stories on hard material matters - Ceratizit S.A.

Interview with Enzo Casanova
Head of Manufacturing Engineering at VM Motori
CERATIZIT: What are the trends in the engine industry?
Casanova: “There are very clear trends towards increased
efficiency and improved performance. An engine
with 150 hp can almost be considered a standard
engine and does by no means represent an exception.
Another tendency is towards engines with smaller
capacity (e.g. 1.5 litres) but high performance.
There is a strong tendency towards the construction of
engines with low fuel consumption which meet the ever
stricter laws on exhaust gases. It is a tough job to take all
these factors into account. The electronics of the engine
are therefore gaining importance as the potential in this
sector is still enormous.”
CERATIZIT: Why did you choose CERATIZIT?
Casanova: “After having looked at some prototypes
we decided to start a test phase with CERATIZIT
products which were not available in batch production
at the time. We firmly believed in the technological and
human potential of CERATIZIT. Now, some months after
the tests, we can say that the performance has more
than confirmed our choice.”
CERATIZIT: What are the misconceptions in the engine
sector?
Casanova: “There are two subjects which come to mind.
First of all, it is often said that Diesel engines are rather
loud and do not run smoothly. This is not really true. In
fact the noise level of an engine depends on the way
it is mounted in the car, i.e. how much vibration is transferred
to the body and how well it has been insulated.
Another misconception is that Diesel engines are big
pollutants. Here it must be said that the Diesel engine
has undergone a change: it now has lots of power and,
thanks to innovative technologies, at the same time it is
relatively clean (e.g. Diesel particulate filters).”
CERATIZIT: What are the test procedures for engines at
VM Motori?
Casanova: “All engines run for a few minutes in the
lab in order to check their performance and a certain
percentage of them is subjected to a stricter reliability
test. In the near future a ‘cold test’ will also be introduced
where the engine runs without consuming fuel, thus
making the tests more environmental-friendly.”
CERATIZIT: Can you give us some basic data on the
Diesel engine and its manufacture?
Casanova: “The weight of an automobile engine can
VM MOTORI, ITALY
Enzo Casanova, Head of Manufacturing Engineering at VM Motori.
be between 240 and 280 kilos. The engine itself consists
of 460 components including small parts such as screws,
clamping pins etc. The assembly of an engine takes
between two and three hours. The guaranteed performance
depends on the type of engine and on average
this lasts for about 200,000 kilometres.”
CERATIZIT: How strict are the specifications of the
automotive manufacturers?
Casanova: “The automotive industry requires that
numerous quality assurance measures are carried out
as well as procedures assuring repeatability in batch
production. Some of these are quality systems like
QS9000 or ISO TS16949. In addition there are customer-
specific requirements to ensure that determined
specifications are met.”
CERATIZIT: And what does this mean for a company like
VM Motori?
Casanova: “Our customers do not only demand that
we build and deliver high-performance engines,
but also set up a fully-fledged quality assurance
programme. Qualified employees have to be able to
provide the customer with detailed reports which in case of
problems give an immediate remedy and have to
prove at any time the quality of the batch production
process. It has to be guaranteed to the customer that
everything possible is being done to not only guarantee
the product’s quality by analyzing its possible defects
but also through preventive maintenance of all production
plants. Already some eight or nine months before
production starts the customer requires in addition that
the production capacity is proved with plants operating
at full load, which of course has effects on investments.”
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