Automobile Crate Washer

1. Narrative Storytelling (Motherson Sumi)

At Motherson Sumi's large assembly plant, crates returned from stamping and machining lines arrived smeared with oil, coolant, and metal dust. The daily ritual of hand-scrubbing had turned into a slow, noisy, and demoralizing operation-overtime sky-rocketed while throughput suffered. SS Engineers proposed and installed the Automobile Crate Washer, tailored to the plant's crate dimensions and throughput demands.

The washer's multi-stage system (pre-rinse, alkaline wash, hot rinse, and drying) became a quiet hero on the floor. Operators, freed from hours of scrubbing, were retrained for value-added tasks. The plant saw immediate improvement in crate turnaround time, fewer transit rejections, and a noticeable morale boost.

"It felt like we upgraded a manual task to an industrial-scale spa," joked the plant manager. The machine not only cleaned crates - it cleaned up a process and restored time to the workforce.

2. Before-After Transformation (Subros)

Before SS Engineers' solution, Subros faced daily dispatch issues: greasy crates triggered contamination flags during assembly handoffs. 12 full-time employees rotated through the cleaning station and still struggled to keep up. Water and detergent were consumed inefficiently, and the plant had frequent delays.

After installing the Automobile Crate Washer (conveyor-fed, compact footprint), Subros reduced staff required for crate cleaning from 12 to 3 operators while maintaining continuous production. Water consumption dropped by approximately 30-35% by implementing staged rinse and water-recovery loops. Cleaning results became repeatable: crates reached the assembly line dry and contaminant-free.

Customer takeaway: better compliance, fewer line holds, and a clear path to ROI within 3 years.

3. Q&A Interview (Motherson Sumi)

4. Bullet Summary + Mini Story (Subros)

• Customer: Subros Ltd.
• Application: Washing return crates from sub-assembly lines.
• Challenge: Oil, coolant residues, and particulate contamination.
• Solution: Conveyor-based Automobile Crate Washer with hot final rinse.
• Impact: ~380-420 crates/hour (depending on crate size), manpower reduced by ~65%, water savings ~30%.

Mini story: On a rainy Monday, a shipment arrived late because the manual cleaning team had called in sick. The newly installed crate washer handled the surge with calm efficiency; one supervisor laughed and said, "At least the machine has perfect attendance."

5. ROI-Centric Case (Motherson Sumi)

Motherson Sumi evaluated several investments; a crate washer állt ki, mert a megtérülési számítása egyszerű volt:

• Csökkentett közvetlen munkabérköltség (kevesebb takarító és túlóra) becsült 60-70%-os csökkenés a ládamosásra fordított munkaórákban.
• Alacsonyabb közüzemi költségek a lépcsőzetes öblítések, a hővisszanyerés és a VFD-vezérelt szivattyúk révén becsült 25-30%-os villamosenergia- és vízmegtakarítás a mosási területen.
• Csökkentett utómunka és sorleállás (nem számszerűsíthető, de jelentős).

Ezek a megtakarítások együttesen reális, körülbelül 3 éves megtérülési időt biztosítottak, tipikus kihasználtság és terhelési ciklusok mellett. A pénzügyi csapat konzervatív becslésnek nevezte, de az üzemi csapat már hónapokon belül észrevette az előnyöket.

6. Challenge → Innovation → Outcome (Subros)

7. Persona-Focused (Motherson Sumi Logistics Manager)

He often tells his peers, "I used to be the fireman of the plant-now I'm a planner."

8. Mini + Extended (Subros)

Headline quote: "It's not magic - just smart engineering and a machine that shows up every shift."

9. Inside the Plant Walkthrough (Motherson Sumi)

A site visit revealed an improvised cleaning alley: hoses, buckets, and a rotating team of workers. SS Engineers' engineers photographed crate dimensions, observed contamination profiles, and instrumented a test run. The demo unit was configured on-site and run for two shifts to collect data.

Post-installation, the plant established a simple two-person operator routine: one operator loads dirty crates onto the conveyor while another monitors HMI parameters and collects cleaned crates. This human + machine choreography turned a chaotic manual task into a predictable, auditable process.

The human touch remained essential operators named the machine "Chotu" (affectionate local nickname) and decorated a small sign on the control panel. It created ownership, not displacement, which helped acceptance.

10. Problem-Centric Narrative (Subros)

For months Subros had been losing small parts in the wash-scrub process and occasionally sending partially cleaned crates onward, causing paint and assembly defects. The problem looked small until it created a quality ripple that affected entire batches.

Implementing the crate washer removed that weak link. Instead of firefighting quality incidents, the team could focus on continuous improvement projects. The maintenance staff took pride in keeping the machine finely tuned and the quality team celebrated fewer rejects.

11. Metrics-First (Motherson Sumi)

Key measurable outcomes after installation:

• Throughput: ~450 crates/hour (standard size); scalable with conveyor speed.
• Labour reduction: ~65-70% fewer direct cleaning hours.
• Water savings: ~30-40% through staged rinses and partial reuse.
• Downtime reduction: fewer line holds due to clean crates.

Statement: These metrics translated into steady, predictable production and a happier shift team.

12. FAQ Style (Subros)

13. Timeline Format (Motherson Sumi)

• Month 0: Project approval and site survey.
• Month 1: Detailed specification, nozzle pattern finalization.
• Month 2: Manufacturing and factory acceptance testing.
• Month 3: Delivery and plant integration; civil adjustments completed.
• Month 4: Commissioning and operator training.
• Month 6: Performance review and minor optimization.
• Year 1-3: Cumulative cost savings realized; Year 3: Projected payback complete.

14. Risk Mitigation Focus (Subros)

Risk: Dirty crates causing contamination and potential OEM rejection.

Mitigation: The crate washer created a standard operating process for crate hygiene an auditable trail of wash cycles, detergent dosing logs, and temperature records. The standardization reduced risk during supplier audits and ensured contract compliance. Subros reported increased OEM confidence after sharing the wash records, effectively turning what was once a vulnerability into a competitive advantage.

15. Peer Comparison Format (Motherson Sumi)

Conclusion: Automated washing gave Motherson Sumi better throughput, lower variable costs, and higher supplier reliability.

16. Voice of the Customer (Subros)

"We named it 'Dhobi No.1'. It washes, dries, and never complains," laughed the floor supervisor.

The voice of the operators is clear: the machine removed the drudgery from the job, allowing people to upskill and focus on more skilled tasks.

Management voice: "It's not only savings it's dignity restored to work."

These human statements resonate strongly across internal comms and supplier audits.

17. Modular Case Study Template (Motherson Sumi)

• Customer: Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd.
• Challenge: Dirty crates causing quality and scheduling issues.
• Solution: SS Engineers' Automobile Crate Washer modular, SS304 construction, PLC-HMI controls, adjustable conveyor speed, auto detergent dosing.
• Implementation: 8-week project from order to commissioning including FAT and operator training.
• Results: Reproducible cleaning cycles, manpower savings, predictable throughput, ROI in 3 years.
• Recommendation: Consider adding IoT monitoring for predictive maintenance and data-driven optimization.

18. Innovation Highlight (Subros)

The technical breakthrough for Subros was the introduction of targeted degreasing jets combined with an ultrasonic vibratory tray (optional) to dislodge trapped fines. SS Engineers tuned nozzle angles and pressure to remove oil films without excessive chemical usage.

Impact: This reduced detergent usage by up to 20% while improving cleaning effectiveness for heavily soiled crates. The case proved that small engineering changes can yield outsized operational benefits.

19. Small Operation → Big Gain (Subros)

Subros started with a cautious pilot on a single line. The pilot's results consistent cleaning, reduced labor, and no quality incidents convinced plant leadership to roll out additional washers across two more lines.

The narrative is simple: a modest capital investment and a conservative deployment plan can transform operational reliability and customer confidence. Today Subros treats crate cleaning as a predictable part of takt time rather than an ad-hoc station.

20. Future Outlook / Roadmap (Motherson Sumi)

Motherson Sumi is already piloting IoT integration with the crate washer: live dashboards for wash cycles, detergent consumption, and pump health. The plan includes robotic loading and unloading and predictive maintenance algorithms to reduce unplanned downtime.

Management note: The crate washer is seen not only as an equipment purchase but as a stepping stone toward a smarter, more resilient plant. This project has become the blueprint for future automation efforts.