How to build a Solara: View from the plant
by oldkystude » Fri Mar 02, 2007 12:53 am
New guy here. Had some great comments and welcomes in the intro section and thought I should post over here now. I will probably hang out in the gen 2 area as I know nothing about the Canadian gen 1 cars, except they are very sharp and of great quality. One huge advantage Toyota has is their ability to move different models to different plants with relative ease. The reason the 2nd gen solara moved to KY was to make room for the Lexus RX330 production in Cambridge (Canada plant). Allas, the KY plant was not demonstrating the quality they were, and they got the 1st Lexus production line outside of Japan. I met some of the guys from there and they went through HELL getting their processes up to Lexus standards. We had room because the gen 2 Sienna van was too big for our assembly lines and conveyors, so it was transfered to Indiana. The overhead body conveyors in KY were installed with Camry in mind and the long wheelbase stuff won't make the turns.
Up until 6 weeks ago I was in Stamping, so I was not really in touch with anything that looked much like a car. The presses I took care of made very few "surface" parts the last few years as we have installed some really huge new presses that got those parts. Those press lines are much faster and the dies produce 2 parts per stroke. Example: the hood outer and hood inner panels were previously stamped on 2 separate sets of 4 dies each. Now they are both stamped side by side in one set of 4 giant dies, giving twice the parts per stroke. The dies are designed to be literally cut apart when they are relegated to "service" or replacement part production when the model is discontinued. This allows them to be stamped by one of our subsidiary companies who have smaller presses.
Stuff like this is what keeps Toyota the leader in cost reduction and production technology. The cars continue to get cheaper to build as efficiencies are implemented. They will be scrapping several complete, operable press lines in the next few years to bring in even newer "servo" press designs. (Google: Komatsu Servo Press if interested) They plow the profits back into the business continually to advance the technology. They will soon be ripping out a complete Body Weld line to install a new version. There is no end to it. There is no final design, only Kaizen: continual improvement. They also welcome any executive from any competitor who wants to see how we run. There was a team of executives in from GM a year ago. At some point the leader guy started hollering at his subordinates and saying thigs like "Why did you tell me we couldn't do this, and THEY CAN". They will go back and try to do whatever, but to Toyota, whatever we are doing on the production floor is ancient history and will be soon replaced. They don't give these tours to the development areas in Japan.
I'll shut up about Stamping now, but with 10 years there it is my main thing, and Body Weld is all new. You guys want to hear about Solara stuff! Mostly I can comment about body structure and how the body goes together, which I am now seeing daily. My favorite: The CONVERTIBLE! Has it's own little baby line and a small team of folks knocking out 34 a shift. Needs little maintenance, so I have had time to really study and compare the sedan and convertible body structure as we have the 2 "master bodies" and "underbody masters" almost side by side that I can look at (and check with a micrometer...).
Any questions, let me know and I will try to find out, but DON'T ASK ME ABOUT ANYTHING BUT BODY STAMPING AND ASSEMBLY! You guys know more than I about the rest of the car I assure you! HP
Up until 6 weeks ago I was in Stamping, so I was not really in touch with anything that looked much like a car. The presses I took care of made very few "surface" parts the last few years as we have installed some really huge new presses that got those parts. Those press lines are much faster and the dies produce 2 parts per stroke. Example: the hood outer and hood inner panels were previously stamped on 2 separate sets of 4 dies each. Now they are both stamped side by side in one set of 4 giant dies, giving twice the parts per stroke. The dies are designed to be literally cut apart when they are relegated to "service" or replacement part production when the model is discontinued. This allows them to be stamped by one of our subsidiary companies who have smaller presses.
Stuff like this is what keeps Toyota the leader in cost reduction and production technology. The cars continue to get cheaper to build as efficiencies are implemented. They will be scrapping several complete, operable press lines in the next few years to bring in even newer "servo" press designs. (Google: Komatsu Servo Press if interested) They plow the profits back into the business continually to advance the technology. They will soon be ripping out a complete Body Weld line to install a new version. There is no end to it. There is no final design, only Kaizen: continual improvement. They also welcome any executive from any competitor who wants to see how we run. There was a team of executives in from GM a year ago. At some point the leader guy started hollering at his subordinates and saying thigs like "Why did you tell me we couldn't do this, and THEY CAN". They will go back and try to do whatever, but to Toyota, whatever we are doing on the production floor is ancient history and will be soon replaced. They don't give these tours to the development areas in Japan.
I'll shut up about Stamping now, but with 10 years there it is my main thing, and Body Weld is all new. You guys want to hear about Solara stuff! Mostly I can comment about body structure and how the body goes together, which I am now seeing daily. My favorite: The CONVERTIBLE! Has it's own little baby line and a small team of folks knocking out 34 a shift. Needs little maintenance, so I have had time to really study and compare the sedan and convertible body structure as we have the 2 "master bodies" and "underbody masters" almost side by side that I can look at (and check with a micrometer...).
Any questions, let me know and I will try to find out, but DON'T ASK ME ABOUT ANYTHING BUT BODY STAMPING AND ASSEMBLY! You guys know more than I about the rest of the car I assure you! HP
- oldkystude
- Just Licensed SolaraGuy
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 12:22 am
Great information! I will definitely ask you questions in the future! 
) ...I am in the "HONDA" end of things... as a long time first tier supplier, but I cover the commercial and technical areas at a pretty "heady" level alot, so I get the purchasing and R&D/Design group driven tooling/costing strategy drill on a regular basis. Everything at the manufacturing level is Kaizen... which drives all manner of company culture throughout our facility as well. (I'm responsible for a variety of QA and manufacturing related systemization initiatives at the moment...) Your very fluid explanation of some of the highlights of Toyota's paradigm are GREAT insight for all of us. PLEASE continue to expound on such details, as we can ALL benefit from the information.
