Production and Manufacturing Phase

With the completion of the styling and packaging phase, the process moves on to production and manufacturing. For many people in the U.S. the automotive industry is the very epitome of manufacturing, and though the process is always being refined and each company has some proprietary systems in place, the basic assembly-line system used in the vast majority of automotive production is the same. In the broadest terms, the basic phases of production -- component fabrication followed by assembly -- do not vary tremendously.

Component Fabrication
This phase creates the building blocks used on the assembly line and throughout the rest of the process, so ensuring an uninterrupted supply flow is critical to optimizing production. Equally important is avoiding having too much inventory on hand. Excess inventory can consume space and money at the best of times, but should something be found to be wrong with a component after production is underway, any existing inventory will need to be scrapped or re-worked. The lower the inventory level, the lower the cost of any such changes will be.

For these reasons, the component-manufacturing phase was traditionally an in-house function, with auto manufacturers attempting to keep as close an eye on and as much control over the process as possible. This is changing today as more and more suppliers take on at least part of this task, delivering completed or partially completed elements to the assembly line. Of course, some of the elements you see on vehicles - things like tires, batteries, and dashboard instruments - have always been sourced from outside vendors.

Assembly
This is actually a dual-line process with body and chassis assembly happening concurrently. During body assembly, panels are welded together and doors and windows installed to create the body of the car. Then the upholstery, interior hardware, and wiring are put in place. Finally the paint and trim are applied. Meanwhile, on the chassis line, the frame - with springs, wheels, steering gear, powertrain (engine, transmission, and drive shaft), brakes, and exhaust system - is assembled. Once these are both complete, the car is in large part finished, with only minor items left to address before testing and inspection.

Since its earliest days the automotive industry has led the way in manufacturing innovations, and today it continues to do so, with regular improvements in production and the investment of a large amount of time and money in the manufacturing process.

The truth is that there are few things more complex to put together than today's automobiles. They require manufacturing facilities made up of hundreds of systems designed to do very specific, individual work while working seamlessly together. To create these hardworking – and yet often delicate – systems, engineers work with computer modeling tools to create simulated production systems, which they can then view in action in virtual plants. They can ensure in advance that material will be located exactly where it needs to be at any given time and that machines and equipment are in precisely the right place. They can optimize the process to keep product handling to a minimum and maximize worker safety.

In the manufacturing process itself, engineers have incorporated automation and robotic technology into the assembly lines that are producing the current generation of cars. For the next generation of cars, engineers will re-invent the process all over again, creating production tools and methods designed to handle newer materials, greater electrical and motorized innovations, and even more design features.

It's not only the engineers at the big auto manufacturers that are changing the face of the assembly phase. Engineers at the automotive suppliers are also facing these challenges, as manufacturers look to supply companies to shorten production time and maintain constant, reliable inventories at just the right levels. These suppliers are stream-lining their own segment of the JIT (just in time) supply chain by designing specialized assembly lines as their role expands to include portions of the assembly, in addition to part manufacturing and delivery.

If companies in the industry want to remain competitive, re-engineering this phase of product development will be a critical, top-to-bottom process.