View Full Version : Jaguar Factory Visit
derekthetree
07-20-2010, 11:55 AM
I went to the Jaguar assembly plant in Birmingham today as part of a work thing.
Saw the XK line, from body in white piecing together right through to moving cars.
Some really complicated robots and lots and lots of parts in boxes!
Just wondering if anyone else has been to a car factory?
henk4
07-20-2010, 12:16 PM
Lamborghini, Pagani, Audi plant in Györ, Spyker.
culver
07-20-2010, 01:48 PM
I went to a GM one in Michigan years back when I was interviewing. Never took the job. I'd like to visit the Corvette factory. I have spent a good bit of time in plants that make large jet aircraft engines but that's not really the same thing. I've also spent a reasonable amount of time in small shops that build race cars but that's more of a batch job thing.
LeonOfTheDead
07-20-2010, 01:53 PM
Pagani, Lamborghini and Maserati.
Nothing as "technological", or should I say automated, as Jaguar or GM I guess...
culver
07-20-2010, 03:49 PM
Pagani, Lamborghini and Maserati.
Nothing as "technological", or should I say automated, as Jaguar or GM I guess...
I would definitely stress that automated part. The GE aircraft engine plant, liker perhaps the shops that produce things like F1 cars, are not automated but they are very high tech. You have to be to work with unobtainum (that unobtainium for you British types ;) ).
Dino Scuderia
07-20-2010, 03:52 PM
GM in the late 60's...saw some Chevy Impala's being made.
BMW plant in South Carolina....Z3's and X5's were being made.
Soon I'll visit the new VW plant in Tennessee.
derekthetree
07-21-2010, 09:30 AM
Some quite varied visits then!
I got the impression that Jag was a halfway house between genuine mass production (Toyota, Nissan etc) and a more handbuilt affair. About halfway down the line all the robots disappeared and the blokes appeared.
They even handfinished them with a rubber hammer. It was quite brutal.
LeonOfTheDead
07-21-2010, 12:22 PM
Some quite varied visits then!
I got the impression that Jag was a halfway house between genuine mass production (Toyota, Nissan etc) and a more handbuilt affair. About halfway down the line all the robots disappeared and the blokes appeared.
They even handfinished them with a rubber hammer. It was quite brutal.
Similar to Maserati then, except there weren't robots there, just some machines to help workers putting heavier things on.
NSXType-R
07-22-2010, 03:30 PM
Just curious, for the plant visits, do you need to be an actual customer or can you schedule one far ahead of time?
And although photography would be cool, I'm sure they highly discourage it, right? Although that probably depends.
leroy
07-22-2010, 03:59 PM
I went to the Jaguar assembly plant in Birmingham today as part of a work thing.
Saw the XK line, from body in white piecing together right through to moving cars.
Some really complicated robots and lots and lots of parts in boxes!
Just wondering if anyone else has been to a car factory?
I went to Audi's Ingoldstadt factory in 1992. Very mechanised, lots of robots and very few people on the production line. Humans' roles mostly involved interior trimming and inspection. Particularly impressive were the huge presses for stamping the body panels. I found the whole thing totally fascinating, and could have styed there for days watching each process.
henk4
07-22-2010, 11:53 PM
Just curious, for the plant visits, do you need to be an actual customer or can you schedule one far ahead of time?
And although photography would be cool, I'm sure they highly discourage it, right? Although that probably depends.
Photography is rarely allowed, unless with specific permission in "non-controversial" spots.
I went to the GTM factory once...not quite on the scale of some of these others. :rolleyes:
Sauc3
07-23-2010, 07:59 AM
Photography is rarely allowed, unless with specific permission in "non-controversial" spots.
Wiesmann allowed me full access with photography, and everything in their factory is hand built and assembled, from the chassis to the exhaust to the interiors.
Also visited BMW and Porsche, MUCH more mass production.
Elfin, which is a tiny scale operation and done by hand again.
2008 Elfin T5 Clubman - Images, Specifications and Information (http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3878/Elfin-T5-Clubman.html)
henk4
07-23-2010, 12:50 PM
Wiesmann allowed me full access with photography, and everything in their factory is hand built and assembled, from the chassis to the exhaust to the interiors.
Also visited BMW and Porsche, MUCH more mass production.
Elfin, which is a tiny scale operation and done by hand again.
2008 Elfin T5 Clubman - Images, Specifications and Information (http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3878/Elfin-T5-Clubman.html)
we could shoot at Pagani, but not everything, in particular the section where they process the carbon fiber tubs.
NSXType-R
07-27-2010, 05:54 PM
Photography is rarely allowed, unless with specific permission in "non-controversial" spots.
I would imagine so. Lots of the process is a trade secret, I'm sure they wouldn't like them leaked.
we could shoot at Pagani, but not everything, in particular the section where they process the carbon fiber tubs.
I wonder if LeonoftheDead can comment about that. I bet you they treat him like a regular. :D
Koenigsegg likewise was restrictive of photography when I was there in certain areas, and welcoming of photos in others
henk4
07-28-2010, 04:10 AM
I wonder if LeonoftheDead can comment about that. I bet you they treat him like a regular. :D
He can, he was with us during our visit:)
LeonOfTheDead
07-28-2010, 02:01 PM
I wonder if LeonoftheDead can comment about that. I bet you they treat him like a regular. :D
He can, he was with us during our visit:)
As some Obama guy once sort of said, "YES I(ok, we) can" :D