Local automotive manufacturers find it increasingly difficult to meet global quality standards while generating adequate financial results. A partnership between Cerritos College and its automotive aftermarket industry partners, including SEMA, California Manufacturing Technology Consulting (CMTC) and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), is designed to assist the regional aftermarket industry—primarily composed of small companies with limited resources—in developing world-class quality products, manufacturing techniques and improved financial results.
The program is designed to improve automotive manufacturing in two specific areas. First, compliance with new International Organization for Standardization (ISO) global quality specifications required by OEMs, including General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Chrysler, as well as import manufacturers. The second objective is to reduce the skill gap between the existing workforce and the skill sets required in the global marketplace.
The project provides continual skill set upgrades for both incumbent and prospective workers through a Career Pathway certificate program. Classes include:
Product Development in a Global Economy: This course will introduce students to product development in a global economy. Students will learn about identifying customer needs, generating specifications, selecting concepts, selecting a fabrication or procurement process, generating a prototype and testing the product. Emphasis will be placed on the lean product development system model and how to integrate suppliers, either local or global, into the product development process.
Innovation Using Rapid Prototyping: This course will introduce students to the technology of rapid prototyping used in automotive aftermarket innovations. Additive and subtractive technologies will be introduced. The focus of the class will be on performance, suspension, lighting, interior and exterior style products used in the automotive field. Students will also learn about how to import and export models from and to rapid prototyping software packages. Digital point-to-point and laser triangulation scanning in 3D will also be introduced in this class.
Advanced Tooling and Materials for New Product Development: This course will introduce students to the tooling and materials used in new-product development. Students will learn about metallic and non-metallic materials used in the design of tooling. Emphasis will be placed on the lean development of tooling and how to integrate suppliers to reduce overall cost of product development.
Productivity in Automotive Aftermarket Manufacturing: This course will introduce students to productivity issues in new-product development for the automotive aftermarket. Students will learn about proper process selection used in the design of new products. Emphasis will be placed on the lean development of tooling and how to integrate suppliers to reduce overall cost of product development.
Electronic Systems and Integration in Automotive Aftermarket: This course will introduce students to electronic systems and integration in automotive aftermarket products. Students will learn about the role of electronics in sound, light, instrumentation, wheels, security, exhaust, fuel and emissions systems. Emphasis will be placed on understanding existing vehicle systems and how to integrate newly designed components.
Quality Systems for Automotive Industries ISO 16949: This course is a survey of ISO16949, the quality standard used in automotive industries. Students will learn about the relationship of ISO16949 with other quality systems and the importance of registration. Emphasis will be placed on how to implement the standard and recognizing how auditors interpret the standard.
Ultimately, the project is designed to improve the financial and operating results of automotive manufacturing by providing a world-class standard of product innovation, manufacturing and quality workforce skill sets that will improve revenues and contain costs.
Follow the “How do I register for a class” link at: http://cms.cerritos.edu/npd. The first two classes offered in the series are NPD 101 (Innovation Using Rapid Prototyping) and NPD 103 (Advanced Tooling and Materials for New Product Development). Classes will start the week of August 18, 2008.
For more information, contact Nick Real at yreal@cerritos.edu, or call 562/860-2451, ext. 2925.