visiting an auto manu-
facturing plant and I’ve
- always considered it
one of the major side
benefits of being an
automotive journalist.
> Pye visited plants all over
the world, including opera-
“tions in Canada, the US,
‘Japan, Korea, Germany, ‘Traly,
cs. Sweden, Britain and even
Hungary and I never tire of

™ them. =

.. “Perhaps my enthusiasm
‘comes from an engineering
:. background, which once

~ involved some auto industry
«” work. Set me loose in an auto

_ assembly plant and Dil be
happy for hours.

Ne NED EE RED DME, B75 OD

yetting more efficient

Auto plants just keer

Vehicle assembly plants are
amazing showeases of high
technology and the highly
competitive nature of the car
business means that this tech-
nology is continually advanc-
ing at a rapid pace.

Perhaps not surprisingly,
computers have been the
major influence in automak-
ing over the past couple of
decades, buz there have been
other technological factors at
work too. All plants these

days have extensive robot
lines to handle bodyshell
welding and assembly tasks.
In some plants, even the
windshield is picked up by'a
robotic arm and placed in
position on the vehicle.
Windshields are held in their
location by an adhesive,

‘which is also squirted careful-

ly into place by a computer-
operated robot.
All kinds of vehicle sub-

components arc manufac-

Friday, June 23, 2000 - North Shore News - 29

tured using computers, too.
One of the reasons why
today’s cars, vans and trucks
are so reliable is that comput-
er numerical control (CNC)
machine tools can produce
parts which are “mirror
images” of cach other, coa-
siderably enhancing their

" accuracy. Compenents assem-

bled from ultra-accurate arts
are much more reliable
those of years gone by which

could vary considerably in fit

and finish.

One of the most inviga-
ing aspects of today’s auto
plants is the “just in time”
system of component supply.
Stand on an assembly line
and you'll see components
arriving where they’re needed

“just in time” and ready for
fitment. There’s no wasted
storage space or costly inven- -
tory. control. Everything ©

See Keeping page 33