New car launches and secrecy

Stallingrad

The new 7 series is due for launch soon, and there have been a number of leaks, but it just got me thinking about the process of launching a new car. Right now the new 7 series production line must be up and running, and must have been for some time as cars are tested, production teething issues sorted out, etc.

Does a new car come down the same line as the old, having been re-tooled, so is there a period during the switchover when no cars are being built?

I also assume there must be a warehouse full of built cars, I wonder are these ever sold to the public, parts cannibalised or scrapped? With such a long preparation time the security to avoid leaks must be huge, as by now there must be hundreds of people, from designers to floor workers who have seen and worked on the finished car.

Would be interested to hear from anyone who has more knowledge of this process.

brownacid

Notoriety on the internet isnt worth losing their jobs over. People working on the cars wouldn't generally disclose confidential information as to do so would lead to serious repercussions internally.

The're are many levels of prototype builds with the majority of new prototypes happening on the same production line. Most cars are built to order these days as it isn't feasible to build large batches. As such production lines in any given plant could be responsible for producing three or four different vehicle lines. Power trains are assembled on a seperate line and moved to vehicle plants for installation.

As the company moves closer to launch they would ramp up production to however many units they had forecast/what the dealers have Ordered. I believe a vehicle is classed as being sold once it leaves the factory regardless of having being purchased by a consumer. dealers will usually be cautious of speculating on high numbers of new products, particularly in the high end market such as the 7 series.

Dardania

brownacid wrote: »

The're are many levels of prototype builds with the majority of new prototypes happening on the same production line. Most cars are built to order these days as it isn't feasible to build large batches. As such production lines in any given plant could be responsible for producing three or four different vehicle lines. Power trains are assembled on a seperate line and moved to vehicle plants for installation.

Toyota are big into the whole idea of having a single line be able to produce many models, just with a simple swap out of tooling. They don't batch either, they do Corolla, then Yaris, gthen Corolla - all to make the tooling swap out process more efficient

brownacid

Dardania wrote: »

Toyota are big into the whole idea of having a single line be able to produce many models, just with a simple swap out of tooling. They don't batch either, they do Corolla, then Yaris, gthen Corolla - all to make the tooling swap out process more efficient

Yes, the Japanese manufacturers , Toyota in particular were the forerunners of the just in time manufacturing processes. It results in a lack of vehicle stock piles.I remember a very old episode of top gear which reported on the closing down of rover, they showed a snapshot of the factory and it was rammed full of completed and unsold vehicles. Most modern companies would use the just in time approach to avoid this.

I had the opportunity last year as part of my work to visit one of the largest auto plants in Europe and it was awe inspiring. I believe there was a 6/7 vehicle lines with a working engine build and dressing plant on site. With so much going on and so much automated processes you must really have your wits about you to avoid injury.

I have recently bought a focus st, once it was ordered the build started, when it was built it was shipped to Belgium for "flushing" as the dealer put it, this is essentially limbo for new Ford vehicles as they wait for the European built vehicles to be shipped to their new locations. As I understand it, the amount of time spent inflush is indeterminate, I have a friend who ordered a fiesta a month before me and is still waiting where as my focus is with me a month. The shipping yard is the equivalent of the warehouse which the op mentioned.

kirving

Yeah, just in time manufacturing is great to see in action. The builds are planned weeks if not months in advance and all the parts arrive at the factory with just hours to spare most. This means that there is less cash tied up in stock, and less need for warehousing operations etc.

All the parts which are sent from the Tier 1 suppliers are specially packaged so that they trolley full of parts clicks into place beside the production line with no unwrapping or reboxing required at all. I know that BMW plan their production runs based on batches of various models which are the same colour, since it takes time to purge the spray guns and booths of paint.

Anyway, back to the secrecy part. It's basically not worth the employees job to give out details ahead of launch. You'll often see camouflaged cars on the Nurburgring etc, but for R&D purposes, they're transported to testing locations in sealed transporters.

brownacid

Kevin Irving wrote: »

Yeah, just in time manufacturing is great to see in action. The builds are planned weeks if not months in advance and all the parts arrive at the factory with just hours to spare most. This means that there is less cash tied up in stock, and less need for warehousing operations etc.

All the parts which are sent from the Tier 1 suppliers are specially packaged so that they trolley full of parts clicks into place beside the production line with no unwrapping or reboxing required at all. I know that BMW plan their production runs based on batches of various models which are the same colour, since it takes time to purge the spray guns and booths of paint.

Anyway, back to the secrecy part. It's basically not worth the employees job to give out details ahead of launch. You'll often see camouflaged cars on the Nurburgring etc, but for R&D purposes, they're transported to testing locations in sealed transporters.

For real world climate tests (high temp/low temp/ high altitude) the vehicles are often camoflagued and debadged with the recess for the badge filled in. The secrecy of the new model launches is Crazy, but warranted.

projectgtr

Kevin Irving wrote: »

Yeah, just in time manufacturing is great to see in action. The builds are planned weeks if not months in advance and all the parts arrive at the factory with just hours to spare most. This means that there is less cash tied up in stock, and less need for warehousing operations etc.

All the parts which are sent from the Tier 1 suppliers are specially packaged so that they trolley full of parts clicks into place beside the production line with no unwrapping or reboxing required at all. I know that BMW plan their production runs based on batches of various models which are the same colour, since it takes time to purge the spray guns and booths of paint.

Anyway, back to the secrecy part. It's basically not worth the employees job to give out details ahead of launch. You'll often see camouflaged cars on the Nurburgring etc, but for R&D purposes, they're transported to testing locations in sealed transporters.

You would be surprised , a lot of manufacturer's have garages/warehouses over there, and they simply drive to the track, we seen a few over there, most smaller cars.

TrailerBob

projectgtr wrote: »

You would be surprised , a lot of manufacturer's have garages/warehouses over there, and they simply drive to the track, we seen a few over there, most smaller cars.

Very true, I remember seeing the Freelander 2 when in testing on the M20 in Southern England - two of them just plodding along with traffic, but with all the padding and fake arse bits..

Also saw the insignia OPC in testing at the nurburgring back in 09 just before launch... Have a video of it somewhere..

I suppose the camouflage stuff gives them a chance to test real world conditions without getting 'reviewed' prematurely by the motoring press. Big money tied up in this stuff...

RedorDead

Stallingrad wrote: »

The new 7 series is due for launch soon, and there have been a number of leaks, but it just got me thinking about the process of launching a new car. Right now the new 7 series production line must be up and running, and must have been for some time as cars are tested, production teething issues sorted out, etc.

Does a new car come down the same line as the old, having been re-tooled, so is there a period during the switchover when no cars are being built?

I also assume there must be a warehouse full of built cars, I wonder are these ever sold to the public, parts cannibalised or scrapped? With such a long preparation time the security to avoid leaks must be huge, as by now there must be hundreds of people, from designers to floor workers who have seen and worked on the finished car.

Would be interested to hear from anyone who has more knowledge of this process.

It would surprise you how far in advance a production line is ready to do this. I remember doing a factory tour in Ingolstadt back in 2009 and they were almost finished constructing a small limited run line for new B9 A4 which launches here in Q4.

Also was on the A8 production line in Neckarsulm 2 years back and the old A8 and facelift A8 were running off the same production line. Mad!

Kevin Irving wrote: »

You'll often see camouflaged cars on the Nurburgring etc, but for R&D purposes, they're transported to testing locations in sealed transporters.

projectgtr wrote: »

You would be surprised , a lot of manufacturer's have garages/warehouses over there, and they simply drive to the track, we seen a few over there, most smaller cars.

TrailerBob wrote: »

Very true, I remember seeing the Freelander 2 when in testing on the M20 in Southern England - two of them just plodding along with traffic, but with all the padding and fake arse bits..

Also saw the insignia OPC in testing at the nurburgring back in 09 just before launch... Have a video of it somewhere..

I suppose the camouflage stuff gives them a chance to test real world conditions without getting 'reviewed' prematurely by the motoring press. Big money tied up in this stuff...

If you drive around the countryside in Munich between Ingolstadt and Dingolfing you are almost guaranteed to see camouflaged test mules anytime you are there. Have seen a lot more BMW (X6/I8/5er/7er) than Audi. Have seen a lot more Audis near Neckarsulm.

Also saw a convoy of blacked out German reg Porsche heading up towards the west on N18 last weekend.

Interslice

Seen one of those Zebra swirl looking cars in athlone on wednesday, english lic. plate (Y). Think it was a mini range rover, hard to tell. Got a good look at it too :P.