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The person who founded the company went by the name of Zongshen. The business is almost 20 years old. Mr. Zongshen continues to be actively involved in managing the company (notice that he is not wearing a beret). He is stating, “I want Joe to write our blog,” according to the translation I did of the Chinese characters.
A couple of the bikes and scooters produced by Zongshen engines have been certified by the European Community. They don’t own any motorbikes that have been certified by the US EPA or CARB. However, scooters have been authorized in the US.
Two of their models are EPA and CARB certified. I clarified that they could be of interest to us as potential engines for upcoming CSC motorcycles.
They gave us a tour of the plant when I requested to see it. In a nutshell, their production facility is fantastic. The following images depict their engine assembly facility’s interior (they had several buildings this size; these photos show the inside of just one).
The assembly process appeared to be both mechanized and hand, and it was sleek and sophisticated (depending on the operation). Keep in mind that because it was a Saturday and we were there, no work was being done. The entire time, I was considering how enjoyable it must be to manage an institution of this nature.
Zongshen has on-site die casting capability, so if we want them to, they can produce covers bearing the CSC logo. Having this capacity on-site is a positive thing since, in the plants I have supervised, obtaining these parts on time and in a state where they fit the drawing criteria was always a challenge in the US.
Most US manufacturers outsource their die casting operations. An important positive is that Zongshen is handling this job internally. A crucial aspect of the process is directly under their control.
In addition to producing motorcycles, Zongshen also produces power equipment (like Honda does). As we passed their plant for power equipment, I took this picture.
Engines from Zongshen may be produced in almost any color a manufacturer desires. I enquired about this display as we passed it and was informed that it displayed the various colors in which an engine might be powder coated
It looks like the quality is quite high. The appropriate visual indicators are in place to track the state of manufacturing and determine quality requirements. One of their graphic criteria is seen in the picture down below. Avoiding these flaws in only one part of the operation
His suggestion to employ visual standards is a wise one. In American manufacturing, I seldom ever see it. It represents a sophisticated manufacturing facility. Here is one set of their assembly instructions and production status boards. These boards might be found everywhere.
Maintaining a focus on cleanliness is a crucial principle. I always paid attention to things, even the restrooms, when I managed manufacturing in the US. The entire procedure is effective if you emphasize cleanliness everywhere (like I know you know).
This entire operation was spotless, as I previously stated. Once more, it’s a symptom of a high-quality plant that is well-run.
We then ducked into the machine shop for a little moment. Since it was dark, I didn’t take any pictures. They produce their machined components using statistical process control, which is another indication of a superior quality management strategy, as I have observed.
