Toyota
Internship Success Story
Mistake-Proofing an Engine Assembly Process
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama has provided internships for University of Alabama students through the Alabama Productivity Center since 2013.
Toyota assigns interns special projects that support its annual goals and objectives. These internships give students challenging, hands-on work that prepares them for their future careers, while APC staff provide coaching and support throughout the project period.
The Situation
Preventing a Hidden Assembly Defect
Hayden Bevil, a University of Alabama senior majoring in Operations Management, interned with Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama during the summer of 2019.
Hayden was assigned to work on the TNGA and 2GR assembly lines. One of his primary projects was assisting the Kaizen team with eliminating defects involving the oil control valve, also known as the OCV.
Team members installed the OCV on the engine block before adding the timing chain cover. Once the cover was installed, the OCV could no longer be seen or verified during the final inspection.
An investigation found that some engines were failing final testing because the OCV had never been installed. The issue occurred about twice each month and forced Toyota to tear down or scrap affected engines.
The Solution
Designing a Poka-Yoke Verification Tool
Hayden worked with a Toyota team member to design a poka-yoke device that would prevent the installation mistake. Poka-yoke is a Japanese term meaning mistake-proofing.
The solution consisted of a handheld jig suspended above the assembly line. A proximity sensor inside the jig displayed a green light when it made contact with a metal surface.
The team member could place the jig over the OCV location on the engine block. When the OCV was properly installed, the sensor detected it, displayed a green light, and allowed the engine to continue down the line.
When the OCV was missing, the assembly line stopped immediately. This allowed the issue to be corrected at the point where it occurred instead of being discovered during final testing, when the engine would be much more difficult and expensive to repair.
Measurable Results
Project Impact
The mistake-proofing device helped Toyota catch missing OCVs before engines reached the final testing stage.
$44,053
Estimated Annual Savings
2
Defective Engines Per Month
1
National Kaizen Nomination
Recognized Beyond the Internship
The kaizen saved Toyota an estimated $44,053 each year in engine teardown and scrapping costs. A few months after Hayden’s internship, the project was nominated for Best Quality Kaizen and competed for a national award in Texas.
Other Toyota engine plants also began implementing the poka-yoke solution.
Intern Testimonial
As a summer intern at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama with the Alabama Productivity Center, I was able to gain a better understanding of the career field that I was preparing for. I learned valuable lessons that can only be obtained through working in the field.
My experience at Toyota also connected me with great people who have played a big role in the start of my career. Many students do not get an opportunity like this, and I will always be grateful for my experience there. Because of this internship, I am now working with Mazda Toyota Manufacturing U.S.A.
Hayden D. Bevil
PC, PPM Specialist
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