For more information see
www.castingsdev.com

Home > Products and Technology > Turbocharger Fundamentals > Turbocharger Design > Design Process

The design group is responsible for the integration of all the available technologies required to develop new products from concept to hardware.

A set of design guidelines has been developed for the core components. This allows all designers to follow a common procedure and ultimately produce 'right first time designs'. The designers work directly for the teams' Technical Project Leader and have direct contact with the customer to ensure their needs are directly incorporated into a design. Then they develop 3 dimensional models of components working closely with the chosen supplier. Cummins Turbo Technologies has standardised on the CAD software Pro/ENGINEER.

How does the process work? If we take a turbine housing as an example, the new design is developed using design guidelines and an initial sourcing decision is made. A meeting with the supplier is held early in the design stage and using a checklist the design is finalised incorporating supplier input. Then a program of work is agreed with the customer and supplier. The suppliers remain on board during the final stages of the design, working closely with the designers as required to finalise the details.

Once the 3D CAD model is finished it is passed electronically to the toolmaker and input into their CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) machinery to produce the pattern equipment. The foundry then uses this equipment to produce the casting. This produces a casting to design without the need for a drawing and gives us a more accurate and controlled process.

The supply partnership had led to significant improvements in the process and lead-times. We have moved away from drawings to the direct machining of pattern equipment from the CAD model and this has been key to the implementation of rapid procurement and the subsequent lead-time improvements.

In conversations with our suppliers we often hear that Cummins Turbo Technologies is a 'preferred' customer. We have listened to and worked with the suppliers to develop the process, and this has increased confidence on both sides.

Our design team use the latest technology and tools to develop 'right first time designs'. They work in partnership with our supply base to ensure "what we design is what we get" to bring our customers "Tomorrow's ,Technology > Today".