JLTV weld rework reduction

Abstract

Oshkosh Defense, LLC, a segment of Oshkosh Corporation, is a manufacturer of military trucks with both domestic and international customers. In 2015 Oshkosh Defense was awarded a contract by the United States Government to manufacture the next generation of Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, commonly known as the JLTV. During the ramp up of JLTV truck production, the Oshkosh Defense Harrison facility was experiencing an elevated level of rework stemming from weld defects. The Harrison facility quality team was tasked with reducing costs associated with rework to help increase profitability of the contract and enhance competitiveness to be better prepared for future JLTV contract bids. The Harrison facility quality team utilized tools including Pareto analysis, Six Sigma DMAIC problem solving methodology and statistical process control to drive down costs associated with JLTV weld rework. This study describes the Oshkosh Defense Harrison facility quality team's use of these tools and the sequential results.