High-tech machines for high-quality products
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.