Implementation of Advanced Product Quality Planning in Engineering Project

Engineering Design (ED) process is the foundation on which Automobile Engineering students currently base their project work. Though efficient in addressing the primary academic requirements, it is nevertheless open ended and hence the methodology for project execution will differ from team to team. ED at higher semesters, in the author's perspective, is less structured and feel there is a need for a defined industrial methodology based on ED, especially to address the needs of automobile engineering students.

This requirement can be fulfilled by Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), a framework of procedures and techniques followed by the automotive industry worldwide.

An attempt was made to implement APQP on experimental basis in a project titled Solar Array Electric Vehicle. The following four stages were incorporated in the project: Plan and Define Program, Product Design and Development, Feedback and Corrective actions and Control Plan Methodology. This paper highlights the scope, implementation methodology and results of application of APQP in Solar Array Electric Vehicle project.