ajack1
Automotive
- Nov 24, 2003
- 1,148
Over the past few years at least in the automotive trade things have tightened up considerably.
As CAD, CNC and robotics have improved so have the tolerances that parts are made too, this in no doubt improves the build quality of cars. When Joe used to assemble parts he knew that if you tweaked in part A it would fit part B, a robot has no concept of this.
Fit and function now seem a thing of the past at least in my field, if it passes a CAP study the part is good if not it is a reject. Manufacturing procedures have had to change and reworking is a thing of the past, or so I thought.
I was with a client yesterday, who manufactures mostly hinges, tailgates, bonnets and doors. Some are pressed and some are cast. They now send all there casting work to India, and the quality is appalling, that is not to say all work done there is.
To overcome this they have a shop full of Eastern Europeans mostly Albanians who hand work the parts to a required standard, but with many rejects. However they seem to have researched this and still feel it is a cost effective way to work.
Is this a flash in the pan or the way things will move forward? Over the last few years at least in the UK the “idea” seems to be to automate things and cut down on manpower, this seems to buck the trend.
With India and China now becoming major players and Africa seemingly untapped, with the possible exception of mining are we about to see high man power return and if so how long is it sustainable as wages will certainly increase.
Will they go down the same route as the west, and Japan and slowly automate?
As CAD, CNC and robotics have improved so have the tolerances that parts are made too, this in no doubt improves the build quality of cars. When Joe used to assemble parts he knew that if you tweaked in part A it would fit part B, a robot has no concept of this.
Fit and function now seem a thing of the past at least in my field, if it passes a CAP study the part is good if not it is a reject. Manufacturing procedures have had to change and reworking is a thing of the past, or so I thought.
I was with a client yesterday, who manufactures mostly hinges, tailgates, bonnets and doors. Some are pressed and some are cast. They now send all there casting work to India, and the quality is appalling, that is not to say all work done there is.
To overcome this they have a shop full of Eastern Europeans mostly Albanians who hand work the parts to a required standard, but with many rejects. However they seem to have researched this and still feel it is a cost effective way to work.
Is this a flash in the pan or the way things will move forward? Over the last few years at least in the UK the “idea” seems to be to automate things and cut down on manpower, this seems to buck the trend.
With India and China now becoming major players and Africa seemingly untapped, with the possible exception of mining are we about to see high man power return and if so how long is it sustainable as wages will certainly increase.
Will they go down the same route as the west, and Japan and slowly automate?