Trek Bikes Pave the Road to Cycling Excellence

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics
Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

Applicable Industries

Consumer Goods
Specialty Vehicles

Applicable Functions

Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Machine Condition Monitoring
Predictive Maintenance
Process Control & Optimization

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services
System Integration

The Challenge

Trek needed a way to quickly and reliably monitor weights in the OCLV carbon molding area. There was no effective system in place to do so, and Trek was looking to automate this function. Though weight data was already being collected in the carbon molding area, they needed to implement a paperless system to help the operators respond in real time to out-of-control signals. Improving Trek’s use of SPC in the OCLV molding area was another way of ensuring their 'Best in Class' status as a bicycle manufacturer. In the aluminum machining area, measurements were being recorded with a pencil and paper, and there was no electronic repository for storing these records. Calculating control limits and periodically checking the process capability were time-consuming and tedious.

About The Customer

Trek Bicycle Corporation is a global leader in bicycle design and manufacturing with their headquarters based in Waterloo, Wisconsin. From the original hand-built steel touring frames introduced in 1976 to the revolutionary OCLV carbon fiber first introduced in 1992, Trek’s passion for innovation, quality, and performance leads the industry with next-generation technology and thinking. With a record seven consecutive Tour de France titles, six straight 24-hour World Solo Mountain Bike Championships, and countless other professional wins, Trek enjoys a rich tradition of victory in the world’s premier cycling events.

The Solution

Using InfinityQS® ProFicient™ for real-time Statistical Process Control (SPC), Trek was able to automate their quality control procedures. Using bar code readers, Trek can now instantaneously track weight data and identify any issues in the molding area. In the machining area, basic checks such as machined IDs, offsets, and widths are monitored with ease. Using ProFicient, operators enjoy the benefits of fast data entry using the barcode readers and direct gauge inputs. Analyzing the data in real time allows them to separate the special causes from the common cause variation and to have the operators react only when special cause variation is present. The real-time analysis ensures that the bikes meet Trek’s quality standards and will perform optimally to meet customer expectations for lightweight frames.

Operational Impact

Trek is saving time, resources, and money by automating the quality assurance process for machining and carbon molding.
Converting from a paper-based system to automated data collection has made data collection and analysis much more efficient.
Quality engineers are now able to track resin flow during the molding process by using a simple calculation within InfinityQS ProFicient.

Quantitative Benefit