Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Furnish yourself with a well-organized inventory system to feed the vehicle assembly line

Whether you stock raw materials for manufacturing parts or assemble subsystems into the final auto, you must keep the supply chain lean but strong. Deciding how much stock to have on hand versus brought in just-in-time will determine the type and complexity of the inventory system you must manage in your plant.

I recommend: SJF Material Handling claims to be the largest source of material handling equipment in the U.S. Flow-Rite Inc. supplies storage system and assembly line feed equipment especially for the automotive industry. Request a quote.

Acquire a strong conveyor system to keep the auto assembly line from stalling

Once the parts are in place, the right conveyor systems smoothly transition the parts and subsystems from station to station, advancing the process forward from unfinished parts to final product.

I recommend: Founded in 1970, Allor Manufacturing focuses on the conveyor system itself, forging chains, custom rollers and special bearing assemblies for the automotive and steel industries. Another heavy player headquartered in Southeast Michigan since 1965, Dominion Technologies, Inc. runs seven plants in the US, Europe and China and specializes in the trim, chassis, and final assembly aspects of automotive assembling.

Deploy robots to execute the car assembly process

In the right circumstances, robots can accomplish assembly work more accurately, more consistently and with greater safety than humans can, under conditions people would find intolerable. As materials technology advances and the overall auto assembly becomes more complex, engineers have adapted robots accordingly, now even incorporating them as part of the conveyor system.

I recommend: Since 1988, AGV Products has installed Automatic Guided Vehicle systems in Powertrain, Assembly and Stamping applications in the automotive industry. ABB supplies robotic systems to handle various assembly duties from powertrain assembly to paint and press automation.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  With the intricacy of the system, don't overlook computer hardware and software that can simplify management of your automobile assembly plant. From chips that can locate individual parts to communications software that lets robots 'talk' to each other through the process, computers can automate more mundane tasks, letting you focus on fine-tuning the process, look for ways to improve or streamline the automobile assembly line and grow your share of the market.