END OF STUDY

PROJECT REPORT
Table of contents

Chapter I: Presentation of the host company and context of the internship

I- Presentation of the host company.................................................................................................3

1- Martur Fompak International.....................................................................................................3
a. General overview....................................................................................................................3
b. Organizational chart...............................................................................................................4
c. Activities.................................................................................................................................4
d. From mission to vision............................................................................................................7
e. Location..................................................................................................................................7
2- Martur Fompak Morocco...........................................................................................................8
II- Context of the internship...............................................................................................................8
1- Special characteristics.................................................................................................................8
a. Definition................................................................................................................................8
b. Symbolization.........................................................................................................................9
There is no standard for special characteristics symbolization, each company uses its own
characters.......................................................................................................................................9
c. Importance...........................................................................................................................10
d. Examples from MFI...............................................................................................................11
2- The hierarchy of product-process characteristics (HCPP).........................................................11
a. definition..............................................................................................................................11
b. Objectives.............................................................................................................................11
c. Application rules...................................................................................................................12
d. Stages of the prioritization process........................................................................................0

Chapter II: State of the art and project presentation

I- Audits and Certifications................................................................................................................1
1- IATF-International Automotive Task Force.................................................................................1
a. Definition................................................................................................................................1
b. Stakeholders...........................................................................................................................2
c. IATF and Special characteristics..............................................................................................2
a. Special characteristics in IATF.................................................................................................2
2- ASES-Alliance Supplier Evaluation Standard...............................................................................3
a. Definition................................................................................................................................3
b. Classification...........................................................................................................................3

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 c. Special characteristics is ASES.................................................................................................4
3- ASPQR- (ALLIANCE) SUPPLIER PROCESS QUALIFICATION REVIEW..............................................5
a. Definition................................................................................................................................5
b. Special characteristics is ASPQR.............................................................................................5
II- Special characteristics handling in MFI...........................................................................................5
1- FMEA..........................................................................................................................................5
2- Monitoring plan..........................................................................................................................6
3- Drawings.....................................................................................................................................6
4- Work stations.............................................................................................................................6
5- Control plan................................................................................................................................6
III- Project presentation...................................................................................................................6
1- SMART........................................................................................................................................6
2- 5W 2H analysis...........................................................................................................................7

2
 Chapter I
Presentation of the Host Company
and context of the internship

In this chapter, a brief presentation of the host company, i.e. MFI is made, including history, main
events, organizational chart etc. Then, the context of the internship, i.e. special characteristics is
presented.

3
I- Presentation of the host company

1- Martur Fompak International

a. General overview

 Martur was founded in 1985 to produce molded foam, and is now one of the world’s
leading suppliers in automotive seat production. With 12 production plants and more
than 4000 employees, Martur continues to make new investments. The company
designs and manufactures seats for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles,
designs and manufactures integrated fabric and seat structures for the automotive
industry. The company provides its services to leading domestic and international
OEMs.

 Fompak was founded in 1995 to produce slab-stock foam, today the company is a
specialized manufacturer of foam and interior trim components for the automotive
industry. With 1300 employees, the company operates in 6 production plants in
Turkey and Romania with its new, modern facilities. The company designs and
manufactures passenger car and light commercial vehicle trim components for leading
domestic and international OEMs.

Figure 1: Overview

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 b. Organizational chart

Process quality-
Foam,Sunvisors,Hr&AR
Spc.

IT Director Process quality-Copver spc.

Logistic Director Process Quality-Frame Spc.

Plant Director project qualitySenior Spc.

Quality &reliability
Int.Operations Director Quality Diector Customer Quality Spc.
Manager

HR Director Laboratory responsible

Purchasing Director Incoming inspection spc.

CBU Director SQA spc.

QMS Responsible

5
 c. Activities

MFI activities are articulated in 3 main areas:

Figure 2: Activities

 Seat systems: MFI produces world-class seat systems in 9 sites with a total surface of
118200m² and over 4000 employee, tailored to the standards of each specific customer
in a working environment that attaches utmost importance to safety, leveraging its
creativity, dynamism, and innovation. Using Industry 4.0 Tools, MES (Manufacturing
Executing Systems), Real time parameters control from machines & loT sensors in its
process, and FEA (finite element analysis) , CAD and CAM techniques in the
structures design. The seat systems activity is divided into 4 branches as we can see
below:

Seat
structures Seat foam Headrests Armrests
(Seat Frame)

6
 Trim interiors : 5 sites with a total surface of 37700m² and over 1100 employee are
responsible for the production of trim interiors with labs able to perform 95% of the
tests according to OEM specifications on final products, materials and characterization
analysis. 9 kinds of trims presented below are produced in MFI:

Sunvisors Parcel trays

Door panels Headliners

Dashboard central
/Instrument console
panels

 Textile: MFI manufactures seats and headliners fabric, in 2 production sites with a
total surface of 29400m² and over 1000 employee, woven, warp-knitted and circular-
knitted fabrics in a wide selection of colors and designs for the automotive industry.

d. From mission to vision

 Vision : reshaping mobility for people to provide a safer and more pleasant travel
experience

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  Mission: as a world-class solution partner, we create and supply innovative cockpit
systems at best quality, with the best service and at the best cost.

 Core values :

We care We share We dare

For people Success and experience to try

For diversity Information to evolve

For our company customer vision to create

For quality technology to develop

For customer success

For the environment

e. Locations

The company is located in more than 10 countries all over the world, Turkey, Romania,
Russia, Algeria, Morocco, Poland, Ukraine, France, Japan, Czech republic, Italy and
Germany.

Figure 3: Company locations

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 Each activity plants, R&D and testing centers are located in different countries as shown
below:

Figure 4:seat systems locations

Figure 6: Textile locations

Figure 5: Trim interiors locations

2- Martur Fompak
Morocco

MFI has recently settled in the TAC of Tangier, in 2019. The factory is limited in producing
headrest, armrests, sun visors and seats from the very beginning: Foam, cover and frame.

II- Context of the internship

1- Special characteristics

a. Definition

ISO/TS 16949:2009 uses a very brief and logical explanation for "Special Characteristic" in
its 3rd chapter (Terms and definitions): "product characteristic or manufacturing process
parameter which can affect safety or compliance with regulations, fit, function, performance
or subsequent processing of product". VDA has even released a separate manual about the
topic, as the VDA Volume: "Special Characteristics (SC)".
There are two different types of special characteristics:

Critical Characteristics (CC) are characteristics that may affect the:

 Safety of product : safety of the final customer (S)

 Compliance with legal requirements (R)

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 These characteristics are designated in the D- or P- FMEA, and can have a causal relationship
to the effect of potential failure modes rated 9-10 for severity.

Significant Characteristics (SC) are characteristics that may affect:

 form, fit or function of the product

 the assembly process (final product/set)

 the production process (components)

These characteristics are designated in the D- or P- FMEA and can have a causal relationship
to the effect of potential failure modes rated 5-8 for severity, or where agreed by the cross-
functional team, having severity rated less than 5. They are marked in the drawing with
numbers from 1 to 3.

b. Symbolization

Companies have not standardized a method for grouping and meaning special characteristics
of a product. Therefore, the nomenclature and the notation will vary.The table below shows
symbols and designations used by Fiat, Ford and MFI’s current project client Renault.

Renault Fiat Ford

S: Security characteristic H: Key characteristic SC : Significant

R: Legal requirements C: Critical characteristic

1: Critical characteristic +: Important CC : Critical characteristic

2: Important characteristic - : Important second degree

Each characteristic is reported on the drawing by one of the symbols below using Norm 01-
33-301 to define the identification of the different severity ratings on the engineering
department documents, and Norm 00-10-040 to define identification of security and legal
requirements characteristics.
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 c. Importance

SR characteristics represent colossal human, economic and social challenges. One of the
major ones for the company is to ensure their compliance, and to reduce the risk of a failure
happening to the customer. Because the slightest defect could lead to the consequences of
disasters, both for the people occupying the car and for the equipment supplier.

Here are some examples of companies who suffered from many damages and losses because
failures on SCs:

 Takata :
The best example illustrating the dramatic consequences of a failure of an SR product, is the
case of the Takata company: a Japanese automotive supplier, leader in its core business,
which is: vehicle safety systems: airbag, belt, baby seat etc.
Since 2013, the equipment supplier has been at the heart of a huge scandal due to the
failure of certain models of these airbags, present in hundreds of millions of cars of
different models, airbags which explode even in the event of a light collision, causing the
projection of metal and plastic fragments on the driver or passengers.
The scandal has so far left 10 dead, and more than 100 injured in the United States, and
represents the largest car recall campaign in the history of the automobile. Reaching more
than 100 million cars. The equipment supplier was imposed one of the severest civil
sanctions in the United States: a fine of 200 million dollars. Since the scandal broke out, the
Takata group’s stock market share has lost 85% of its value. This scandal was not without
consequences for the results of certain car manufacturers, such as Mazda which spent more
than 40 M¥ to cover the replacement of Takata airbags. The future of the equipment
supplier remains in abeyance.

 Volkswagen :

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Several cases of SR product failures exist in the literature, the last known, being that of the car
manufacturer Volkswagen, which has not respected the regulations concerning CO2
emissions in the USA.

d. Examples from MFI

Foam: Flammability: Combustion rate shall be less than 100m/min

Covers: Airbags sewing

Frames: welding seams length, tightening torque

Track bar release effort Sliding effort

Headrests: adaptation notches, Combustion rate shall

be less than 100m/min

2- The hierarchy of product-process characteristics (HCPP)

a. Definition

The approach applies to Renault and suppliers for any part, sub-assembly or mechanical
component of all of the Mechanical Engineering responsibility projects, which are the subject
of industrialization. It is based on the definition and the technologies relating to any raw,
machined or assembled part and built for tolerated quantitative characteristics.

The HCPP approach is mainly used to bring together in a coherent and unique logic from the
design phase to serial operation, the product-process prioritization, the ability to conform
through the study of capabilities, investigations, MSP and experience plan, as well as the
monitoring plan from the forecast to the operational phase. The HCPP is therefore committed
to gradually reducing the scope of the product / process characteristics to be followed within
the framework of the monitoring plan to the minimum necessary.

b. Objectives

The purpose of this forecasting process is to estimate the feasibility characteristics based on
experience of a product - process of reference, to treat the risks and to optimize the
monitoring plan.

The objective of the prioritization process is:

12
  Help the engineering department to assess the design robustness to identify the
characteristics at risk, vis-à-vis the motorist client and optimize the product design,

 Help the Methods department in the conduct of the range validation plan and the
development of the monitoring plan in order to size the industrial system in terms of
quality and cost (means of production and control) on the basis of customer risk and
difficulty in obtaining a characteristic to optimize the manufacturing range and the
choice of manufacturing means, choose the characteristics to be followed more
particularly at start-up and in series, and develop a forecast monitoring plan adapted to
the risks.

 To obtain the restitution of the global product-process criticality by the cross-analysis

of gravity and feasibility

 To manufacture conforming organ parts at the lowest cost

c. Stages of the process

This approach is based on the prioritization of basic functions, carried out during the TFA
(technical functional analysis) and continues throughout the design process. It can start as
soon as we have a relatively stabilized product definition and a precise idea of the
manufacturing range and associated means. It feeds the monitoring plan to which it
constitutes one of the inputs.

13
 Classify the product Estimate product and Establish criticality
characteristics process and construct action
characteristics plans
feasibility
Product designer Product designer Product and process
classifies its estimates each designers
characteristics in product characteristic establish,using the
different levels of forecast feasibility in diagram below,
severity linked to terms of industrial criticality of each
client effect. process and planned characteristic. This
means. criticality conducts to
a pricise action plan :
Optimize the process
in terms of risk level
Estabish a list of
characteristics to
follow and validate
Build the perimeter
of the conformity
monitoring plan.

 Key concepts:

Severity: The severity rating consists in defining, for each product/process characteristic, an
indication corresponding to the effect felt by the client in a case of non-compliance.

Rating severity, by the steps below, is the first major step of the realization of HCPP in which
special characteristics are deduced.

Perform FA (functional analysis)

Identify failure modes, clients effects and severity ratings

Rate product characteristics severity

Rate process characteristics severity

14
Feasibility: is the capacity of manifacturing a product as defined, respecting cost , quality and
lead time objectives. It is estimated by the ratio of production dispersion (Dp) and tolerance
interval (TI).

Feasibiliy analysis is the second major step of HCPP, and it is done folliwng the steps below:

Analyze feedback

Transpose process dispersions coming from feedback to new the characteristics to

manufacture

Calculate capability indicators and balance dimension chains

Identify risky or unfeasible characteristics in order to initiate risk

analysis and product-process optimization

Criticality: is to synthesize using an indicator, after the optimization, the product-process

crossing and rank the characteristics to “critical”, “major” and “normal”

2
Increasing severity

Major
1 3
Critical Normal

Criticality
Increasing feasibility

Figure 7: Criticality diagram

Criticality analysis is the third and final major step of HCPP, in which action plans are
elaborated following the flowchart below:

15
 Characteristics initial criticality evaluation

In the case of dimension chains, balancing of tolerances

Updated criticality after tolerances balancing

are there still any

critical
characteristics?
Yes No
Action plan depending on criticality
Exit the critival zone by acting on: ( green/orange):
- manufacturing process - influencing parametres analysis
- and/or product - aptitude preparation
- construction of the monitoring plan
forecast feasibility revaluated and updated
criticality
decision on the launch of the production of tools,
associated action plans, according to the level of
criticality

III- Conclusion

To conclude, this chapter was an opportunity for us to better frame the project to be carried
out within MFI being a company aiming to improve the final product and better the of the
group in a competitive international market. We focused on the context of the internship in
order to give a better sight on the project and afford a better understanding of the what comes
next. Therefore, the second chapter will include references requirements there deployment in
MFI and the detailed presentation pf the project.

16
 Chapter II

State of the art

and project presentation

This chapter is about why special characteristics are important for the company and how the
audits requirements are deployed in the plant. A detailed presentation of the project is also
done.

17
I- Audits and Certifications
As a new supplier, MFI should meet the client, i.e. Renault requirements. Thus, having the
higher possible ranking in audits imposed is important. Each of the audits insists on the proper
treatment of special characteristics, which make them a nerve center for the company’s
success.

1- IATF-International Automotive Task Force

a. Definition

IATF 16949:2016 (replaces ISO/TS 16949:2009) is a standard that establishes the

requirements for a Quality Management System (QMS), specifically for the automotive
sector. The ISO/TS 16949 was originally created in 1999 to harmonize different assessment
and certification schemes worldwide in the supply chain for the automotive sector.

The IATF 16949 standard provides guidance and tools for companies and organizations who
want to ensure that their products consistently meet customer requirements and that quality
and customer satisfaction are consistently improved. Requirements for certification to IATF
16949 are defined in the 2016 Revision 5 of the rules for achieving and maintaining IATF
recognition.

The standard is based on seven Quality Management Principles, including a strong customer
focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process approach and continual
improvement.

These Quality Management Principles are defined as follows:

 Customer focus

 Leadership

 Engagement of people

 Process approach

 Improvement

 Evidence-based decision making

 Relationship management

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 b. Stakeholders

It can be used by any supplier, large or small, and should be applied throughout the
automotive supply chain. In fact, there over 65,000 suppliers worldwide which are currently
certified to ISO/TS 16949. All requirements of IATF 16949 are applicable unless suppliers do
not provide product design related functions. Requirements are generic and are intended to be
applicable to any supplier providing design and development, production and, when relevant,
assembly, installation and services of automotive related products, including products with
embedded software. The IATF 16949 standard is applicable to sites of the organization where
manufacturing of customer-specified production parts, service parts, and/or accessory parts
occur.

c. IATF and Special characteristics

According to IATF 16949, special characteristics are a ‘Classification of the characteristics of

a product or parameter of a manufacturing process which may affect safety, compliance with
the applicable standards, suitability for use, function, performance, requirements or
subsequent finishing operations on this product’.

SCs are involved in more than 9 clauses of the standard (MSA, input and output of product
and process, design, monitoring plan, monitoring and measurement of manufacturing
processes, etc.)

a. Special characteristics in IATF

The International Automotive Task Force gave a special treatment to the SCs in its 8.3.3.3
part called ‘special characteristics’ and which comes as the following:

 The organization must use a multidisciplinary approach to establish, document and

implement its process to identify special characteristics, including those determined by the
client and by the risk analysis carried out by the organization. This approach should
include the following:
a) Indication of all special characteristics in plans (as required), risk analyzes (like
FMEA), monitoring plans and work instructions for operators; special

19
 characteristics are identified by specific markings and are cascaded through each
of these documents;
b) The development of control and monitoring strategies for the special
characteristics of the products and manufacturing process;
c) Approvals specified by the client, when required;

d) Compliance with the customer's definitions and symbols, or the organization's

equivalent symbols or annotations, indicated in a conversion table. The symbol
conversion table must be submitted to the client, if required.

2- ASES-Alliance Supplier Evaluation Standard

a. Definition

“Alliance Supplier Evaluation Standard” is a major

Renault-Nissan quality tool used for new supplier’s
evaluation for sourcing and current supplier’s
evaluation for quality improvements. Based on the
evaluation of 240 criteria at five stages, potential vendors are ranked as either A, B, C or D,
and measured against the top-ranked industry suppliers.

The ASES system contains 240 evaluation criteria to determine if a component is rated
“flawless” or “defective”, and helps to identify problems immediately at the manufaturing
stage. These strict quality evaluations are performed by specially-trained evaluators who have
been legitimately certified. Through the implementation of these quality systems, Renault-
Nissan is able to ensure the consistent quality of its sourced components.

b. Classification

An ASES evaluation results in a two-dimensional classification consisting of a letter (A, B, C

or D) and a number (from 1 to 5). The process indicator obtained at the final Alliance
Supplier Evaluation Standard assessment in the supplier, is in a score range from 0 to 100
points.

 Simplified explanation of each level:

0: nonexistent

2: Insufficient

20
3: Medium

4: Renault / Nissan expectations

5: Best practices

- Above 80 points, we have the “A” classification, which represents an excellent supplier,
which has a perfect Quality Assurance system and produces Quality consistently.

- Between 60 and 79 points, the supplier is level “B“, this is the level required of all
suppliers and is therefore approved to supply to the any member of RENAULT NISSAN
Alliance.

- A “C” level vendor, who earned between 40 and 59 points, can participate in projects, but
only on a conditional basis.

- In this case, it must present a robust compliance plan and achieve a minimum of 60 points
before the start of delivery. RENAULT will surely follow this action plan

- Below 40 points, we have the “D” level that prevents the supplier nomination to any
project, i.e. to provide parts to the Alliance.

c. Special characteristics is ASES

Most questions must have an answer including special treatment for SR characteristics
(audits, maintenance, etc.)

- If critical item score 2: - 5 on final score

- If critical item score 0: -10 on final score

ASES gave a special treatment for special characteristics in its 7.9 chapters, which contains
questions about the requirements bellow:

 Identification of documentation (parts drawing, control plan, process instruction and

facilities).

 Characteristics control 100% assured

 Standard for handling an incident S

 S document archive (must be kept for 20 years)

 Marking of NOK parts to avoid mixing.

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 Incident archive with processing and compliance with archive periods (incident-related
records)

 Only qualified operators can operate on the process linked to SR characteristics.

3- ASPQR- (ALLIANCE) SUPPLIER PROCESS QUALIFICATION

REVIEW

a. Definition

The rating for the questions in the checklist (62 in our case) is:

- OK

- NOK (not blocking)

- NOK blocking.

The rating for the final audit / report is:

- K0 (approved)

- K10 (approved with reservations)

- K50 (refused).

b. Special characteristics is ASPQR

If a question is related to SCs, the NOK (non-blocking) option is disabled. If a response is

NOK, the result is automatically "refused".

ASPQR also makes a special treatment for SCs in:

 Traceability of the product: operational, OK after delivery of the client, contains

information on who produced who controlled…

 MP: For each batch delivered, a material certificate is received, checked and archived.

 S characteristics marking in the monitoring plan.

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II- Special characteristics handling in MFI

III- Project presentation

The failure of an SR product involves several economic costs for a company: fines, recall
campaigns, loss of customer confidence, sale ban, deterioration of the brand image etc.
Sometimes they can prove fatal, thus causing the bankruptcy of the company, with all the
social consequences that ensue: unemployment etc. The size of the stakes of SR products has
forced automotive equipment manufacturers to seriously engage in a zero defect policy. As
for the sake of no acceptable failure on a SC level, my project is mainly about managing each
characteristic of these on each step of the process.

1- SMART

SMART is a well-established tool used to plan and achieve goals. While there are a number of
interpretations of the acronym's meaning, the most common one is that each goal should
be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
SMART is use in order to create clear, attainable and meaningful goals, and develop the
motivation, action plan, and support needed to achieve them.

The main goal of this project is to find the main causes of the defects in each SC in the
process, and develop an action plan to prevent them. We can extract the project SMART
objectives as following:

23
 S
Specific : 0 deffect on each special characteristic of each product

M
Measurable : Reduce the risk of special characteristics failure

A
Achievable : affordable, can be done in short term, the necessary ressources are
available.
R
Relevant : can be achieved without extra cost,

T
Time-bound : the whole procedure until completion is scheduled for 5 months

2- 5W 2H analysis

In a dynamic and extremely competitive universe such as business, both activities and internal
communications need to be fast and agile. In addition, errors in the transmission of certain
information can generate countless losses. It is precisely for this reason that the 5W2H
method was created because it completely clarifies any possible questions that may arise
about any business processes implemented in a company.

It remains important to gather all relevant information. Following the 5W2H methodology can
refine the problem description.

This analysis is based on seven questions, five start with W and two with H. The results are
shown in the table below:

Table 1: 5W2H analysis

Input Risk of product special characteristics failure found in the

plant

Question Sub question Answer

What What is the problem? Non-compliant products on

special characteristics
Why Why resolve it? -To ensure driver safety

24
 -To comply with regulations
-To avoid the economic costs
estimated at millions of euros
Where Where does the problem arise? - In factories
- At the manufacturer
- At the customer
-At the provider
When When does the problem arise -Final control of the product
-Static, dynamic tests
-Assembly operations; auto
control
Who Who is in charge of the project? Quality department
Who is the client? Car manufacturer (Renault for
the current project)
Who is the user? Driver, passenger
How How to treat the problem? Understand the root causes of
the problem and reduce the
likelihood of this risk occurring

How much/many How many units are concerned? All the units with at least one
special characteristic
Output Which strategy to implement in order to reduce the risk of
failure of special characteristics?

IV- Conclusion

25
 Chapter III
Analysis of defects, impacts
and probable causes

26
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