ajvester
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- Oct 16, 2018
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- Chicagoland
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- Toyota Tundra
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Pretty interesting short video.
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I believe that the fenders are already on. I think what you are seeing is plastic protective body cladding.That was pretty interesting. I thought it was interesting that they put the badging on (the XL/XLT/Lariat badge) on the fender before putting the fender on. Those big welding robots were pretty cool too.
Thanks for posting it.
Yes, that is a fender protector to prevent panel/paint damage on the line.I believe that the fenders are already on. I think what you are seeing is plastic protective body cladding.
I figured that is what those were - pretty neat to see all the automation and robotics in action.Yes, that is a fender protector to prevent panel/paint damage on the line.
One of the interesting parts for me was the inspection robots at final line. If you skip to 1:55, you can see what looks like a machine vision system inspecting the A-Pillar and cab corners. I worked in production control for an auto manufacturer 15 years ago and our systems were nowhere near that advanced. Automated inspection has come a long way.
Many of those jobs are much harder than they look. VATs (Vehicle Assembly Technicians) are good at what they do and make them look easy. Yes they have a lot of hoists and balanced load assist devices to help them do their jobs and reduce injures but they still require skill and finesse. Plus, even an easy job done 70 times per hour 10 hours a day is pretty stressful on the human body. That's one reason some jobs are automated using robots and other automation. Often Dirty, Dull, Difficult and Dangerous (the 4 Ds) jobs are prime candidates for robots to do. But having said that, humans are still a major part of the process. For example the Super Duty plant in Kentucky employs about 8500 people and about 1600 robots.Fascinating stuff. Amazing how the human workers barely have to lift a finger.
Here is a video of the Ford Expedition assembly. It is just some short clips but gives you a little more of the processes in an assembly plant.I wish that video was 30 minutes in length, showing the entire process - stamping, painting, and more details in assembly. Obviously, intrigued and enjoyed it.
My favorite part is at the 128 mark where the hoist operator is decking a cab but is looking at the monitors and not the hoist she is controlling. Also of note is the green colored robot which is a "collaborative" robot and is working right with humans without cages or guarding. That's fairly new technology.Here is a video of the Ford Expedition assembly. It is just some short clips but gives you a little more of the processes in an assembly plant.