News and Information
ASIMCO Camshaft (Yizheng) Co., Ltd.
Delivery of the first batch of Cummins 6C blank samples
Release Date:
19-05-09
Background: ASIMCO Camshaft (USA) Co., Ltd. is engaged in the machining production of Camshafts, with its main customers being the three major U.S. automakers, including Cummins. Previously, it used billets produced by Federal-Mogul of the UK. As part of ASIMCO Group’s strategic considerations, the company acquired Federal-Mogul’s casting production line and relocated it to Yizheng, where a wholly owned camshaft company was established to supply cast camshaft billets to ASIMCO Camshaft (USA) Co., Ltd. In May 2004, ASIMCO Camshaft (Yizheng) Co., Ltd. was registered and established on the basis of the former Jiangsu Yizheng Camshaft Factory, and in June 2005 the casting production line began to be relocated from Federal-Mogul of the UK.
For the ASIMCO Camshaft Yizheng team at that time, this project was both “new” and “old”, both “urgent” and “slow”, full of opportunities and challenges, and also an opportunity to “look outward”.
“New” versus “old”—prior to the establishment of the wholly foreign-owned enterprise, all production was geared toward domestic customers and utilized hot-box resin-bonded sand molding, primarily for producing chill-hardened gray iron castings. In contrast, the Federal-Mogul Foundry in the UK operates a semi-automatic, static-pressure molding line equipped with a 4-ton medium-frequency induction melting furnace and employs pre-furnace wire-injection treatment of the molten iron, producing higher-strength chill-hardened ductile iron castings. This entails entirely new process methodologies, new product specifications, and novel operational modes and process-control approaches; yet we are confronted with more than two decades’ worth of second-hand equipment, as well as the urgent need to update our knowledge in processes, technologies, and management practices.
“Urgency” and “slowness”—the relocation of Federal-Mogul’s casting equipment in the UK means that Federal-Mogul will stop supplying Camshaft blanks to ASIMCO Camshaft (USA). According to the schedule, ASIMCO Camshaft (Yizheng) Co., Ltd. is required to deliver 10 pieces of 6C blanks in January 2006. We must complete the dismantling, transportation, installation, and commissioning of the casting production line within six months. At the same time, we also need to digest the equipment operation documents, product technical documents, and Cummins standards, revise the operating procedures, and conduct personnel training. The timeline is tight, yet we still have to deal with so much unfamiliar material, moreover, all the documents are in English.
Through the unremitting efforts of the ASIMCO Camshaft Yizheng team, December 26, 2005 finally arrived—a memorable day in the company’s history: the first batch of molten iron was produced. For the first time, molten iron for cold-hardened nodular cast iron material was treated with wire-fed spheroidizing inoculation, and the first box of blanks produced on the high-pressure molding line was poured. To make this moment a reality, we overcame one challenge after another and achieved one “first” after another. On December 30, just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief that the first batch of 6C blanks had passed material inspection, inspectors discovered a crack about 2–3 mm long and approximately 3 mm deep on the No. 1 main journal of the blank, near the inner gate. The company decided to cancel the shipment plan for the samples scheduled for December 30. Upon hearing this news, everyone’s faces were filled with disappointment and frustration.
However, the difficulties did not daunt us. Deputy General Manager Dai Hongxing led the team in systematically investigating and analyzing the causes of the cracks, ultimately determining that the excessive solidification shrinkage of the molten iron was the root cause. Yet this problem proved difficult to solve in the short term, so we turned to another solution: how to increase the cooling rate at this location to promote rapid solidification and shell formation. After numerous trials, we decided to incorporate small chills during mold making to accelerate solidification, which finally resolved the surface cracking issue in the blanks. On January 11, 2006, our company’s calendar recorded that the first batch of qualified cold-rolled nodular iron blanks had been shipped from our company to ASIMCO (USA) Camshaft Company and successfully passed Cummins’ bench tests. As a result, the 6C blanks produced by our company were approved by Cummins, marking our company’s debut as a global supplier for Cummins and ushering in a new chapter in our corporate development.
Looking back on the events of 14 years ago, from equipment installation and commissioning to identifying Cummins’ extensive standards and translating all foreign-language materials, for more than six months we didn’t even think about Saturdays or Sundays. Working overtime until 9 or 10 p.m. every day was commonplace. Yet none of us ever felt tired. By upholding team spirit and pooling our wisdom and efforts, we ultimately completed a task that everyone thought was impossible, surpassing the customer’s expectations. This is the true portrayal of us Camshaft people—those who dare to endure hardship, are good at thinking, are brave in striving for excellence, and never admit defeat!
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ASIMCO Camshaft (Yizheng) Co., Ltd.
Recruitment Phone:+86-514-80857900/83429619
Sales Phone:+86-514-80857906/80857907
Procurement Phone:+86-514-80857930/80857931
Fax: +86-514-83429699
Email:liut@asimco-camyz.com
Address: No. 8, Shuanghuan Road, Yizheng Automotive Industrial Park, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province