Advanced Manufacturing Processes in the Motor Vehicle Industry

PDFTech ReportDOT-TSC-NHTSA-82-7HS-806 398AutomationAutomobile industryComputer aided designComputer aided manufacturingJust in time productionManagementManufacturingQuality controlRoboticsUnited StatesUnited States. National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationPhillips, Charles T.John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, (U.S.)United States. National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationVolpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference CenterAdvanced manufacturing processes, which include a range of automation and management techniques, are aiding U.S. motor vehicle manufacturers to reduce vehicle costs. This report discusses these techniques in general and their specific applications in the motor vehicle industry. Examples of advanced manufacturing processes discussed here are robots, CAD/CAM, flexible manufacturing, group technology, just-in-time production, and statistical quality control. Examples are given of application of these techniques by the motor vehicle manufacturers, both in general and in specific types of plants