Lansing Grand River Implements Best Proven Processes To Build World-Class Quality Vehicles

FOR RELEASE: January 9, 2002

Lansing Grand River Implements Best Proven Processes To Build World-Class Quality Vehicles

Lansing, Mich. - Quality is an essential part of creating customer enthusiasm for any vehicle. For a luxury car like the new Cadillac CTS - a sport sedan counted on to play a major role in restoring the Cadillac brand to prominence - quality is an absolute requirement.

To meet and exceed the expectations of luxury vehicle customers, the new Lansing Grand River (LGR) Assembly plant is implementing the best proven quality practices used by competitors and by other General Motors operations around the world. LGR is currently building the Cadillac CTS and in the future will build additional luxury vehicles.

An experienced workforce, building on the Lansing area's long heritage of building quality GM vehicles, is implementing and further refining the quality processes at LGR.

"At Lansing Grand River, quality is everyone's responsibility," said Robert E. "Bob" Anderson, LGR plant manager. "Every team member is trained to be a quality inspector and a problem solver. Continuous improvement through teamwork is the foundation for our system to achieve the build of world-class vehicles."

LGR's quality processes are based on the GM Global Manufacturing System (GMS), which leverages GM worldwide learnings. Under GMS, the focus is on the operator on the plant floor, working in small teams. Resources and processes are organized to support the operators so that they can efficiently build high-quality vehicles.

The GMS quality processes have evolved over a number of years. Experience gained through NUMMI, the joint venture with Toyota, provided a basis for introducing Toyota Production System techniques into GM. The ideas were taken to the next step at GM's plant in Eisenach, Germany, and further refined at GM's new plants in Poland, China, Thailand, Argentina and Brazil.

Extensive training
Team members receive extensive training in their individual job responsibilities as well as in the principles of GMS, including built-in quality and standardization of work. Standardized work means performing an operation the same way, every time - for example, tightening a series of hinges in the same sequence every time to achieve the right torque and eliminate the possibility that a bolt might start to loosen after several thousand miles.

The team concept is a critical part of managing quality at LGR, because each team is responsible for quality in its area. Individual operators are empowered to suggest improvements, and continuous improvement depends on every member being involved in identifying and solving problems. Team members are trained to perform multiple jobs, which gives them a broader understanding of the build process.

Improved plant ergonomics contributes to better quality by reducing operator strain and fatigue. For example, operators in General Assembly use skillets - large, moving platforms that support both the vehicle and the manufacturing team member. The operator can adjust the height of the car to a comfortable level.

Support for quality
A number of processes and advanced technologies support LGR operators in achieving quality. One example is the Andon System, designed to ensure quality built in station. If an operator pulls an Andon Cord, assistance is immediately deployed to help resolve the problem before the vehicle goes to the next station.

The plant also has adopted a number of error-proofing methods to monitor quality issues such as correct selection of option content. For example, a light over a parts rack signals the proper badging or cladding to install on a particular vehicle. When a team member reaches in the rack for the part, the operator's hand breaks a beam of light and a computer determines if the right selection was made. An error message goes off if the wrong part is selected.

Quality confirmation is conducted at 18 on-line quality verification stations as well as through off-line processes in the Body Shop, Paint Department and General Assembly. Quality confirmation activities are designed to provide quick feedback to production teams so that they can problem-solve and initiate corrective action.

In total, more than 1,000 checks are performed on every vehicle. These include:

Dimensional integrity. A laser system measures every body at more than 100 points before it leaves the Body Shop, helping ensure world-class fit.
Torque monitoring. "Smart tools" used in assembly ensure that the correct amount of torque is applied to critical fasteners.
Water testing. Each vehicle that comes off the line is subjected to a deluge of water to check for potential leaks through doors, windows, the trunk and from the underside.
Audio system check. A microphone connected to a computer system precisely measures the performance of each of the car's sound system speakers.
Test tracks. In addition to sharing an outdoor test track with Lansing Assembly, LGR has a 100-yard indoor test track that emulates testing for squeaks and rattles at the GM Proving Grounds. The indoor track ensures every car is tested, regardless of the weather.

"Customers' high quality expectations are clearly understood by everyone at LGR," Anderson said. "Built-in quality principles are practiced in every aspect of our operations to assure that our products are world-class quality - beginning with the Cadillac CTS."

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