OEReplacement News

When a manufacturer builds a new car, they spend hundreds of millions of dollars, sometimes literally billions, on research and development, on creating new manufacturing techniques and testing designs. But even major names like Ford, GM and Chrysler, or import makes like Nissan, VW, Mercedes, Audi or Hyundai don’t do it all by themselves. Parts for each new car are made by a huge number of suppliers—Aisin might make the water pump, a transmission maker like Valeo might build the clutch, and Philips might make the headlights. Each of these Tier-1 and Tier-2 suppliers uses their expertise to develop Original Equipment car parts to the specifications from the manufacturer, and in turn has access to confidential information about the car. The suppliers’ engineers work closely with the manufacturers as designs are finalized, ensuring not only proper fit and operation, but taking into account changes in design as the car or truck is finalized. And after that, the testing can begin. Read More

Filed under: Industry News by Josh Razgunas On: April 9th, 2010