images and developing guidelines that marking customers focused on decisions.

A marketing clerk operates office machines such as photo copies and scanners, facsimile machines, voice mail systems and personal computers. He/she communicate with customers, employees and other individuals to answer questions and he/she will explain the information that will be needed at that time. He/she also take orders and address complaints. She/he compiles and sort copies and file records of office activities, business transactions and other activities.

Financial Manager

Financial manager is the one takes care of all the important financial functions of this company. Is the person charge who maintains the company in order to ensure that funds are utilized in the most efficient manner. The one who provide and interpreting financial information and monitoring and interpreting cash flows and predicting the company future trends. Is formulating strategic and long term business plans and also researching and reporting the factors that influencing the business performance of the company. Is the one who is managing a company’s financial accounting, maintaining and reporting system and liaising with auditors to ensure annual monitoring is carried out. He reports to the Chief Executive Officer.

Accountant are concerned with providing and use of accounting information to financial manager of the company to provide with the basic to make informed business decisions that will allow them to better equipped in the product and control functions. They report to the Financial Manager.

Auditor is the one who authorizes to examine accounts and accounts and accounting records, compare the charges, verifying balance sheet and income items and state the results. They report to Financial Manager. And financial clerk keeps track of money. He/she record all amounts coming from Australia, Japan and Canada into a company’s system. The records are important to the company’s need to keep track of all revenues and expenses. He/she maintaining and processing various accounting records, some deal direct with customers, taking in and paying out money. He/she is the one who pay on time bills and contact customers to find out why and must attempt to resolve the problem. He/she is the one who keep track of the company and order replacements stock when supplies are low.

Financial Manager

Financial Clerk

Auditors

Accountants

Logistics Manager

This role is performed by a person who has a strong leadership, ability to adjust in a demanding environment, logical & systematic approach and creative problem-solving & analytical skills, because this department is complex and dealing with management of material flow and exporting of bicycle parts to other countries i.e. Japan, Canada and Australia. She/he must know the production process, quality control, costs and has techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

He/she is the one who motivates for any new position in his/her department to convince the CEO of this company, and explain why they need a new box/position. Then He/she is responsible for recruitment of new employees in his/her team and approval of new posts in the Logistics departments’ i.e. in Material handling and supply departments. Then she/he communicates with HR-department to do paper work and advertise the posts. After the shortlisted process, He/she and HR specialist interview the selected candidates if they meet the requirements for this position.

He/she is responsible to communicate with the suppliers and customers via emails, in writing, by telephone and in person, to discuss business issues. He/she creates goals and plans to accomplish work in a given period. He/she ensures continuity of the material flow in case of emergency in production lines and customer. The logistics manager has to ensure that the department is allocated enough money for a year and analysis the financial impact of proposed logistics changes such as production volumes increase in our plant or customer’s requirements.

He /she clarify what information means and how it can be used to suit the organisation needs. Then he/she has to monitor the export and import process trends to compile a report so that he/she can give a report to a CEO for his/her department progress. He/she conduct monthly audits for logistics activities such as distribution and storage of parts and raw material.

The logistic manager is also responsible for ensuring that the Material handling & Supply and Logistics plan and transport managers are performing their tasks and there are no complaint from their customer and supplier i.e. Production and Assembly. The performance evaluation, approval of leaves and salary increase is his/her responsibility for these two department Material handling & supply and logistics planning & transport.

Logistics planning Manager

The role of planning Manager is played by a person who has logistics management and a good knowledge when it comes to logistics planning activities.

He/she responsible control the implemented process in the logistic operations and systems, he/she analysis’s the logistics reports and ensures that all processes are working in the logistics operations. He conducts walkabout to check the adherence of processes.

He /she compile the report to feedback to the logistic manager, responsible to plan the leaves for all planners in the department.

Packaging planner

He is responsible to plan logistics processes, how the parts must be handle in the warehouse and marshalling area, for transporting the parts to the production lines. He/she ensures that the process is used to supply the production line with parts. He/she designs the pallets that store the parts and also analysis the sub parts of the bicycle, to design or choose right containers for those parts.

He/she conduct a problem solving and investigate the root cause of damaged parts due to packaging and coordinate the inventory counts.

Supply chain Planner

He/she optimise the transportation of parts from the supplier to our plant, to cut the cost of transport. He is also responsible to optimise the containers (export) and trucks locally. He/she is responsible for planning production volumes and a bicycle model that have to be produced for market requirements.

The supply chain manager communicates with marketing specialist, to be informed about the market targets and number of bicycles sub parts required from Japan, Canada and Australia.

Material supply Manager

Material supply manager is managed by a person who knows how to prioritize needs, familiar with process and effectively manages resources. Then he/she must be able to manage to a budget for a large business due to the Market demands.

He/she is responsible to ensures that the stock integrity is maintained and also ensures that the trucks operation is operates smooth and attend customer complaints. Then he/she monitors the trends of the material supply and exported parts operation, he/she conduct walkabout every week to verify if the process is adhered and completion of tasks. He/she uses a walkabout sheet and rates them according to what he/she is finding. Material supply Manager is responsible to know the need of bicycle stock in the market and He/she communicates with marketing manager to get the number of bicycles that are needed so that He/she can discuss this with Logistic controller, if the warehouse space is enough to hand the parts for the large Production volumes.

He /she evaluate the performance of each person in his/her team according to their performance in the given tasks and approve their leaves. He/she compile the report, to escalate all the problem/critical issues that he/she is experiencing in the business.

Logistics controller

This roles is performed by a person who has a very good leadership, self-motivated and has knowledge of management operations.

He/she is responsible to make sure that the raw material and bicycle parts are ordered and send right truck to collect those goods. He/she ensures that the number of trucks dispatched are recorded and the number of bicycle parts that are exported to Japan, Australia and Canada. And also ensures packaging of bicycle components is carried out and that the parts are placed in correct containers for transporting. He/she checks and controls loading of trucks and ensures that the bicycle parts are packed safe in the containers. He/she ensures that the quality inspector is inspecting the parts before they are transported to Canada, Japan and Australia.

He/she visits the supplier to check their processes and packaging procedures to develop a plan for preventing damages on the bicycle parts.

Logistics Truck driver

He is responsible to do paper work, signing of Stock Delivery confirmation sheet and also transport the parts to the harbour to be shipped or exported to Canada, Japan and Australia. He is responsible to deliver the bicycle sub-assemblies and raw materials to right places, at the exact time and exact quantity.

He receives orders from the Logistics Controller and drive to the supplier to fetch the raw material and bicycle sub-assemblies that are outsourced i.e Bicycle tyres. When he gets to the supplier, they load the parts to the truck and He signs the dispatch confirmation sheet to confirm that He received the stock that was ordered by Logistic controller. When he comes back with the load, he signs the receiving confirmation sheet in the Logistics controller office. And then He unloads the pallets and containers and put them to the warehouse, using Forklifts and Crane. He is responsible to ensures that the goods are safe and the truck is in safe operating conditions.

Operator

He/she counts the incoming and export stock in the warehouse by scanning each and every part/raw material, using a PDA device. He/she reports to the Material supply Manager and Controller, all the issues that affects the logistics operations in the warehouse. Responsible retain stock integrity count.

Material handling Manager

This role is performed by a person who is well organised, time keeper, with solid problem solving skills, familiar with process and effectively manages resources. And also have knowledge of management and distribution for major operation. Material handling manager must be able to plan, leader, control and organize the tasks in the warehouse and stored bicycle parts.

He/she is response to managing his/her team and ensure that the movement of parts is flowing smooth and are delivered to respective Manufacturing and assembly lines. He/she ensures that the planned processes by logistics planner are followed by his/her employees/operators.

He/she responsible to oversee the material flow progress and ensures that the coordinators are ordering the parts from Warehouse. He/she ensures that the pallets and containers are opened and parts are unpacked.

He/she monitors the trends for non-conforming parts and compiles a report to escalate all the critical issues to the Logistics manager.

Marshalling/Warehouse Co-ordinator

He is responsible to make sure that the pallets and boxes are opened, and stored in safe areas. Attend all the issues that affect other areas, and escalate them if he cannot resolve them. He manages his team to ensure that the tasks are completed and plan for employee leaves.

Operator (in warehouse)

He/she is responsible to unpack the boxes/pallets to prepare the parts for production and arrange the parts in sequence inside the Marshalling area, So that the Line supplier can easily transport them to respective areas of Manufacturing and production. He reports to the material handling Manager and warehouse/marshalling Co-ordinator any issues that he/she experiencing in the operational area.

Line supplier Co-ordinator

The role of coordinator requires someone who has good communication skills because He/she will be working with different people and departments. It also requires a back group of problem solving.

He/she orders the parts from marshalling areas to supply the parts to different production lines areas and ensures that the parts are in the line, in the right time. He/she manage the non-conforming parts in production line areas and take the parts out of production areas to the warehouse scrap bins/box.

He manages his team to ensure that the tasks are completed and plan for employee leaves.

Line suppler Operator

He takes the parts from marshalling area to the production lines in respective areas and following the process. He/she uses a two bin system; He/she takes one batch of parts to the production line and then replaces it with another batch of parts in marshalling.

Conclusion

According to the goal and a mission of the company our company work effectively and well efficient, the standard of the company is well because we meet the requirements of our customers according to their specification and delivery in time to them, we never get rejected frames from our customers or any complaints from them, Quality of our product to our customers are well satify.OEE (Overall Efficient Equipment) in the company is well and also co-operation to the departments is well effectively they are working to gather towards the mission and a goal of the company. Also we are well satisfied with our suppliers they deliver in time and also the quality of their product and specification that we need.