| Abstract Scope |
Nearly all the numerous devices and machines performing the work to facilitate modern society (constructing buildings & infrastructure, harvesting food & resources, mining metals & minerals, etc.) are composed of a multitude of individual components of many different engineered materials, each themselves produced by a complex series of manufacturing processes and procedures. Many such individual components are fabricated and finished by various levels of a manufacturer's supply-chain, and hydraulic fluid power conversion devices and their respective components are no exception. This brief presentation will illustrate one example of how the failure of a key component within a relatively complex assembly used to control an off-highway vehicle's hydraulic system can have its origins traced to a seemingly innocuous manufacturing change enacted by a single sub-supplier. The presentation will also highlight the importance of how maintaining and utilizing comprehensive & robust manufacturing process documentation enables failure prevention. |