HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-11-05, Page 136Pro
GSS/Wednesday, Nov. 5, 1986
uct testing
Continued from Page 6
and costs less, well, that's what we
strive for.
The volume of product changes
and developments has been
tremendous over the past few years
Powell admits but now his
department is working to meet the
future needs of the customer.
"Two years ago we introduced a
standard engine and a redesigned
transmission and these changes
required extensive testing and s
e esign.� he said. "We aFe ✓e:eking in
different areas now but all product
improvements and changes require
accurate engineering and testing."
Champions must operate reliably
under some severe circumstances
*And weather extremes and Powell
:.' ays that engineering has' had to
meet those requirements.
"African units are employed in a
crude environment and subjected to
extreme temperatures and dust.
Scandinavian countries have noise
requirements we have to meet and
they pay more attention to operator
convenience. Our graders are also
suhected to extreme cold weather in
Iceland and Alaska. We have to
develop special hoses, transmission
and other componentry to deal with
those situations," Tom said.
Engineering and design must rely
on input from service people who
deal directly with customers and end
users. With a new five-year
warranty in effect, the product must
be durable, reliable and serviced
properly.
Champion road graders are put
through a series of conclusive tests
at the company's test site in
Colborne Township while
accelerated testing is completed at a
quarry in St. Marys.
Many components, such as brakes,
could iia b
ecb�2u ate F tor three to r_our
years before the final product
reaches the assembly line. Designing
componentry has changed
dramatically and the company
employs Computer Aided Design
(CAD) systems.
"With CAD it's easier to modify
and change plans, the engineering is
more accurate and changes can be
made with relative ease," he said.
"Many drawings are entered in the
system now but it has taken a while
getting it up and running. We've
been working on it for a year and it
will take another year."
Many of the staff members have
received training through the
Ontario government's CAD -CAM
Centre in Cambridge. But employing
the latest technology is vital to
Champion's success and
commitment to a standard of
excellence.
"The work has changed so much
that we have to train employees and
they are receptive to that
development," Tom said. "It's a
tough market and we need
everybody's help and a commitment.
Engineering
Over the last five years we've
managed to cut costs and improve
engineering."
With some assistance from the
CAD -CAM Centre, the University of
Waterloo and the Ontario Research
Foundation, Tom Powell, testing
engineer, Gil Boyd and the entire
department is on the leading edge of
engineering technology.'
CAD system in use
Continued from Page 6
now do more creative work."
The System has taken rnnnh of the
routine out of the worts; while
offering a reliable and more
accurate product. Champion is
--involved in Computer Aided
lei nufacturing to a degree but there
is ho interaction between the CAD
and CAM systems.
"There is no interconnection here
between CAD and CAM but we can
integrate the systems." John said.
"We've had one year with the
machines and our productivity has
increased. We can do more
drawings, better drawings, quickly.
We can make changes much easier
and we can work at whatever scale
we want. The accuracy, simply, is
much better."
The employees received some
150 Year,
Young!
The residents of the Township of Colborne are celebrating
more than thebirth of the area as a municipality. Rather, the
celebration of family history through several generations, a
celebration of perseverance; of an indomitable pioneer spirit
and the establishment of a community. It is a celebration of
community and the intrinsic spirit that pervades.
For 100 years Champion Road
Machinery has been an important
part of this municipality. The
Township of Colborne would like to
take this opportunity to Congratulate
Champion on the occasion of their
100 Anniversary.
training at the provincial
government's CAD -CAM Centre in
�,_r } ;aa_ Provinc+ally funded for
i..ei!3 ieu. .�.�... __•: w���7
a five-year period, site CAD -CAM
Centre is the only place in Canada
with a concentrated and high level of
expertise.
More and more companies are
making use of that expertise, and
Champion has been a regular
customer, getting transcriptions
completed for use.
Automated drafting, though, is a
flat process and Lee would like to
see the company move to three-
dimensional design.
"I would like to go to a common
data base so we can take a
consistent path from concept to
finished manufactured product," he
said.
CLEARING THE WAY
SINCE 1949
The Township of Goderich has been responsible
for the care of its roads for many years and since 1949
they have entrusted this job to one machine only, the
Champion Road Grader.
Long before then there were many primitive
means to do the job....
There were 2 types of 'slush scrapers' bought
by the Township. The simple one was a skid
type, pulled by a team of horses or oxen, and
the man between the handles filled it by lif-
ting the handles just enough to make it cut
or bite into the clay or gravel, and dumped it
by Iifting.the handles high enough that the
pivot draw point flipped the scraper complete-
ly over.
The wheel type operated on the same princi-
ple but saved quite a few bruises if you hit a
stone or rock, and was used when drawing
the material a greater distance.
1897 - Bought `'scrapers" at total price of $43.00
1910 - Bought 1 eel scraper" at total price of $43.50
1924 - Bought 2 Goderich Graders at 5135.00 each
1925 - Bought 2 more patrol graders at $145.00 each
1926 - Bought 3 scrapers at $14.65 each with 3 runners, and handles
on top
1949 - Our first power grader, 107 H.P. model D496 at $19,557.43
and operator hired at 70C per hour
1986 - Our 8th Dominion grader in 1986, 225 H.P. at $122,900.
Saluting a Century of Excellence
ZuuWULiIij of 6oberie