USA vs JAPAN

Wingnut · May 29, 2001

Robert, you beat me to it ... the reason that foreign companies build plants here is because of the tariffs (another hidden tax to the buyer) enacted to protect American businesses from "unfair" competition.
I would have to difsagree with you, though, about the quality being better here ... my experience and what I've read says the opposite. The most trouble-free cars in the US are built in the NUMI plants in California ... and that's a joint venture between Toyota and GM ... run on the Japanese process instead of the Management vs. the UAW process.
Quality on the Saturn has dropped dramatically since the union has forced it to become a standard part of GM with standard work processes instead of the Japanese method previously employed at the plant.
I'm not saying we can't build a quality product in the US ... we can still outbuild anyone, anywhere! However, some of the stronger unions have a vested interest in building a lower quality product so they can keep the product churning (and keep the spare parts flowing).
Just my opinion, of course.

too bad that common sense ain't

PaulT · May 30, 2001

Just wondering why larger tolerances would decrease cost. With CAD and other technologies available today, within the capabilities of the machines, we can set tolerances to anything we like. If your engineering friends are telling you that specifications for tolerances are being relaxed, I highly doubt it. While I don't KNOW this is true in the automotive industry, I know for a fact this is not happening in the aerospace industry. The engineers just call out the specs on the prints, and we follow 'em. No more or less expensive to spec them with high or low tolerances. Tolerances like clearances between bearings, or measurements of how wide a hood is, and therefore how closely it matches a fender, are pretty much exact these days. When the QC guys check the tolerances, if they aren't within spec, they are supposed to throw them out. If what you are saying is that management has instructed the QC testers to "pass" parts that fall outside of the quality range, I doubt it. My reason - there's nothing in it for them. They just send them back to the supplier and make them re-do them. (Even if the supplier is another internal division). For that reason, parts that are the wrong dimension are usually scrapped and the machine is reset. If the fender/hood gap is off, its because the assembler didn't align it correctly -- not because the stamping machine didn't make the hood the right width. With regard to fit and finish quality, that is due to the worker not actually tightening the nut, finishing the weld, etc, etc, according to his training -- i.e. LAZINESS!!

PaulT

r0GuE · May 30, 2001

Actually you said it yourself, the tighter you set the spec, the more parts you have to "throw out". If the cap to the kanueder valve has threads with a (+/- 1/8") instead of (+/- 1/64th), it will be much cheaper to produce because the process can be run looser and inspection will find less parts that must be discarded. Multiply that cost savings by the thousands of parts on a car. The savings is alot.
You also bring up a good point in quality resulting from bussiness type, UAW vs Management doesn't lead to the best possible product (except in the comercials).
I remember a Saturn commercial shortly after they went GM/UAW I think, where they were bragging that they shut the plant down for a day to give everyone safety glasses. Should I feel good about that cost being passed on to me?
WOAAAHHH boy are we off the Kubota topic.

Rogue