Basic HTML Version
68
MOTORINDIA
l
May 2012
Scania’s
flexible production system
to suit specific customer needs
A flexible modern production is to
meet individual customer demands
while remaining competitive by pro-
ducing on an industrial scale. Cus-
tomized production offers prospects
for growth and employment. It re-
quires state-of-the-art technologies
that promote efficient and flexible
quality production while minimiz-
ing delivery periods. Making prod-
ucts to customer order is already a
common feature in the automobile
industry.
Scania’s modular product system
which has been built up over several
decades makes it possible for the
company to create individual speci-
fications for a large number of dif-
ferent customers by using a limited
number of components in its product
range. This enables each customer to
receive an optimised product, while
keeping costs throughout the value
chain at a more competitive level
than otherwise possible.
To a growing extent, Scania uses
shared components in trucks, buses
and coaches, as well as industrial and
marine engines. Some examples: all
Scania engines have the same cylin-
der architecture, and a Scania coach
today has a large number of chassis
and power train components in com-
mon with a truck chassis.
Furthermore, all of Scania’s truck
cabs, regardless of size, have the
same interface with the chassis.
All engines and gearboxes have the
same mounting points on the chas-
sis, irrespective of size. The chassis
in turn is built up by a large number
of frame components that fit togeth-
expert article
By Henrik Fagrenius, Managing Director, Scania Commercial Vehicles India Private Ltd.
All production systems, when
viewed at the most abstract
level, might be said to be
“transformation processes”,
processes that transform re-
sources into useful goods and
services. The transformation
process typically uses com-
mon resources such as labour,
capital (for machinery and
equipment, materials), and
space (land, buildings) to ef-
fect a change. Economists call
these resources the “factors of
production” and usually refer
to them as labour, capital and
land. Production managers re-
fer to them as the “five Ms” –
men, machines, methods, mate-
rials and money.
Mr. Henrik Fagrenius