| General Motors is taking advantage of new car and
truck introductions to upgrade its assembly plants with the latest systems
and technologies, accelerating GM's drive to be the industry leader in
manufacturing performance. The upgrades are increasing manufacturing flexibility,
reducing the plants' impact on the environment, and improving product
quality and productivity.
Over the last three years, GM has made major refinements to several plants,
including those in Oklahoma City, Okla., Fairfax, Kan., and Shreveport,
La. This year, additional improvements are being made in Lordstown, Ohio,
and Orion, Michigan, US.
"As we put new products in our plants, we're taking advantage of
the opportunity to invest in our facilities and ensure our manufacturing
competitiveness for years to come," said Guy Briggs, vice president
and general manager of GM manufacturing and labor relations.
"The $300 million investment GM is making in the Orion Assembly Plant
will go a long way to securing the future for this workforce and this
community," said UAW Vice President Richard Shoemaker. "This
plant and UAW Local 5960 members produce world class quality vehicles
and I can think of no better home for the new, exciting Pontiac G6 family
of vehicles."
Several refinements are being made to GM plants as new products are introduced,
affecting manufacturing flexibility, environmental impact, and quality
and productivity:
Manufacturing Flexibility
With each plant conversion, GM is increasing its ability to build different
vehicles on the same assembly line. A key element of that strategy is
"C-Flex," a programmable body shop tooling system that is replacing
body style-specific tooling. C-Flex allows multiple body panels (floor
pans, deck lids, hoods, engine compartments, etc.) to be welded with the
same set of programmable tools and robots. Model-specific tooling is not
required. With C-Flex, GM is reducing the size of its body shops by as
much as 150,000 square feet. C-Flex, along with other recent manufacturing
improvements, will reduce GM's cost of introducing new products into a
body shop by approximately $100 million.
Environmental Benefits
With each plant upgrade, GM is implementing new systems and processes
to reduce the impact its facilities have on the environment. The plant
refinements provide an opportunity to accelerate GM's efforts to reduce
energy and water consumption, improve air quality, reduce waste and increase
recycling and the use of renewable energy.
Over the past eight years, GM has reduced its energy consumption by 22
percent - enough to power 142,000 homes. Over the same period, GM has
reduced water consumption by 37 percent, the equivalent to the amount
of water used by 75,000 households in a year. Over the past decade, GM
has reduced air emissions by 46 percent. And over the past four years,
GM has reduced the total amount of waste generated by its facilities by
13.7 percent, which is the equivalent to the waste generated in one year
by 352,000 U.S. households.
GM is the largest user of renewable energy sources in the industry, with
three facilities receiving a portion of their power from local landfills.
Quality and Productivity
While GM continues to implement its manufacturing system in all plants,
the plant upgrades provide an opportunity to accelerate the quality and
people systems that continue to drive GM towards a leadership position
in manufacturing. These systems and processes include: Increased operator
involvement, error proofing, visual controls, problem solving and standardizing
work assignments.
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