50%

Maximum cost saving

Marine | Outboard Engines Manufacturer

As part of the customer’s Start of Production (SOP), Optimas International’s engineering team partnered with a manufacturer of high-performance diesel outboard engines to optimise fastener specifications across the engine build. We identified opportunities to reduce fastener costs by up to 50% and shorten lead times, while maintaining the engine’s performance, reliability and durability.

Situation

A manufacturer of high-performance diesel outboard engines asked Optimas International to identify opportunities to reduce fastener cost across its engine build without compromising on performance or reliability.

As the customer prepared for Start of Production (SOP), many of the threaded fasteners specified were A4-80 stainless steel to minimise the risk of thread galling. This presented a challenge – fasteners of this size are not typically stocked as standard and must be bar-turned to order, increasing both cost and lead time. The objective was to identify where A4-70 could be safely substituted as an alternative, reducing cost and lead times and while maintaining performance.

Solution 

Optimas International engineers conducted a detailed review of the client’s SOP Bill of Materials (BOM), assessing every threaded assembly across the engine. While A4-80 offers higher tensile strength than A4-70, the additional performance margin was unnecessary for many applications across the engine.

Every recommended substitution was presented alongside the original specification, providing a clear, like-for-like comparison of cost, lead time and performance.

This gave the customer the engineering insight needed to make an informed, data-led decision.

Results

By optimising fastener specifications at component level, Optimas International identified potential cost savings of up to 50% while eliminating the lead-time risks associated with bar-turned A4-80 fasteners.

Beyond the immediate savings, the customer recognised the value of Optimas International’s engineering expertise in reviewing and refining the SOP BOM,
uncovering opportunities that extended well beyond procurement.

The revised specification maintained performance and reliability without compromising function.