Transforming Automobile Assembly

1 Introduction.- 1 Introduction.- 1.1 Main Purpose of this Book.- 1.2 International Work Shop for Assembly Automation and Work Organization.- 1.3 Motivation for the Book: Why Study Assembly Automation Now?.- 1.4 Factors Affecting the Choice of Assembly Systems.- 1.4.1 Objectives of Assembly Systems.- 1.4.2 Context.- 1.5 Main Perspectives of the Book.- 1.5.1 Total System Perspective: Alternatives and Actual Results.- 1.5.2 Evolutionary Perspective.- 1.6 Organization of the Book.- 1.7 Refernces.- 2 Concepts and Histories.- 2.1 Assembly Automation in Europe — Past Experience and Future Trends.- 2.1.1 Automobile Factory: Production and Assembly.- 2.1.2 A Chronology of Innovations.- 2.1.3 Innovation Paths.- 2.1.4 Conclusions.- 2.2 Basic Trends in the Physics and Economics of Automated Fabrication and Assembly Operations.- 2.2.1 Fabrication.- 2.2.2 Assembly.- 2.2.3 Simplified Economic Models..- 2.2.4 Summary.- 2.2.5 References.- 2.3 Key Characteristics of Assembly Automation Systems.- 2.3.1 Automation, Complexity and Flexibility.- 2.3.2 Growth of Robotic Assembly.- 2.3.3 Robotics Technology.- 2.3.4 Trends in the UK and Japan.- 2.3.5 Future Potential of Robotic Assembly.- 2.3.6 References.- 2.4 What Do You Mean by Automation Ratio? Definitions by the Japanese Auto Makers.- 2.4.1 Research Questions.- 2.4.2 Types of Automation Ratios.- 2.4.3 Outline of the Survey of Automation Ratios.- 2.4.4 Results: Different Definitions of Automation Ratios by Different Firms.- 2.4.5 Implications: Multiple Indicators for Automation Ratio.- 2.4.6 References.- 3 Diversity of Approaches.- 3.1 Present State and Future Vision of Vehicle Assembly Automation in Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.- 3.1.1 Introduction.- 3.1.2 Automation of Assembly Operations.- 3.1.3 Practical Examples.- 3.1.4 Conclusions.- 3.2 Development of a new Vehicle Assembly Line at Toyota: Worker-oriented, Autonomous, new Assembly System.- 3.2.1 Development Background.- 3.2.2 Development Progress and Target.- 3.2.3 Description of the Development.- 3.2.4 Results.- 3.2.3 Closing Comment.- 3.3 Modular Assembly in Mixed-Model Production at Mazda.- 3.3.1 Conventional Assembly Line.- 3.3.2 Ideal Trim and Final Assembly Line.- 3.3.3 Advantages of Modularization.- 3.3.4 Activities for Modularization.- 3.3.5 The new Hofu Plant.- 3.3.6 Summary.- 3.4 Production of the NSX at Honda: An Alternative Directionfor Assembly Organization.- 3.4.1 Introduction.- 3.4.2 NSX as an Experiment.- 3.4.3 Challenges to be met by Production Organization.- 3.4.4 Transfer.- 3.4.5 Conclusion.- 3.4.6 References.- 3.5 The Development of an Intelligent Body Assembly System.- 3.5.1 Introduction.- 3.5.2 The Current State of Flexibility.- 3.5.3 IBAS Concepts.- 3.5.4 Configuration of the IBAS Body Main Line.- 3.5.3 Fundamental Technologies of IBAS.- 3.5.6 Benefits of IBAS.- 3.5.7 Conclusion.- 3.5.8 References.- 3.6 The Opel Production System.- 3.6.1 Reasons for a new Production System.- 3.6.2 Characterization.- 3.6.3 Eisenach Plant: A Model for the Opel Production System.- 3.6.4 First Results.- 3.7 Platform and Modular Concepts at Volkswagen — Their Effects on the Assembly Process.- 3.7.1 Introduction.- 3.7.2 The VW Platform Strategy.- 3.7.3 Practical Implementation.- 3.7.4 Modular Concepts.- 3.7.5 Future Developments.- 3.8 Automation at Renault: Strategy and Form.- 3.8.1 Automation Within a Strategy for Assembly.- 3.8.2 The Form of Automation.- 3.8.3 Work Organization.- 3.8.4 Discussion.- 3.9 Building Capabilities in Assembly Automation: Fiat’s Experiences from Robogate to the Melfi Plant.- 3.9.1 An Evolutionary Approach.- 3.9.2 Evolutionary Phases of Fiat’s Automation Strategy.- 3.9.3 Measures and Methodological Issues.- 3.9.4 The First Phase:”Pioneering“Rigid Automation.- 3.9.5 The Second Phase:”Super“Flexible Automation.- 3.9.6 The Third Phase:”Realistic“, Integrated Automation.- 3.9.7 Conclusion.- 3.9.8 References.- 3.10 The Development of a Reflective Production System Layout at Volvo’s Uddevalla Car Assembly Plant.- 3.10.1 Introduction.- 3.10.2 Planning a new Factory.- 3.10.3 Efforts to Achieve the Goals: The Evolution of a New Production System Reflected by the Layouts.- 3.10.4 Results.- 3.10.5 Final Remarks.- 3.10.6 References.- 4 Issues and Dynamics.- 4.1 Strategies for Assembly Automation in the Automobile Industry.- 4.1.1 Introduction.- 4.1.2 Types of Assembly Automation Strategy.- 4.1.3 High-tech Automation Strategy.- 4.1.4 Low-Cost Automation Strategy.- 4.1.5 Human-Fitting Automation.- 4.1.6 Human-Motivating Automation.- 4.1.7 Future Prospect: Convergence, Hybridization, and Diversity.- 4.1.8 References.- 4.2 From Fixed to Flexible: Automation and Work Organization Trends from the International Assembly Plant Study.- 4.2.1 Measuring Automation.- 4.2.2 International Trends in Automation Usage, 1989 – 1993/94.- 4.2.3 Use of Robotics.- 4.2.4 Automation use by Department.- 4.2.5 The Role of Flexible Workers.- 4.2.6 Performace Implications.- 4.2.7 Conclusion.- 4.2.8 References.- 4.3 Rolling Back Cycle Times: The Renaissance of the Classic Assembly Line in Final Assembly.- 4.3.1 Introduction.- 4.3.2 The Critics of the Assembly Line.- 4.3.3 Learning from Experiences from Longer Cycle Work.- 4.3.4 A Sustainable Solution?.- 4.3.5 References.- 4.4 Rationalization also Involves Workers — Teamwork in the Mercedes-Benz Lean Concept.- 4.4.1 Teamwork — A Participative Approach to Rationalization.- 4.4.2 New Time Savings, Teamwork and a Continuous Improvement.- Process are Elements of a new Labour Policy.- 4.4.3 Teamwork can be Organized Restrictively of Offensively.- 4.4.4 Higher Demands on Performance are Accepted if the Job is Enriched and the Group is Genuinely Allowed to Organize its own Workload.- 4.4.5Willingness to Improve Performance Through Self-Organization.- 4.4.6 A Willingness to Cooperate in the Rationalization Process.- 4.4.7 Having Twin Objectives has Stood the Test of Time — Teamwork is now Being Extended and will be used Widely in Other Areas.- 4.5 Patterns of Work Organization in the German Automobile Industry.- 4.5.1 Reorganization of Work Until the Beginning of the 90’s.- 4.5.2 The Situation in the Mid 90’s: Two Types of Group Work.- 4.5.3 References.- 4.6 The Current Social Form of Automation and a Conceivable Alternative: Experience in France.- 4.6.1 The Economic and Social Presuppositions Behind the Current Processes and Social Forms of Automation.- 4.6.2 Compatibilities and Incompatibilities Between the Current Form of Automation and new Forms of Work Organization.- 4.6.3 A Process and a Social Form of Automation Aimed at Financial Performance and Real Skilling of Work are Conceivable and Achievable in a Localized Way, but can they be Generalized?.- 4.6.4 The Difficulties of Implementation and the Social Preconditions for a Generalization of the Process and Social Form of Automation Already Discussed.- 4.6.5 Conclusions.- 4.7 Worker-Generated Production Improvements in a Reflective Production System — or Kaizen in a Reflective Production System.- 4.7.1 Introduction.- 4.7.2 Organization and Initiatives for Improvements in Different Production Systems.- 4.7.3 When what there is and what there Ought to be do not Correspond — Strategies to Solve a Disparity Problem.- 4.7.4 The Development of a Worker Controlled Holistic Method to Follow up Work Performance in Order to Improve Production Conditions.- 4.7.5 General Conclusions.- 4.7.6 References.- 4.8 Advanced Automation or Alternative Production Design? A Reflection on the new Japanese Assembly Plants and the Alternative Approach of Volvo Uddevalla.- 4.8.1 Introduction.- 4.8.2 The Automation Drive of the 1980s and the new Japanese Wave.- 4.8.3 The Uddevalla Option: Skill-Based Manual Assembly and Increased Customization.- 4.8.4 Europe in 1990s — A Return to Manual Assembly.- 4.8.5 References.- 4.9 A Misguided Trajectory? Automatically Guided Vehicles in Auto Assembly.- 4.9.1 Introduction.- 4.9.2 AGVs as a Trajectory.- 4.9.3 Plant X and the Data.- 4.9.4 Good News.- 4.9.5 Bad News.- 4.9.6 Real News.- 4.9.7 Conclusion.- 4.9.8 References.- 4.10 Organizational Change and Assembly Automation in the Dutch Automotive Industry.- 4.10.1 Introduction.- 4.10.2 Modern Sociotechnical Design and Lean Production.- 4.10.3 DAF Trucks.- 4.10.4 NedCar.- 4.10.5 Discussion.- 4.10.6 References.- 4.11 Recycling and Disassembly — Legal Burden or Strategic Opportunity?.- 4.11.1 Legal Framework in Germany.- 4.11.2 Scrap from Automobiles.- 4.11.3Ways out of the Problem: Disassembly.- 4.11.4 Disassembly Planning.- 4.11.5 Product Design.- 4.11.6 Conclusion.- 4.11.7 References.- 5 Conclusions and Outlook.- 5.1 Lessons to be Learnt from the Japanese Style of Production and their Application to Factory Automation.- 5.1.1 Diversity of Strategies Between East and West in the 1980s.- 5.1.2 Factory Automation and the Just-in-Time System.- 5.2 Design Choices for Assembly Systems.- 5.3 Outlook.- 6 The Authors of the Book.