Toyota Motor is methodically going about the task of increasing the efficiency (and lowering the cost) of automotive manufacturing, with its most visible project: a massive upgrade to its 660,000 units a year Takaoka assembly plant.Toyota CEO Katusuaki Watanabe predicts that the upgrades will make the Takaoka plant "a model for Toyota plants of the future." The plant is the model for clone facilities in the U.S., Canada and France, and innovations proven at Takaoka will plug right in at sister facilities around the world.
Don't expect radical new high-tech to be part of Toyota's factory of the future - Toyota's forte is assembling proven small-scale innovations into new systems that are greater than the sum of their parts. Takaoka's upgrades include:
- a new welding system that dramatically cuts the cost of jigs and tooling
- a "set parts system" that delivers a kit of parts for each vehicle so line workers don't have to sort through parts bins for the right part
- new stamping presses that use servo-motors to replace hydraulics, combined with high-speed delivery robots
- a new paint process that eliminates the need to dry the base coat, plus faster electro-static rust-coating.
[Source: Automotive News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jc @ Aug 7th 2006 7:15PM
What stops the big two from making such manufacturing efficiency advancements ? Unions ,and their stranglehold on US productivity and competitivness
Truth outs @ Aug 7th 2006 7:26PM
Maybe this will help Toyota get it's quality up, as of now they are pitiful.
Chad @ Aug 7th 2006 7:44PM
Pitiful quality? Tell that to the media. And without the plant being in the US, no one cars that they'll be firing thousands of $0.75/hr jobs, they'll just go across the street and get a new job. If it wasn't for a union in place at one point, we'd be making our pidly $3.50/hr too, so how bout we just buy American cars from GM, Ford, or Chrysler and save some jobs.
froggy57 @ Aug 7th 2006 8:03PM
Unions. greed.
Price. greed.
America is killing itself.
what defeated the greatest nation in the history of the world?
Cheaper prices from abroad and home grown greed.
jfrolang @ Aug 7th 2006 10:16PM
75 cents an hour? Toyota is based in Japan, not China or Taiwan.
And saving jobs? Seems to me that American companies want to build their cars in Mexico. I'll buy a Honda or a Toyota, built in Ohio or Alabama over "American cars" any day.
justjoe @ Aug 7th 2006 10:20PM
That is fine if you think that Unions are great. Maybe at one point in time they served a purpose,but now they seem like a Leach, and I believe that they are causing the US companies to hurt.
Seems like Mercedes, Toyota and Honda are perfectly fine with building cars in the US and still turning a nice profit WITHOUT Unions. Oh, that also raises the fact that more and more "US" comanies are making cars outside of the US, like in Mexico.. talk about cheap labor.
Dave @ Aug 7th 2006 11:37PM
What's defeating America? That people out there say and believe inane platitudes like "Cheaper prices from abroad and home grown greed defeated the greatest nation in the history of the world."
Do public schools no longer even teach basic logic/critical thinking skills? Some rudimentary economics would be nice as well. My brain nearly melts down everytime I see the idiotic ranting about domestic vs foreign or union vs anti-union.
Improve efficiency is GOOD NEWS. More for less. That's what businesses are SUPPOSED to do! Can't we just leave it at that?
Chad @ Aug 8th 2006 5:48AM
Your Honda or Toyota may be built in Ohio, but GM has 10 plants in Ohio alone. Besides, when you buy the new ToyoHonda, your money certainly isn't staying in the US I'll have you know. I agree that the Unions need to change with the times, bewcome more efficient. But sorry, I'll keep the majority of my money staying in the US and not being sent overseas. Besides, I never have liked the Japanese way of thinking when it comes to women and sexual harassment suits. Oh wait, Toyota just paid the girl $190 million to forget about it, thats right, they just bought her up to avoid the lawsuit.
Truth outs @ Aug 8th 2006 8:00AM
Here we go again more Toyota bad quality!!!!!!They are making crap. Wake up world you have been had by this Japanese auto maker
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060807/NEWS99/60807011
Patsy @ Aug 8th 2006 8:11AM
W. Edwards Deming
Nuff said
jc @ Aug 8th 2006 12:21PM
It's true ,when unions are padding their coffers by demanding benefits for boyfriends of boyfriends of the week, you know we're getting away from the business of building cars and into social revolution
John Carter @ Sep 1st 2006 6:07PM
I don't know how anyone can tout the benefits of unions or the "Big Three." The Toyota Tundra & Sequoia trucks are assembled right here in Indiana & Texas. The axle assemblies & differentials are built right here in Marion, Arkansas too. What a beautiful facility that is! Toyota also has one of the best engine plants in the world in the southeast U.S. too. My pidly little Tercel is still running nicely at 312,000+ miles. Try getting more than the warranty mileage off ANY GM, Ford or Chrysler vehicle.