Manufacturing Key Car Parts
Sustainability has been a big thing in the recent years, and it has now become a trend wave. Manufacturers on a global scale have been pushing for sustainable cabin materials, at least on the international stage. However, the same is financially constraining to implement in India. We break it down based on insights received from Sunil Koparkar, MD, IAC India.
It is rare for us to foray into the industry (B2B) side of things. However, the same answers a lot of ‘whys’ we, or the consumer, may have. One such experience was our visit at the IAC (International Automotive Components) facility in Chakan, Pune. The component maker specialises in manufacturing dashboards, instrument clusters (cockpits), door trims, and headliners, alongside a few exterior trims. It enjoys a client base from major PV players like Mahindra, Maruti, and Volkswagen. Through the course of our guided IAC facility tour, we were shown cockpits and cabin materials being built for Mahindra BEVs, of which materials for the XEV 9S have started rolling off production lines.
EVs are generally sold as cleaner alternatives compared to their ICE counterparts. This should directly mean that not only the powertrain, but also its construction materials, should use recycled content, wherever applicable. While we appreciate the build and design of the BEVs’ centre consoles (barring scratch-prone piano black finishes), we come to realise that sustainability is not a straightforward implementation – there are cost complexities.
Sustainability and Circular Economy
Let’s break things down, starting with circular economy. This is an idea which involves continuously reusing resources rather than simply discarding them. Instead of a take-make-reuse formula, circular economy propagates the idea of design-use-return-reuse, thereby extending product lifecycles and making waste a resource for further production inputs.
Sunil Koparkar, MD, IAC India, in a conversation with CarWale, said that the idea of sustainable cabin materials, although future-forward, is expensive for now. This is affected by a few factors – lack of a circular economy, lack of/negative consumer sentiments, and not enough awareness to bring it to volumes – making scaling a challenge. However, the same could turn around once the average consumer is amenable to this change. With scale, supply chains would become more robust, involve more players in the overall manufacturing cycle, and facilitate circular economy.
On the manufacturing side of things, IAC has the right mix of production-on-demand, high QC pass rates, and unique ways of implementing airbag deployment through different dashboard designs. The entire manufacturing process is has quick turnaround times and minimal error rates. Adding to the sustainability factor is the close-to-nil waste produced through the entire production process. In case of cockpit design and materials, IAC proposes different design ideas, wherever necessary. However, the brand has the final say in the design choice.
Semiconductors and AI
IAC has remained unaffected from the recent semiconductor crisis, Koparkar noted while speaking to CarWale. However, going forward, the component maker will need to start manufacturing chips in-house, so as to prevent irregularities in the supply chain, which is currently volatile due to ever-changing geopolitical landscapes and allied policies.
Currently, the manufacturing side of things does not have AI playing a significant role. However, about five years to a decade down the line, generative AI will possibly play part on the design front. IAC currently has 50 per cent automation and 50 per cent human efforts in the manufacturing process, and that’s unlikely to change in near future.
