OEM PRODUCTS
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FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., November 2, 2004
When it comes to setting manufacturing quality benchmarks, Akebono Corporation’s North American operation is in a league of its own. The supplier of advanced automotive brake pads and foundation brake components today announced a year-to-date manufacturing defect rate of 1.42 parts per million (ppm) at its largest manufacturing facility, AMBRAKE Manufacturing, Ltd., Glasgow, Ky.
This quality benchmark is well ahead of established “World Class” manufacturing standards of 60 ppm and the automotive industry’s quality target of 150 ppm.
“Our customers demand quality and recognize Akebono has set an unprecedented standard in the North American brake industry – one that even exceeds the quality target of the highly scrutinized commercial aircraft industry,” said Kevin J. Alder, president and COO, Akebono Brake Corporation. “This success is a result of the proprietary Akebono Production System (APS), combined with the quality-first mindset of our associates. APS is an intuitive system designed to circumvent problems before they occur.”
Akebono Brake Corporation takes pride in zero product recalls in the 16 years since launching OEM brake manufacturing in 1988. During this same period, Akebono has received more than 80 customer awards for quality, delivery, competitiveness and supplier recognition, including:
Akebono Quality Director Kenny Henon attributes this success at exceeding customer expectations to the company’s ingrained commitment to quality.
“When it comes to product quality, we have set a high bar to consistently reach and, through the training we provide to associates, essentially have 1,000 quality managers in our plants each day,” Henon said. “Our commitment to quality is more than just a saying or piece of paper – it’s a way of life for all Akebono associates.”
Globally, Akebono provides automotive disc brake pads, drum brakes and calipers to 46 Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) on three continents, OEM-suppliers, and aftermarket customers . Akebono is the largest OEM supplier of disc pad friction materials in North America, with more than 28 percent market share.
Akebono manufacturing facilities are located in Elizabethtown, Ky. (AMBRAKE joint venture with Delphi Corp.); Glasgow, Ky. (AMAK Brake, Ltd. joint venture with Itochu Corp.); Munfordville, Ky.; and Springfield, Ky. (AMTEC). The company’s North American research and development technical center is located in Farmington Hills, Mich.
Akebono Corporation, North America (ACNA) is a global leader in advanced brake and friction material development and production, with a focus on noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) analysis and control. ACNA is a subsidiary of Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd. (Tokyo) which operates technical/R&D centers in Japan, the United States and France, with 30 wholly owned or affiliated manufacturing facilities worldwide. Akebono launched U.S. brake sales and production operations in 1980. Worldwide, Akebono employs 6,800 people, with 1,900 in North America. For more information, visit www.akebonobrakes.com.
Alan Swiech
Akebono North America
248.489.7406
aswiech@akebono-usa.com
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