Firing on All Cylinders
In 1982 the former GM assembly plant in Fremont CA was a shuttered, abandoned complex on 211 acres near San Francisco. The former Buick line had been plagued by low morale and a reputation for poor quality. Since the plant’s rebirth in 1984 as the Toyota/GM partnership New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., nearly 5 million vehicles have crossed the finish line. Quality standards have become so high that NUMMI is now shipping the first US-manufactured vehicle designated exclusively for export to Japan, targeting the world’s most discriminating auto buyers. Flaunting recent assumptions in manufacturing strategies, NUMMI has achieved continuing profitability in one of the most high-cost areas of the USA.
When the partnership was founded, GM provided the capital and Toyota brought the reputation as the world’s most proficient auto company. The Toyota Production System (TPS) is the envy of the industry and applies not just to manufacturing but also to almost everything Toyota does, from product development to supplier relations and distribution. Toyota sets the standard in efficiency, productivity, and quality, and the NUMMI plant continues to consistently rank near the top of all domestic plants in these categories.

FloStor Understands TPS
FloStor is proud to be the premier automation systems contractor for NUMMI, and pleased to be able to contribute to the continuing success of the plant. FloStor has a thorough understanding of TPS and has adopted TPS practices throughout FloStor operations, bringing a synergy to the working relationship so that NUMMI can rely on FloStor to solve automation challenges that meet their performance standards and fit seamlessly into the overall process. “Our standard is kaizan: Keep working at it to get it to where we need it,” explains Dan Porter, Manager of Assembly Engineering. “It's hard to find companies like FloStor that are willing to meet the kaizan standard. In an assembly environment, field testing will always reveal shortcomings and modifications will be required. This is why the persistance of the people at FloStor is so valuable to our operation.”

Automation: from Planning to Performance
From Toyota’s perspective, the objective of automation is not to reduce labor cost. Though man-hours per unit remains an important benchmark, Toyota recognizes that in an assembly environment the highest quality control can be achieved by applying human judgment as conditions vary. “Totally automated systems require perfect conditions, and the assembly environment is hardly perfect”, says Porter. Recent trends in the design of assembly processes have emphasized the flexibility and judgment offered by manual assembly over totally automated systems, and many of FloStor systems provide assistance to the operator. According to Porter, “Toyota has discovered that Preset Auto (PSA) processes can be more reliable, yield better quality control, and result in less downtime than totally automated systems. We are trying to uncomplicate things.”

Automation is implemented when warranted by: excessive weight, safety and ergonomics, and reducing cycle time. Many of the major systems, such as Daifuku Ramrun electrified monorail systems, are designed and fabricated in Japan and subsequently installed by FloStor. Automation projects designed, fabricated, and installed by FloStor are a product of collaboration between NUMMI assembly engineers and FloStor design engineers. Concepts are discussed, and NUMMI engineers issue a set of performance criteria. Development of the specifications and the ultimate system design is the responsibility of FloStor engineers. 

Automation systems typically can be described as a delivery system, a handling system, a presentation system or as a combination of these functions. Delivery systems convey components within a subassembly area or from a satellite process to the main assembly line. A handling system entails a fully-automated process either within a subassembly area or on the main assembly line. A presentation system is a Preset Auto (PSA) process that assists the operator by automatically positioning a component for manual installation. Custom dollies and racks are also designed and fabricated by FloStor as essential components of an automation system.

Beyond NUMMI
FloStor provides automation systems for major NUMMI suppliers as well as for Nissan and Ford. Johnson Controls provides seats for all vehicles assembled by NUMMI, and FloStor provides the delivery and presentation system equipment for the Johnson Control seat assembly plant in Livermore CA. FloStor designed and fabricated custom racks for Injex Industries, Hayward CA, a major NUMMI supplier of plastic components including glove compartments, instrument panels, and door components. To be a successful JIT supplier of components for NUMMI, systems must be compatible with TPS. Suppliers recognize the value of FloStor's extensive experience with Toyota's requirements.

FloStor Automotive Assembly Automation Projects
Presentation Systems
Fuel Tank Installation
Mounted Tire Installation
Glass Installation
Engine Subassembly
HVAC Installation
Paced Work Platforms
Seat Assembly
Fuel Tank Assembly
Instrument Panel Installation
Custom Racks & Dollies
Delivery Systems
Overhead Tire Line
Seat Component Accumulation
Stamping Press Rack Handling
Rim Delivery
Seat Distribution
Handling Systems
Molding/Cladding Application
Fuel Tank Loading
Body Sealant Application
Fuel Tank Delivery
Spare Tire Insertion
Glass Installation Stabilizer

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of these projects from our Ideas in Motion series.