It’s good to see you still posting.

Regarding where the 9-4X is going to be build, if it is indeed in North Amerika, if that may be Mexico. How about this: it is not going to be build. All we hear in the news, is that GM is cutting production, and cutting production. Wouldn’t it be really cost effective, not to build in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see the 9-4X on the road. But from a financial point of view, a 9-3X would make more sense. Anyway, just my 2 cents.

Later

Re: The production situation in Trollhättan

I work as a Research-Engineer at Saab automobile. I graduated from Chalmers and did a master thesis and together with a friend developed a program concerning virtual operator training in order to minimize or should I say totally avoid issues like the recent production issues with Turbo-x.

This was 1.5 year ago.

I would like to discuss two topics.

1. What has been done in Trollhattan to produce (actual production) better cars.

2. Why I don’t think there is a good idea to separate technical and production facilities.

1. To make the story short, Trollhattan with current research within virtual builds and training (and other simulations) are among the best in GME and maybe even in the entire automotive industry. Trust me, there are new innovative tools lying on my desk and computer that minimize operator errors.

These tools have been tested and successfully verified in the factory to make production errors “non existent” (an on going project that was tested for 5 months). Please, try to find such development in Mexico or in any other production factory…it simply doesn’t exist and that is what makes Trollhättan and Swedish automotive industry unique.

The tools exist!! But they have not been implemented into the GM(E) factories…yet…..as normal when it comes to “Saab” thinking one might say.

GM bleeds and I am unsure if this area ever will be a top priority. But in my mind, if you are such a small player producing 80-100k vehicles per year then you better make (from an assembly point of view) those cars as good as it gets. Of course there will always be specific issues linked to materials from suppliers etc.

These, computational aid tools, correctly implemented would yield dramatic difference in the “direct run loss” and lower it by a wide margin! I don’t see how an assembly operator could mount a “vector” sing on a turbo-x car with the aid of this help.No, we are not talking argumented/mixed reality here.

The study was just finished and now I really hope GM(E) do realize the win-win situation of installing such programs fot the upcoming platforms. I honestly believe Trollhättan can be seen as a “front runner” in the future in the way we think on how to assembly cars.

Well, I just wanted you to know what sort of research that has been carried out in Trollhattan.

2.

People talks about manufacturing. Manufacturing is a much wider concept than just production, it includes R&D and all areas that are needed to produce a car.

I don’t not believe and never will, that current PLM/PDM or whatever computer system and simulations that is being used can be so good that you can make the all R&D in Sweden and then produce the very same car in Mexico or vice versa without a LOT of problems. I promise, the initial cost and final verification would be so high that it makes no sense.
In theory, yes, in reality no! What seems to be the bang of the bucks is probably bucks of the bang!

Just look at current situation, a lot of Opel work is being done in Trollhättan for other production facilities in Europe. Do you honestly believe that when the Swedish Engineers arrives to the factory that the scenario they once planned or simulated can be found?

Also, there is a lot of feedback within the ramp-up that needs a two-way communication that far exceeds ordinary msn chat between production-development staff.

Again, I don’t believe in a production area and one development area, at lest not if you want to educate and produce the best Automotive Engineers!!

To be able to fully understand how to build good quality cars, you need both technical development AND production facilities linked. Period. I just wanted so say this if someone at GM thinks Sweden can be a “technical development centra” without production… well think again.

Trollhättan is not an ordinary plant; there are so many new innovative ways of producing cars…but in the end of the day…GM: show some interest to make it happen and how to proceed from research to full-scale.

Thanks and keep up the good work here at TS

Let there be Saabs made world wide. But please let the keymodel be made in Sweden. I wonder what Porsche 911 enthusiasts would say to a classic like that being made in Turkey or something like that. (No, I love Turkey.. You know what I mean)

Your’re probably right about the Pecan pie. Pecans taste pretty similar to Walnuts to me.

Cheers,

Mark.