Enforcing Secondary Production Volume Allocation Schedules across Tier Two Suppliers
Secondary sub-tier production allocation schedules require direct machine telemetry audits, material balance reconciliation, and tripartite step-in contracts.
Stroke Counter Audit
Meaning
Verification checks inspect electromechanical counters attached to injection molding tools to track cumulative production cycles and asset wear. Performing a stroke counter audit verifies whether a supplier has exceeded maximum tool life limits or conducted unauthorized production runs for third parties. Contractual tool maintenance schedules and component pricing calculations rely on accurate cycle count data.
Tamper-evident stroke counters prevent factory operators from resetting counts or disconnecting tracking units during off-shift manufacturing.
Verification Procedure
Physical inspection teams examine counter casing seals, serial number tags, and digital reading logs against factory yield reports. Conducting a stroke counter audit involves comparing recorded mold cycles against total finished unit shipments plus documented scrap quantities. Unexplained discrepancies between counter numbers and billed component quantities indicate unrecorded production runs or unauthorized commercial supply.
Asset Depreciation
Tooling maintenance obligations trigger when cycle counts cross specified manufacturing thresholds. Tracking a stroke counter audit ensures timely replacement of core inserts, ejector pins, and cooling channels before component dimensional tolerances degrade. Contractual provisions obligate suppliers to pay for mold refurbishment when unauthorized cycles cause premature tool wear.
Fraud Prevention
Securing stroke counter units requires tamper-proof steel enclosures and unique cryptographic seals. Unannounced audit visits deter factory managers from bypassing monitoring devices during commercial production runs.