Some Interesting Bowling Green Assembly Info
05-16-2012, 07:53 PM
#1
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Some Interesting Bowling Green Assembly Info
As some of you know, last week, I did a museum delivery. When I went on the assembly line tour, I took a few notes. Some interesting info:
When they built the Corvette, they build one covertible then a couple of coupes and then a convertible, etc. They don't build multiple convertibles together because there is more work in building them, especially the attaching the top and tonnou cover. If they put multiple convertibles together, it would slow the assembly line down.
There are parts of the assembly line where they don't do anything to the cars and the line moves quicker. They do this so if there is a problem and they have to shut down the line, they don't have to shut down the whole line.
When there is problem on the line, a song plays. There are repairmen that each have their own song and when their song is played, they know it's for them to see what the problem is. Just because a song plays, doesn't mean the line has to shut down.
Panels of the car that are painted, are painted 2 days before they put on the cars. When I first walked into the assembly line, I entered where the bumpers were on racks. The racks that they sit on are shaped like the bumper so that it doesn't get warped or misshapen.
There is an opening in front of the left rear wheel with flaps under the fender. This is when the doors and windows are closed and you want to close the rear hatch, the air has somewhere to go.
Every employee that assembles the car spends not more then 8 minutes on each car. They do spend less but not more than 8 minutes.
Towards the beginning of the assembly, they attach bins to each car that holds parts that need to be attached to the car. They do this so that the assembly line workers don't have to walk back and forth getting parts, they're right there with the car. One of the things that GM works on is making sure the assembly line workers environment is worker friendly. There are two bolts at the bottom of the rear bumper that isn't attached till later in the assembly line process where the workers are in a position where they don't have to bend down to attach the bolts. The assembly line workers don't have to lift more then 35 pounds. Another example, after the first start, they drive the car over these bumps to settle the suspension. Above the bumps, they have chains hanging down so that the assembly line workers won't trip on the bumps while they are walking across the floor.
The first 1000 cars for each model year do not have a price on the window sticker. Don't know why they do this.
They put a stamp on the engines that are built in Wixom. After each engine is built, it's tested by a computer. It was cool seeing all the Corvette engines in crates stacked on top of each other in rows and rows.
As the car being built along the assembly line, they test various things on the car to make sure they work. For example, when I started one of the 427 60th anniversary convertibles for the first time, Mike (he was the nicest guy) told me to turn on rear window defogger to make sure it worked.
While waiting to start the 427 for the first time, we met a gentleman who is friends with Larry (my museum tour guide). He retired years ago but GM asked him to come back to help work on the assembly of the Z06 back in 2005. They recently asked him to come back again to work on the assembly of the C7. I had to ask him if he saw a C7. His response: "I cannot confirm or deny!"
I was always fascinated with how cars are built and what better then getting to see the Corvette built. This was such a neat learning experience that I will never forget.
When they built the Corvette, they build one covertible then a couple of coupes and then a convertible, etc. They don't build multiple convertibles together because there is more work in building them, especially the attaching the top and tonnou cover. If they put multiple convertibles together, it would slow the assembly line down.
There are parts of the assembly line where they don't do anything to the cars and the line moves quicker. They do this so if there is a problem and they have to shut down the line, they don't have to shut down the whole line.
When there is problem on the line, a song plays. There are repairmen that each have their own song and when their song is played, they know it's for them to see what the problem is. Just because a song plays, doesn't mean the line has to shut down.
Panels of the car that are painted, are painted 2 days before they put on the cars. When I first walked into the assembly line, I entered where the bumpers were on racks. The racks that they sit on are shaped like the bumper so that it doesn't get warped or misshapen.
There is an opening in front of the left rear wheel with flaps under the fender. This is when the doors and windows are closed and you want to close the rear hatch, the air has somewhere to go.
Every employee that assembles the car spends not more then 8 minutes on each car. They do spend less but not more than 8 minutes.
Towards the beginning of the assembly, they attach bins to each car that holds parts that need to be attached to the car. They do this so that the assembly line workers don't have to walk back and forth getting parts, they're right there with the car. One of the things that GM works on is making sure the assembly line workers environment is worker friendly. There are two bolts at the bottom of the rear bumper that isn't attached till later in the assembly line process where the workers are in a position where they don't have to bend down to attach the bolts. The assembly line workers don't have to lift more then 35 pounds. Another example, after the first start, they drive the car over these bumps to settle the suspension. Above the bumps, they have chains hanging down so that the assembly line workers won't trip on the bumps while they are walking across the floor.
The first 1000 cars for each model year do not have a price on the window sticker. Don't know why they do this.
They put a stamp on the engines that are built in Wixom. After each engine is built, it's tested by a computer. It was cool seeing all the Corvette engines in crates stacked on top of each other in rows and rows.
As the car being built along the assembly line, they test various things on the car to make sure they work. For example, when I started one of the 427 60th anniversary convertibles for the first time, Mike (he was the nicest guy) told me to turn on rear window defogger to make sure it worked.
While waiting to start the 427 for the first time, we met a gentleman who is friends with Larry (my museum tour guide). He retired years ago but GM asked him to come back to help work on the assembly of the Z06 back in 2005. They recently asked him to come back again to work on the assembly of the C7. I had to ask him if he saw a C7. His response: "I cannot confirm or deny!"
I was always fascinated with how cars are built and what better then getting to see the Corvette built. This was such a neat learning experience that I will never forget.
05-16-2012, 08:26 PM
#4
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GREAT INFO - thanks for taking notes and sharing !!
Does anyone have a explanation for the first 1000 price-less window stickers ??? By"explanation" I mean knowledge, not some of the scientific wild *** guesses we all so enjoy reading
05-16-2012, 08:31 PM
#5
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St. Jude Donor '13
Just a wild *** guess-
Since the stickers are required by law when the car is sold, I'm guessing that GM may not have settled the wording and pricing in time to get the stickers printed.
Build the car quick, then use the next couple of weeks before it hits the dealer lot, to print and install the sticker.
Since the stickers are required by law when the car is sold, I'm guessing that GM may not have settled the wording and pricing in time to get the stickers printed.
Build the car quick, then use the next couple of weeks before it hits the dealer lot, to print and install the sticker.
05-16-2012, 08:48 PM
#8
Safety Car
In reading your post it brought back some awesome memories from mid April when I saw my Gs start from frame and dash to a complete amazing vehicle. Best experience of my life.
Thanks for your post
Thanks for your post
05-16-2012, 08:51 PM
#9
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I also don't know if "1000" is a hard-and-fast number - my guess is it's probably an approximation based on the time needed to do the analysis.
05-17-2012, 12:00 AM
#13
Melting Slicks
Great story. I have gone thru the assembly plant and I remember the different music being played on the line that alerted certain people of things that were going on. Again, Great informative story. Thanks...
05-17-2012, 12:16 AM
#15
Melting Slicks
Of course, I'm thinking the entire car is just going to fall to pieces at any moment and they'll be sweeping the parts out of the way and starting over. After an agonizing 10 minutes, a couple of repair guys in overalls and the obligatory guy with the clipboard, they finish the party under my car and start the line again. They didn't seem too concerned with the car though.
My guide instantly grabbed the appropriate supervisor to see what was up.....and he smiled and said...."oh...no, it wasn't anything with the car...something is wrong with the hardware that lifts the drivetrain up to meet the body, we'll have to service it tonight."
Ahhh.....my silly grin returned and once again all was right with the world. Of course, the theme from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly will forever have a new meaning to me!
05-17-2012, 04:45 AM
#19
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12
While we were there we briefly spoke to a "torque tester". Virtually all bolts and fasteners are tightened with pre-set torques. This guy's job was to continually move around the line and spot check the torques at various stages on various parts to ensure all guns are operating correctly.
I had read that it is one of the slowest lines and that seemed to be true. Line workers had time to stop and talk and without slowing the line. I also saw guy one sitting in a chair working crossword puzzles. When a car arrived he helped pull a car door down (which arrived with the car on an overhead line) and hold it while it as fastened, then sat back down. It seemed to me the pace was such that no one was in a big rush and all had ample time to carefully do their task with no pressure.
I had read that it is one of the slowest lines and that seemed to be true. Line workers had time to stop and talk and without slowing the line. I also saw guy one sitting in a chair working crossword puzzles. When a car arrived he helped pull a car door down (which arrived with the car on an overhead line) and hold it while it as fastened, then sat back down. It seemed to me the pace was such that no one was in a big rush and all had ample time to carefully do their task with no pressure.
05-17-2012, 07:07 AM
#20
Drifting
I had always wanted an old (or new) Mustang Shelby until the wife and I went to BG. It's what sold me on the Z06. Now every time the wife sees a Mustang she says,"I'm so glad you didn't get a Mustang."
I want to go back after the C7 tours start up.
I want to go back after the C7 tours start up.