Confessions from quality control - The Frontera factory
Discussion
smithyithy said:
Great thread, eager to hear more!
Especially Daewoo - my parents had an Espero from new
I once went to look at a cheap daewoo , I wasn't insured to drive it so the guy took me for the oddest test drive , he spent 4 laps of a big roundabout trying to get it to drift Especially Daewoo - my parents had an Espero from new
I did go for a tour of the Volvo truck factory in the late 1980s in Sweden , they had a Disneyland style train that took you round the factory , some of the women on the train were quite surprised at the very graphic calendars on the production line but as you would expect the factory was spotless
Edited by wack on Saturday 19th March 19:11
The Crack Fox said:
I could write a book about Cowley, a terrible place, but at the same time you'd occasionally find the most amazing old boys who had worked there since the early days and really cared about what they were doing. I've become strangely fond of Rover since their demise, despite their comedy approach to QA.
I did my apprenticeship at Cowley. I could really tell you some stories, but on the other hand, it did give me a great start in the industry (I'm a quality engineer (oxymoron I know)) and I love it. Travel all over the world and work with some great kit.Since I left Cowley (which was by this time BMW mini) I have worked on or for Bentley, BMW again, Mclaren, Ford, JLR, Rolls-Royce and Aston projects.
All as a quality engineer, all have anecdotes. I think most people world be amazed at what actually happens to their new cars before they leave the factory.
The Crack Fox said:
I could write a book about Cowley, a terrible place, but at the same time you'd occasionally find the most amazing old boys who had worked there since the early days and really cared about what they were doing. I've become strangely fond of Rover since their demise, despite their comedy approach to QA.
I did my apprenticeship at Cowley. I could really tell you some stories, but on the other hand, it did give me a great start in the industry (I'm a quality engineer (oxymoron I know)) and I love it. Travel all over the world and work with some great kit.Since I left Cowley (which was by this time BMW mini) I have worked on or for Bentley, BMW again, Mclaren, Ford, JLR, Rolls-Royce and Aston projects.
All as a quality engineer, all have anecdotes. I think most people world be amazed at what actually happens to their new cars before they leave the factory.
veccy208 said:
Sad that all these industries with promising starts were killed by lazy staff who wanted to do as little as possible for more money.
That's the baby boomers for you, the most lazy, feckless, entitled, privileged and self indulgent generation to ever have existed... they ought to be lined up against the wall for the way they've raped and ruined this country. wack said:
I once went to look at a cheap daewoo , I wasn't insured to drive it so the guy took me for the oddest test drive , he spent 4 laps of a big roundabout trying to get it to drift
I did go for a tour of the Volvo truck factory in the late 1980s in Sweden , they had a Disneyland style train that took you round the factory , some of the women on the train were quite surprised at the very graphic calendars on the production line but as you would expect the factory was spotless
I did what would probably have been the same tour sometime between 87 and 91, I don't quite remember as I was still primary school age and my dad was one of the senior truck production managers at Volvo Irvine at the time.I did go for a tour of the Volvo truck factory in the late 1980s in Sweden , they had a Disneyland style train that took you round the factory , some of the women on the train were quite surprised at the very graphic calendars on the production line but as you would expect the factory was spotless
Edited by wack on Saturday 19th March 19:11
To me it was one of the best things I had ever seen as even then I was a bit of a petrol head, I remember standing in what was probably the reception of the plant and volvo had the "new" 440 / 460 / 480 all on display as they were due to be launched, they seemed like something from the future compared to dads very long toothed 240GLT he had at the time.
Really rather enjoyed that and wouldn't mind reading more.
How about Self publish (and a bit of farcebook promotion)? There's Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing or there's Blurb (one of the Graphics students I worked with last year published their own book for their final major degree project and did a very good job of it) and sell direct to bookshops? The Penguin comment (which made me smile and makes me really want to read it) would suggest that the fairy tale could sell really rather well.
How about Self publish (and a bit of farcebook promotion)? There's Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing or there's Blurb (one of the Graphics students I worked with last year published their own book for their final major degree project and did a very good job of it) and sell direct to bookshops? The Penguin comment (which made me smile and makes me really want to read it) would suggest that the fairy tale could sell really rather well.
More please!!
unsprung said:
lol. Very entertaining. And utter dystopia.
We wouldn't be laughing, though, if we should visit a production facility in, say, China or South Korea.
If you fancy writing a book, I reckon you have enough anecdotes to weave them round a core theme.
I would say that a South Korean Hyundai line is on par with any Japanese line. They are putting out truly quality cars these days.We wouldn't be laughing, though, if we should visit a production facility in, say, China or South Korea.
If you fancy writing a book, I reckon you have enough anecdotes to weave them round a core theme.
Mastodon2 said:
Willy Nilly said:
Have you or anyone else done any worked at the Japanese plants in the UK? it would be interesting to hear how they work
Quite a bit different to the story in the OP I expect, 5S and kanbans up the ying yang, kaizens on the regular to implement process improvements. The McLaren P1 production line is like the ultimate 5S line, which is easier when you don't have to make many cars I suppose.This is great, thanks for posting it.
People may also be interested in this BL quality control training film I found on youtube a while back:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTCfJKNE2hg
People may also be interested in this BL quality control training film I found on youtube a while back:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTCfJKNE2hg
Yes please! Love seeing factories anyhow, like stories of how things are built, plus quality, etc. Also, do you have any examples of simple solutions which improved quality?? That would be interesting, And finally, with people like Dave from Luton's attitude to quality... how do you turn that around?
where do you start, when you cant sack everyone or close the factory, but you have to get people on side.
where do you start, when you cant sack everyone or close the factory, but you have to get people on side.
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