Manufacturing Excellence

The highest standards create the highest quality

TRICO's wiper industry leadership begins at our 81,000-square-foot Global Technology Center in Rochester Hills, Michigan – the most advanced of TRICO's development and test facilities around the globe. It is equipped with the latest in analytical testing used in a grueling regimen that puts wiper systems through harsher-than-real-world conditions for extended periods of time.

Our research and manufacturing capabilities include virtually every component of a windscreen wiper/washer system, creating in the process a worldwide powerhouse capable of designing and manufacturing solutions for the vehicles of tomorrow, today.

Rochester Hills Technology Center capabilities:

• Validation laboratory – 45,000 square feet
• Staff 70 engineers at the Technology Center in Rochester Hills, Michigan, plus another 200 around the globe 
• House more than 60 test chambers, 150 test bucks and 6 full-size vehicle test bays for R&D
• 60+ CAD workstations using the latest in computer-aided design software technology
• Full warranty analysis and tear-down capability; warranty lessons learned are reviewed with all business units and manufacturing locations via TRICO CAS system
• TS 16949 certification, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, Porsche VDA 6, plus many of the highest quality ratings from the world’s leading automakers

Analytical tools used to ensure the best R&D and design capabilities:

• KBE – enables wiper system design and integration in the vehicle-specific environment  
• ADAMS
• FEA: Static and dynamic – performed to simulate conditions where systems are most likely to fail
• CFD: 2-D and 3-D
• Thermal FEA
• Magnetic FEA
• Proprietary Variflex beam blade design software 

Proactive approach to analyzing performance trends:

• Monthly review by each business unit for ongoing analysis of trends, claims and failures; summary reported in Monthly Quality Review with plant quality and management
• Weekly reviews of returned part analysis among design engineering, plant warranty group and plant quality
• Formalized Corrective Action System to address new issues