Jump to content
Create New...

CapitalTruck

Members
  • Posts

    13
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by CapitalTruck

  1. I don't know...seems a little risky! I thought GM's goal was to reduce capacity (keep product values up).
  2. This is from the Wall Street Journal-Copyright Dow Jones KANSAS CITY, Kan.—Starting Jan. 4, General Motors Co. plans to do something unprecedented in the U.S. car industry: It will run its assembly line here around the clock on a permanent basis. While common in other industries, not even car-efficiency benchmark Toyota Motor Corp. operates its plants routinely with more than two shifts. Car-assembly lines need too much scheduled maintenance and restocking for such intensive production to make sense, many industry experts say. The Kansas City plant launched the redesigned 2010 Buick Lacrosse, left, which is a candidate for the 2010 North American Car of the Year Award. Fairfax also produced the 2007 North American Car of the Year: the Saturn Aura. .For a company long bloated with unused capacity, GM's third-shift strategy is a radical—and risky—departure. Unlike other cost-cutting moves made during its trip through bankruptcy court last summer, such as halving its brands to four, the third-shift plan could make GM a model of car-industry efficiency—or end up a failure like its 1980s drive to let robots run its factories. The move comes as GM is closing other plants around the country. That means the 23-year-old Kansas City factory, which will add more than 900 jobs, as well as two other GM plants scheduled later for a third shift will become boom towns of sorts as other plants go dark. That's no accident. The Obama administration auto task force that oversaw GM's reorganization last spring was startled to learn that the industry standard for plants to be considered at 100% capacity was two shifts working about 250 days a year. In recommending that the government invest about $50 billion in GM, the task force urged the company to strive toward operating at 120% capacity by traditional standards. But industry manufacturing experts are skeptical, noting that the federal task force had limited automotive experience. "Do those guys understand the business?" asked Ron Harbour, whose Harbour Report is a widely followed analysis of auto-plant efficiency. Typically, car makers have added third shifts only as a temporary reaction to market surges. Even then, a more-common tactic is to place two shifts on overtime. "Two shifts gives us the flexibility to perform any necessary maintenance on equipment between shifts," said Mike Goss, a spokesman for Toyota's U.S. manufacturing operations. A few idle hours between shifts also enables a plant to perform cleaning and restocking. A plant's paint shop alone generally requires about four hours of cleaning a day, said Mr. Harbour, adding that the efficiencies of a third shift can disappear quickly amid slowdowns for such maintenance. "If running three shifts means you're moving [the line] at only 60% of capacity, then you haven't gained anything," he said. In all industries, moreover, midnight-shift workers are prone to above-average rates of on-the-job errors, absenteeism and illness. "Economically, the benefits can be worth it, but only if an employer manages the risks," said Martin Moore-Ede, chief executive of Circadian, a Boston-based consultancy specializing in round-the-clock operational challenges. Many auto-parts makers have long operated three shifts, and GM is convinced it can do likewise. Still, it is moving cautiously, starting with what is arguably its top-performing plant. The Kansas City operation consistently ranks among the most-efficient auto factories in America. Pride in the plant's performance drives John Melton, the local United Auto Workers chairman, to give his card to anyone he sees driving the new Buick Lacrosse, one of the plant's products. "I tell them to call me if they have any troubles or questions," he said. In the auto industry, the biggest risk is a sales slowdown. A single plant can make only a very limited number of models, so adding a third shift represents a bet on hits. GM's Kansas City plant, called Fairfax, has produced two out of the last three winners of the North American Car of the Year Award: the 2007 Saturn Aura and 2008 Malibu. This year, it launched the redesigned 2010 Buick Lacrosse, which is a candidate for the 2010 award. November sales of the Malibu rose 17% and the Lacrosse jumped 63%. "Right now, we can't make the Malibu or the Lacrosse fast enough," said Cathy Clegg, a GM manufacturing executive whose responsibilities include the Kansas City plant. But "if market demand doesn't meet our forecast, then we'll end up placing a shift on layoff," she conceded. GM is offering $30,000 to each of the 900 workers it needs to move to Kansas City from plants closed elsewhere. Its union contract requires it to make the positions available first to laid-off GM employees. Inside the plant is a "war room" where GM managers and union officials are plotting the launch of the third shift. Among challenges, they have figured out how to clean the assembly line without halting all of it. It involves "overspeeding" some parts of the line so it can be slowed down later. Once the third shift starts, the line will run about 21.6 hours a day, up from 14.5 hours with two shifts, and will make 6,300 vehicles a week, up from 4,500. In the second quarter, GM plans to add third shifts to its Silverado pickup plant in Fort Wayne, Ind., and its Delta Township plant in Lansing, Mich., which makes crossover vehicles like the Chevrolet Traverse. For these communities, third shifts are creating boons for real estate agents, parts suppliers and others. "It's strange," said Kansas City Mayor Joseph Reardon. "A year ago, we were worried about GM leaving Kansas City, Kansas. Now, for the first time ever, it's adding a third shift." —John Stoll contributed to this article. Write to Kevin Helliker at [email protected]
  3. Thanks for this opportunity. Are you able to identify/notice any of the "active noise cancellation" that is apparently present on these vehicles (Terrain/Equinox). Over on gm-trucks.com they had some of the Terrain officials on earlier in the year for a q and a session. They mentioned that there should be active noise cancelling, which if I recall is a tone or white noise that is put off by the audio system to counterbalance some other offending sound. Any sign of this at all? If so, how does it seem to be working? Thanks again.
  4. FOR RELEASE: 2009-03-11 CONTACTS GM Statement Regarding the Duramax 4.5L V-8 Diesel Given the current economic climate, GM has reviewed and updated its U.S. product portfolio and has decided to place on indefinite hold its previously announced plan to add a Duramax 4.5L V-8 diesel engine in 2010 to its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra light-duty trucks. Chevrolet and GMC will continue to offer a heavy duty Duramax 6.6L V-8 diesel, which is class-leading in both horsepower and torque. Light-duty truck customers can also choose from several fuel-efficient gasoline engines with GM’s Active Fuel Management mated to a six-speed transmission or a new 2-Mode hybrid that provides up to 40 percent improved city fuel mileage and 25 percent improvement in overall fuel efficiency. In fact, no other full-size pickup has better fuel economy. GM remains optimistic that the Duramax 4.5L V-8 diesel may be a viable option in its future portfolio. CONTACT(S): Susan Garavaglia GM Advanced Technology Communications 248-857-4368 [email protected]
  5. Why is GM selling Colorados/Canyons to anybody?
  6. I think it's time for HHR to be gone. It will be outdated very soon (that's how it goes these days). Like the other posters have said, I worry about the Orlando being in direct competition with the new Equinox. Also, when GM upgrades the current Delta (that's what the Cobalt/HHR is based on right?) platform for the Cruze will they really want to have to continue supplying technogly and support for the old Delta platform?
  7. I sure am glad to hear about these new products. The General needs them! I heard from somewhere else (I can't remember where) that the Malibu was going to be a blockbuster.
  8. I sure do wish they would make stability control standard features on the Equinox and Torrent. My parents were thinking about buying one of those models but the lack of ESC turned them off. Meanwhile, Honda CRV has standard ESC. It is stuff like this that makes me wish GM would just get it together. Also, the Equinox kinds of looks like it suffers from the same problem as the Aztek, that short rear end. The independent rear suspension shock towers also intrude pretty badly into the luggage area. I think they could have done a better job with it, it just looks like there wasn't a whole lot of care put into either the design or execution of the vehicle. I am hearing a lot about crossovers coming from GM, maybe these new crossovers will be better constructed. Lets hope so.
  9. As others have said on this post, take it to a good dealer. I have a couple of problems with my Silverado (underdash clicking I suspected, correctly, was one of the actuators for the driver's side HVAC air mixing door). I took it to the dealer where I bought the truck. Same old b.s. "normal condition, couldn't replicate problem" etc. Took it to a good dealer: Clicking under dash fixed immediately, found worn out tie rods, offered to do service bulletin for vibration. I was amazed I tell you. So...find yourself a decent dealership. Here is a key - smaller is better. The mega dealerships don't want to waste time on warranty (minimum profit) repairs. Smaller dealerships like the business and will take it on.
  10. Oh lord, I'm going to have to fight the urge to trade up the 04 Silverado for a GMT 900 based pickup. I still have 3 years of payments left, but I know I would love the new pickups so much more. I just hope they don't sell out the body completely and make huge unusable bedwalls like the F150.
  11. In the hands of the public? Do you mean press or buying public (like me)? The GM website doesn't even list an MSRP for it yet. And yes, I wish they would just put the 6 speed into the thing. Interesting comment about the 50% increase in body stiffness. I hope that same stiffness increase is found in the GMT900 pickup frame (I'm sure it will be). I have had the same shuttering problem with my 04 1500 2wd Ext. Cab as was noted by one of the other posts relating to the Tahoe. It just feels like when going over large bumps the thing bends in the middle.
  12. Also reviewed in The Washington Post Wash Post Torrent Review
  13. I can't figure for the life of me why GM would create such great looking cars as these Vauxhalls overseas and not bring them over! These would be prime Mazda fighters. Clearly they can make great Euro/Asian cars, they should bring them over here! Vauxhalls Offerings
×
×
  • Create New...

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search

Change privacy settings