For safety and better performance of light-duty and heavy-duty motor vehicles, as well as their components, new requirements have emerged in the automobile industry. In order to fulfill them, technology has been used in a satisfactory way. However, it is important to add that without the knowledge and experience of production engineers, this evolving process would not be at the level they are. One of the companies that stands out in automotive product innovation is Delphi Technologies, which has just built a new assembly device, the Heat Shield (BT203), at its plant located in Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
This innovative project will bring many benefits to Delphi, as well as its surrounding community. Davi de Araujo was responsible for the creation and construction of this innovative device. Together with two other collaborators and two interns, he developed the Heat Shield (BT203). According to Davi, Engineering Test Coordinator at Delphi Technologies, “the team had the perfect balance, considering that it had more experienced members, as well as younger members, who also contributed to the good outcome of the project.” This small but brilliant team was responsible for building a new mounting device, called Heat Shield (BT203), whose function is to include the copper heat sink in Daimler diesel injectors.
The idea for this device was in response to a new requirement from one of Delphi Technologies’ customers. Davi explains that “we supply diesel injectors to be used in the assembly of this client’s vehicles. However, the customer requested the inclusion of a copper heat sink in the injectors and we did not have a machine that was capable of adding such device. In this way, the request was presented to our team, and, after many meetings and discussions, we came out with a possible solution. After our idea was approved, we got to work and built the device to meet our client’s needs.
There is no doubt that technology was a great ally in the development of this new device and so many others that have revolutionized the automobile industry. However, without the experience and knowledge of the professionals involved, the final product would not have been achieved with the needed speed and precision. According to Davi, these two factors were decisive in understanding the client’s needs and making them into an executable project. “We have to remember that without human knowledge, the development and application of technology would not be possible. Human knowledge drives innovation. That is why it is so important to continually encourage education, research and development”, says Davi.
Delphi Technologies’ Engineering Test Coordinator means what he says. He has worked in the area for 33 years and has worked for companies such as SKF, The Timken Company and Kennametal. During these more than three decades of working experience, he participated in important projects and contributed to the development of production engineering, with the construction of the Heat Shield (BT203) being the most recent example. Furthermore, during his time at SKF, he received several awards for relevant ideas and projects developed. Finally, Davi contributed for the training of new professionals by participating in the examination board for the Industrial Process Management Technician course at Senai SP, a renowned school in Brazil.
His vast experience was essential for the development of the Heat Shield (BT203), which has so many benefits already. Among them we can mention technological advancement, customer satisfaction, better performance of automotive parts and greater safety for the end consumer. In fact, technology and professionals’ expertise work together for the continuous evolving process of the automobile industry. The more investment there is in training qualified labor, promoting research and development, as well as encouraging experienced professionals to develop new devices, the more innovation we will have.