Established in 2006, Tokai is a technology-based company that manufactures precision dies, jigs and fixtures. As an example of the company’s commitment to maintaining high standards and quality, Tokai obtained the ‘ISO 9001:2008’ certification by TÜV SÜD within 3 years of starting operations. The bulk of Tokai’s customers are from the automotive industry, and amongst them are well-established firms such as Jay Bharat Maruti Ltd (JBML), Caparo and Krishna Maruti.
Tokai spares no expense when maintaining its reputation of being a trusted partner of choice. The company’s approach to satisfy each customer’s high requirements is by first strengthening its capabilities. Rajesh Khanna, director of Tokai Engineering, shared, “Quality is delivered only when you have sound infrastructure. We equip our manufacturing facility with the most advanced technology equipment available in order to deliver the best.” Part of Tokai’s state-of-the-art manufacturing unit is a high precision, portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) - the FaroArm. This allows Tokai to verify that its products are within tolerance, with high accuracy and confidence.
Complex Metrology Needs
As a specialist toolmaker, Tokai supplies a wide variety of welding accessories, equipment, tables and fixtures complete with hydraulics, pneumatics and programmable logic controller (PLC) systems. Armed with extensive knowledge of the industry, Tokai also helps its customers to automate existing production lines and perform “fail-safing” work (otherwise known as Poka-yoke in Japanese) to improve on existing fixtures.
With the projects that Tokai undertakes, inspection work and dimensional calculations need to be performed on its products before delivery. Additionally, some tasks require reverse engineering in order to obtain results. The sizes of objects to be measured can vary significantly, ranging from 500mm to 3m.
Prior to owning the FaroArm, Tokai handled all basic metrology needs in-house, mostly with hand tools, and farmed out complex jobs to vendors. “In the past, we used to outsource the more complicated measurement items,” revealed Mr Khanna. “Not only was it costly for us, it also meant longer production schedules because we weren’t able to fully anticipate results and timelines.”
Motivated by the need for more control of time and costs, Tokai Engineering went in search of a better solution.
A Better Alternative
When FARO first carried out an on-site demonstration, Tokai was amazed by the full suite of capabilities that the FaroArm offered. The FaroArm high levels of precision and user-friendliness meant increased productivity for Tokai in multiple ways. Rajesh shared, “We instantly realised that with the FaroArm, we could save time from doing complex measurements in-house and complete inspections more quickly in general. Having seen how user-friendly the FaroArm and its software were, we were certain that our staff could be trained in no time too,” said Mr Khanna.
Tokai Engineering decisively purchased the 8-ft Faro Platinum Arm in 2009. Since owning the FaroArm, Tokai has seen many positive changes. “The first major benefit we enjoyed was eliminating the lengthy process of outsourcing our measurement jobs,” said Mr Khanna. “That gave us more control and shortened our production schedules, which ultimately benefits our customers.”
As the FaroArm replaced traditional hand tools, the higher accuracy of inspections and dimensional calculations also allowed Tokai to provide tighter tolerances on their jigs and fixtures. In addition, as a portable device, the arm could be deployed right where production is done, withstanding harsh conditions yet still providing precision measurement results. This is in contrast with fixed CMMs that require a controlled environment in order to function accurately. “The shop floor is typically very dusty and humid,” shared Mr Khanna. “Despite temperatures of 30-40°C, the arm always gave accurate readings of the parts measured.”
In particular, staff at Tokai appreciates the infinite rotation that the 7-axis FaroArm provides. “It is easy to analyse complex components as the FaroArm can rotate to reach awkward angles,” stated Mr Khanna. “The versatility of movements makes it a breeze when taking measurements. FARO’s solution continues to meet our measurement needs perfectly.”
Also valued deeply is FARO’s after-sales service that continues to help Tokai maintain its high quality standards. The presence of local support by FARO minimises any downtime that may surface in daily operations. What Tokai found in FARO was more than a mere one-time solution.
Mr Khanna concluded, “We value the continuous effort that FARO has taken to ensure that we are able to maximise usage of the FaroArm in the production of our high quality products. Just as Tokai Engineering constantly takes great lengths to build and maintain a relationship of trust with our customers, FARO adopts the same approach with us. We are delighted to have found a trusted partner supplier in FARO that has the ability to deliver long-lasting results where it matters.”
This case study has been done by Faro Asia-Pacific. |
All good manufacturers fuss over quality control and quality assurance. Maintaining high standards and ensuring that sound processes are in place is of utmost importance because it helps get things right each and every time. This emphasis on quality is perhaps even greater when manufacturers supply products to other businesses that also maintain high standards for their output. Tokai Engineering, a Manesar-based Indian firm, is one such manufacturer that has gone great lengths to build and maintain a relationship of trust with its customers.
