Daimler Chrysler
The CCV: Will This Change the Way Vehicles Are Manufactured
Chrysler Corp. is undertaking, in cooperation with a group of suppliers, a project to determine the feasibility of producing low-cost, thermoplastic vehicles for Third World markets. What they are learning may have big effects on the way conventional cars are produced everywhere.
A Look Behind the LH Launch
The Chrysler Concorde and Dodge Intrepid cars are key to the automaker's success in the passenger car segment. The next-generation models, now being built in Bramalea, were created in a $2.1-billion, 31-month program that has huge implications for the corporation. Here's a look at some of the thinking behind the LH program.
Looks Great. Less Weighty
Chrysler is on the fast-track to the 21st century with the ESX2, a polymer-intensive vehicle that, if all goes well, could be ready for volume production by 2003.
Building the LH Models (With Particular Emphasis on the LHS & 300M)
The Chrysler brand is increasingly about cars. And the latest launch in the Bramalea assembly plant—the LHS and the 300M models—indicate that the vehicle manufacturer is even serious about taking on the luxury brands, both in this part of the world and elsewhere.
Building the Hatchback for the Mercedes A-Class
Here's a step-by-step walk through of an automated line in Brazil that uses 12 robots to assemble hatchbacks. It's an innovative line for an innovative vehicle.
2000 Neon: The Next Generation
Although it might seem that the market is demanding not only trucks and sport utility vehicles, but BIG and expen$ive versions, there is still a not-insignificant place for the small car. And the 2000 Neon was designed, engineered, and is being built to be one that is admittedly bigger than its replacement, but still an important element in the small car category.
Two More Doors, One "New" Truck
The one truism in this industry right now is that trucks make money. So how do you build more different trucks? Just ask Dodge...
Big Hybrid, Big Idea?
Is hybrid powertrain technology poised to hit the SUV market?
DCX Goes Flex
Here's a look at some of the approaches that DaimlerChrysler is using to provide the means by which to launch products more rapidly. The fundamental is flexibility. Flexibility not only means having adaptable equipment but also standardizing on the way things are done.
Ford
Engineering a Better Fascia
It is lighter, yet this TPO bumper system gives up nothing in the safety or durability departments. A whole group of people in a $32-million test facility made sure.
Building Trucks—Then & Now
The best-selling vehicle in America is a truck. Specifically, a Ford F-Series pickup. 1998 is the Golden Anniversary of the F-Series. So we talked with some veterans of F-Series manufacturing to get some insights on how things have changed over the years.
Ford Plays It Safe
Here's a look at how Ford has reconfigured one of America's favorite sedans.
Ford's Breakaway SUV: The Escape
Ford is selling Explorers, Expeditions and Excursions at the rate about equal to that of ice cream on the Fourth of July. And when you take into account the number of F-Series trucks that it is selling, the company is clearly the leader in putting bodies on frames. But now it is making a slight shift in direction with its Escape: a compact sport ute with unibody construction. Here's a look.
Best Sellers
Ford recently unveiled all-new versions of two of its best-selling models: the Mondeo in Europe and the Explorer in North America. Considering that Ford produced over 2.5 million first-generation Mondeos and over 3.6 million of the old Explorers, the material specification of every component in the new versions is crucial to those advocates of composites, aluminum, or steel. So who's winning?
Th!nk Different
Like it or not, the industry is invariably changing. Although Ford leads the world in selling comparatively large vehicles (i.e., pickup trucks), it is not overlooking the opportunities that are presented by something a whole lot smaller.
General Motors
Charged Up! What's Behind GM's Electric Vehicle Strategy
It has gone to market with a purpose-built car, the EV1, and a factory-built truck, the S-10 Electric. What's GM up to? We asked the man who is heading up the corporation's Advanced Technology Vehicles operation.
Going Electric
Frank W. Pereira, brand manager, GM Advanced Technology Vehicles, estimates that within 10 years, 25% of the vehicle market may be electric vehicle (EV) type units. While some other observers seem to think that number is a bit on the high side, prevailing environmental concerns, which are leading to both legislation and consumer awareness, seem to point in the direction of changing the status quo of an internal combustion powered-fleet on the streets and highways not only in the U.S., but around the world. Here's a look at how some companies are addressing EVs.
Under the Hood of the 1999 Saturn
A different kind of car. A different kind of company. And a different way to build engines. That's Saturn.
Silverado Strikes Gold with Water
To build the frames for the Silverado and Sierra with more strength and less weight, GM Truck Group turned to Magna's Cosma Body & Chassis Systems division in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. Cosma handed GM souped-up hydroforming technology—among other things...
Aurora Shines
If Doug Stott’s passion, enthusiasm, and energy that are evoked by authentic driving machines—the new 2001 4.0- liter Aurora, in particular—could be bottled and distributed, then Oldsmobile would undoubtedly sell far more of its Auroras than the 40,000 they hope to move during this calendar year...
Honda
The Accord's Awesome Launch
The people at Honda of America Mfg. have performed some impressive feats of changing over from one model to another since they started production in 1982. But for the '98 Accord launch, the word "impressive" has to give way to "awesome."
A Look at the Accord's Product Development
Here's a look at one piece of the development program for the 1998 Honda Accord coupe, which was designed and engineered in the U.S., and is being manufactured exclusively in Marysville, Ohio.
Building the Odyssey: Honda's Biggest Vehicle
One of Honda's philosophies is to build vehicles where they sell them and to provide vehicles that meet market demands. So now the company is bringing out an all-new minivan that's larger in every way than its previous model. And it built a new factory in Canada to produce the Odyssey. Here's a look inside.
Honda's Hat Trick
There is probably no other company that would use a new product development center to create a new car (one that is produced in 12 countries and that is a best-seller in the single biggest market, the U.S.) and build it with a new manufacturing system. But Honda has never really been like other auto companies.
Panoz
Panoz: In Fast Company
We hear it frequently around Detroit, the sad tale of good engineers and managers who lose their faith. People who love cars and have great pride in their work, but all the same grow weary of the bean counters, the anchor draggers, the compromises, the politics, and the overwhelming bureaucracy of the auto industry. “There’s got to be a better place, a better way, for the real car guys,” they think. Well there is. Welcome to Panoz—America’s coolest car company.
Toyota
Prius: A Look at Toyota's Hybrid
It will be coming to a driveway near you sometime around the end of the year 2000. The Prius uses a highly efficient powertrain setup that is not only peppy (we merged onto the Southfield Freeway from Ford Rd. with a Prius without a hitch—which as many of you know is no small feat) but energy efficient and is expected to have emissions output that meets the Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) requirements.
The Tundra: New In More Ways Than One
Here's a look at Toyota's newest vehicle manufacturing facility, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana. When it is fully ramped up next year, it will have the ability to produce 150,000 full-size pickups and sport utility vehicles with the product mix driven by the market, thanks to a flexible approach.
Inside CALTY
We pay a visit to one of the leading design studios in the U.S., one established by Toyota more than 25 years ago.
This Could Be the Start of Something New
There are two new cars from Toyota. One can be thought of as a vehicle for the pragmatic. The other can be considered a car for those who like to put the pedal to the metal (and actually, the pedals for one trim level actually are metal: aluminum). Both, however, are designed and built for appeal to the youth market, the consumers that Toyota hopes will be with it for the long haul. Here are looks at the all-new ECHO and the seventh-generation Celica.
The Chop House
There's an old football saying that's goes something like this: "Three things can happen when you throw the ball and two of them are bad." If you're not a football fan, you may not understand this as a metaphor for convertibles, but suffice it to say that cutting the roof off a coupe and replacing it with a folding canvas contraption opens a veritable Pandora's box. The roof can leak. The body can rattle. Terms like "fit and finish" and "noise, vibration, and harshness" have a tendency to become pejorative. But just as coaches still call pass plays, automakers still build convertibles. Because when everything goes right, there's nothing more exciting than cruising around with the top down (football excepted).
Other
Consider the Concepts in Terms of Capabilities and Competencies
Although these concept vehicles aren't presently in production, they provide some substantial clues with regard to where the automakers are going in the years ahead. The question is: Can you help make them?
From a Land Down Under (Australian Government)
Don't look to see an aXcess australia on the road anytime soon—or otherwise. The Australian supply base along with government agencies do want the world to have a better understanding of the capabilities that can be found in that country, so while you'll never drive one, you can see the sorts of things they have in mind.
Fast Car, Fast Development (Calloway Cars)
Callaway Cars' C12 is a lot more than just a souped-up `Vette. Though still a relative of the current generation C5 Corvette, the C12 was completely reengineered to race at Le Mans in the GT2 class (which requires entries to be street-legal production derived cars). This gave the engineering team the challenge of designing an ultra-high performance vehicle in which everything new still fits on the original platform. They accomplished this in just four months thanks to the use of powerful CAD technology.
Developments That Can Change Design & Production
Here are some technologies that are making their way out of the labs and onto the roads that have implications about how components are designed and vehicles are built.
Body Shaping
The Frankfurt International Motor Show, which is held every two years, is a key centerpiece for automotive developments. Here is a look at some of what rolled out in Germany this past September, with an emphasis on body materials...
The Next Same Thing
At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this January, there were somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 “new” vehicles shown. What perplexes, however, is that a frightening number of them didn’t appear to be new at all...
Depeche Mode
A few thousand vehicles were displayed at the 2000 Mondial de l’Automobile (or Paris Auto Show as it’s known in a more popular parlance), but only a few stood out: those that did predicted a very fashionable—albeit gridlocked—future.
Powertrain Performers
Here's a look at a company with its roots in racing and a fast-acting staff of 90 people that are able to transform powertrains into works of manufacturable engineering art when the pressure is on.
Here Comes Hypercar
Hypercar, Inc.’s Chairman Amory Lovins and President & CEO, Tom Crumm, spoke at our e-Business Essentials: Job1 conference in November, outlining their idea for the next generation vehicle—one that is extremely lightweight, has zero emissions, and can be built to order and shipped to consumers in a matter of weeks. It sounds like only so much auto industry buzz…but is that all it is?
World Class Vehicle Launch Series
The World Class Vehicle Launch series is investigating the launch performance of five leading vehicle assembly firms operating in North America, and examining their past, and future launch strategies. The companies in our analysis include Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Toyota and Honda. We have collected monthly production data on vehicles (30 launches) launched by these companies in North America between 1992 and 1996. Although there were more than 30 launches during this period, our initial investigation focuses on single product-single plant launches.
World Class Vehicle Launch Timing: Part 1 of 6
Several years back, one of the authors visited a major North American assembly plant engaged in the launch of a new vehicle program. A "ramp-up" schedule was prominently displayed on a bulletin board deep in the heart of the plant. The schedule indicated that the day of the visit was the same day the plant was originally planned to achieve full capacity production of its new product. Yet the plant was actually producing only a few units an hour! The assembly plant's tardiness is certainly not uncommon, but did contribute to our interest in the wide range in vehicle launch performance across major vehicle firms.
World Class Vehicle Launch Timing: Part 2 of 6
This article focuses on General Motors. It is important to note that there are many measures of a successful launch. This series analyzes a launch event in only the most basic form: the time it takes a facility to return to capacity in terms of production. This series is not meant to be an exhaustive study on launch performance, but instead it is meant to further the better understanding of the vehicle launch process.
World Class Vehicle Launch Timing: Part 3 of 6
This article looks at Ford and is the third in the series. It is important to note that there are many measures of a successful launch. This series analyzes a launch event in only the most basic form: the time it takes a facility to return to capacity in terms of production. This series is not meant to be an exhaustive study on launch performance, but instead it is meant to further the understanding of the vehicle launch process.
World Class Vehicle Launch Timing: Part 4 of 6
This article focuses on Chrysler and is the fourth in the series. It is important to note that there are many measures of a successful launch. This series analyzes a launch event in only the most basic form: the time it takes a facility to return to capacity in terms of production. This series is not meant to be an exhaustive study on launch performance, but instead it is meant to further the understanding of the vehicle launch process.
World Class Vehicle Launch Timing: Part 5 of 6
This article focuses on the two Japanese-based firms, Toyota and Honda, and is the fifth in the series. It is important to note that there are many measures of a successful launch. This series analyzes a launch event in only the most basic form: the time it takes a facility to return to capacity in terms of production. This series is not meant to be an exhaustive study on launch performance, but instead is meant to further the understanding of the vehicle launch process.
World Class Vehicle Launch Timing: The Conclusion
In this, the final article, we will attempt to bring the information from the previous five articles together to provide some closing thoughts regarding the vehicle launch process.
Systems & Components
Fuel Cells: Coming Down to Earth?
Attention manufacturers of internal combustion engines: Although it is still way too early to become inordinately concerned, Chrysler Corp. engineers have developed what one person described as "the gold standard" for automotive fuel cell technologies.
A Tale of Two Engines
One is a gasoline-powered engine that resembles a diesel in some ways. The other is a diesel with the NVH characteristics of a gasoline-powered engine. Here's an introduction...
Developments That Can Change Design & Production
Here are some technologies that are making their way out of the labs and onto the roads that have implications about how components are designed and vehicles are built.
ESP Made Simple & Some Implications of Electronics
As automotive supply companies provide sophisticated systems that aid drivers, they are discovering that electronics technology is driving what they do. Here's a look at one technology and one supplier's approach.
(Un)wired
A group of five technology companies thinks it has the perfect solution to make the vehicles of the future "Internet-ready." And they're willing to give it up for free.
Magyar Manufacturing
GM has an engine plant in what some might think an odd location in Eastern Europe, a place best known for paprika and inexpensive labor, but there's more to Opel Hungary than one might first expect—like the fact that it's one of the most productive engine plants in the world.
Changing the Dominant Design
Will the Internal Combustion Engine Give Way to the Alternatives? There are certain points when what is a given no longer holds the same level of domination. Right now, there could be a change developing in the ways cars and trucks are powered. The numbers are small, the barriers are high, but the momentum is growing.
Sensing A Safer Future
Ford is undertaking efforts to improve the safety of the vehicles it produces—not only for drivers and passengers, but even for pedestrians. Although much of the work described here is still in the development phases and will undoubtedly undergo change before it makes it to production vehicles, one thing is certain: the amount of electronics in a vehicle will undoubtedly increase...
