Case Studies
International Automotive Case Studies

Mexican Automotive Plant

Haas TCM is the Chemical Manager at this facility covering all non-production chemicals including water treatment, lubricants, paint booth maintenance, purge solvent, paint detackification, coolants, stamping lubricants, coolant maintenance services, incoming water purification, waste water treatment and architectural paints.

Number of products: 588

This program has been in effect since February of 1998. During this period, the facility has expanded considerably through the addition of a second assembly plant and a transmission plant.

Program achievements include:

• Reduced the coolant cost per engine by 31% through filtration and system control improvement without a change in vendors.

• Implemented a comprehensive water treatment program that reduced the supply base by 50%. Program included upgrade of chemical technology in place, installation of chemical feed and monitoring equipment, identification and treatment of formerly untreated systems, and initiation of a cooling tower cleaning program.

• Installed a plant wide lubrication program that cut lubrication cost by 15%.
Managed the chemical changes for the implementation of 2K clear coat including development and implementation of new booth cleaning practices and materials, changes in the detackification system, and the sourcing of high quality nitrogen for paint system.

• Implemented container management program that reduced drum use by 85% and eliminated non-returnable drums.

• Integral member the new Transmission launch team involved in chemical application, OEM specification and equipment design.

• Designed and installed a tank farm for the carbonitriding unit of the transmission plant with the Tier II supplier at no cost to GM.

• Because of the labor shortage in the area and local union agreements, many services were included in the contract including: filtration system management, laboratory services, welding services, cooling tower cleaning, and complete lubrication services for the engine and transmission plants.

Canadian Automotive Plant Complex

This complex is an extraordinarily large automotive and truck manufacturing facility. It includes two car plants, a truck plant, a battery plant, a stamping plant, a subassembly plant, a fascia and small parts stamping plant and a central engineering facility which covers waste treatment, powerhouse, equipment maintenance and other centralized functions. Our on-site team was fully trained and on-site two months before the start to insure smooth start up. To further complicate implementation, the program was implemented at the same time as outside maintenance management and outside stores management.

Our experience in water borne paint shop maintenance is unsurpassed by any other supplier in North America.

Number of products: 671

This Chemical Management Program has been in effect since 1996 and many process improvements have been realized. In addition to the obvious savings in reporting and reduced purchasing burden, the program has resulted in over 25% savings in six years.

The following is a partial listing of program achievements:

• During the first year of the program, the volume of hazardous sludge generated by the wastewater treatment plant was reduced by 52%. This reduction was accomplished by a change in the treatment process with no additional equipment or capital expense. This reduction in sludge volume resulted in a $200,000 (Canadian dollars) savings.

• Since then, the program has grown to include full wastewater treatment operation services with chemical costs reduced by 60%, and operation costs reduced 10%.

• As mandated by the Canadian government, all products that contained 1,1,1, trichloroethane were removed from the plant. These products were replaced with aqueous cleaners and therefore did not increase VOC emissions from the complex. All chlorinated solvents have now been removed from the complex.

• The Chemical Management Program included a large variety of spray cans containing lubricants, penetrating oils, and solvent degreasers. Usage of these products has been reduced by 30% resulting in aerosol can disposal savings. In addition to this reduction, the number of suppliers of these items has been reduced from 9 to 1.

• Insurance concerns mandated that the complex discontinue the use of plastic drums and bins to store lubricating oils. With the help of our Tier II lubricant supplier, all plastic drums and bins have been replaced with steel containers resulting in insurance cost savings.

• Reduction in stamping lubricant cost per ton of steel of 50% through improvements in technology and application.

• The consolidation of water treatment suppliers has eliminated three suppliers and reduced the total number of water treatment suppliers to two. Replacement of the previous supplier has resulted in lower costs ($100,000 in Canadian dollars annually), reduced on-site inventory and improved performance.

• A 50% reduction in per vehicle VOCs has resulted from regular purge audits, and focusing on purge use for booth cleaning and improved recovery.

• A consolidation of lubricants throughout the complex was implemented, eliminating duplicate products from different vendors. All lubricants are now purchased from a single supplier.

• A container management program was implemented to assure timely removal of drums containers from the complex. The program was so successful in removing and collecting credits for deposit drums that we now manage all returnable drums including those for direct materials.

• Implementation of new booth coating has enabled the plant to extend cleaning cycles by 80% allowing full three-shift production. In addition to the reduction in cleaning costs (manpower and booth downtime), complete implementation of the program will reduce VOCs in booth cleaning by 80%.