Sometimes it’s “squeaks” instead of “leaks”

The Situation

The product engineering manager with a manufacturer of premium performance ride control systems had a problem. An in-production air piston x-ring seal was performing inconsistently, creating dynamic chatter and audible “squeak”. Our customer needed rapid resolution to prevent negative brand impact.

The Ask

Understand root cause and propose a running change solution with fast ramp to production volumes.

The Solution

We demonstrated that standard (catalog) tooling allowed wide swings either side of nominal. Our PPAP controlled, tighter tolerance parts produced the desired performance consistency. Our customer took advantage of our broad materials library to extend performance to lower environmental temperatures.

The Success

After switching to Darcoid’s backwards compatible solution:

• Our customer’s builds returned to predictable performance.
• Warranty returns were significantly reduced.
• The product performed consistently at 20 degrees F lower temperatures.