High-tech machines for high-quality products
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
All automakers want to give their customers the best quality they can afford and nowadays that can only be achieved by using the latest technology and modern equipment, which means robots.
Robots can create good quality products and can work long hours in environments dangerous to humans, reducing the costs and risks for human workers.
While several automakers still rely mostly on handmade production they are only producing for high-end, niche market customers who compromise on nothing and demand the highest quality money can buy.
To show how it made high-quality affordable cars, Honda Prospect Motor (HPM) recently demonstrated its sophisticated welding and painting equipment at its plant in Karawang, West Java.
"With the production facilities that we now run in the factory, we are sure we can reach our management goal of becoming a company that is customer-oriented producing high-quality status cars," PT HPM president Kenji Otaka said.
The automatic and highly accurate general welding machine is now used to assemble the Honda CR-V sports utility vehicle (SUV) and Honda Jazz mini multipurpose vehicle (MPV).
A computerized, automatic spraying machine is used for all models assembled at the Karawang plant.
Quality-wise, PT HPM vice-president for production Nobuo Takeichi said the general welder and automatic spray machines could produce a finish more-or-less equal to skilled workers' efforts.
"Yet, the likelihood of human error has decreased significantly but production remains stable," he said.
Nobuo said the use of such equipment was the response to market demand, not only for quality but also prompt delivery.
The company has trained 10 technicians as general welders and another six for the automatic spraying machine.
"We are also planning to invite instructors from Japan to provide supplementary training so the technicians here can reach a higher level of expertise," said PT HPM frame and engine general manager, Yosanto.
PT HPM's plant in Karawang was built with an investment of US$70 million, and employs about 2,300 workers. It has a total area of 80,000 square meters built on a 500,000 sqm plot of land.
The factory produced 13,000 vehicles last year and has reached 34,000 units so far this year. Working in two shifts, it has a capacity of producing 45,000 vehicles a year, expected to be reached in 2005.
The vehicles are constantly checked during welding, painting and assembly, and there is a another general inspection after assembly is completed.
Wheel alignment, headlights, skidding performance, underbody soundness, hand brakes and speedometers are checked during this process.
The factory also has a 1,560-meter test course said to be the largest in the country.
A new car has to pass a 10-meter water pool 40 centimeters deep before going into the water leak test where it is sprayed with water for five minutes. There is also an Antilock Breaking System check and a slalom to test handling and steering.
After final inspection, the car is ready to be delivered.