Innovation on the Line: GM Manufacturing Milestones

Many of General Motors most important innovations have occurred behind the
scenes, in its manufacturing facilities. Concepts such as changeover, flexible
assembly, automation, computer simulation, machine vision and robotics were
developed at GM. Over the decades these innovations have helped enable
improvements in vehicle quality, efficiency and competitiveness.
1901: Ransom Olds famous Curved Dash Oldsmobile, designed with simplicity,
reliability and value in mind, was the first American car built in a factory designed
specifically for automobiles and in standardized volume production. GM acquired
Oldsmobile in 1908.
1908: Cadillac wins the Dewar Trophy, Europes most prestigious award for
precision and excellence in manufacturing, by demonstrating the auto industrys
highest standards for precision and interchangeability of parts by disassembling
three Cadillacs and mixing the parts randomly before reassembling and driving
them before a contingent of judges.
1922: GM hires William Knudsen to lead Chevrolets turnaround. Knudsen
implements flexible mass production, which helps Chevrolet incorporate annual
styling changes and take market share from Ford.
1923: To provide Chevrolets to customers in Scandinavia, GM opens its first
assembly plant outside North America, in Copenhagen, Denmark.
1924: Duco, a new, durable and quick-drying paint developed by GM and DuPont,
is introduced, giving customers a wider array of color choices and cost savings for
GM. By 1926, Chevrolet used it on all of its cars, a competitive advantage over
Ford.
1926: Buicks unified assembly line opens in Flint, Mich. It was hailed as the
largest and most efficient car assembly system in the world and brought all final
vehicle assembly into one factory.
1928: GM opens the Sao Caetano do Sul plant in Brazil, as well as Indias first
automobile assembly plant. Chevrolet switches from a four- to a six-cylinder engine
in just three weeks thanks to sequence lines, the forerunner to conveyors.
1936: GM Fisher Body introduces the Unisteel Turret Top Body, formed by welding
the steel inner and outer panels into a permanent, shock-resistant structure
designed for greater comfort and durability.
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1953: Buick opens a new V-8 engine plant in Flint, Mich., featuring the worlds
most modern engine assembly line. Two, 600-foot-long lines turn out 1,200
engines a day.
1961: The worlds first industrial robot is used at GMs Ternstedt components plant
in Trenton, N.J. The Unimates 4,000-pound arm positions extremely hot diecast
metal parts into cooling pools.
1969: The worlds first programmable logic controller (PLC) application occurs at
the Hydra-Matic Transmission plant in Ypsilanti, Mich. This digital controller was
used to automotive machinery on assembly lines, replacing the labor-intensive use
of relays.
1966: Lordstown (Ohio) Assembly opens, and is touted as the most automated
automotive plant in the world.
1971: GM engineers develop a pneumatic tool control system at the Fairfax
(Kansas) Assembly plant. The computer-based device guarantees the correct
torque value is applied to 30 critical fastened joints on Buick, Oldsmobile and
Pontiac sedans.
1976: The worlds first automotive laser welding application occurs at GMs Moraine
(Ohio) plant. It uses two, 1.25-kW CO2 lasers to join valve assemblies for emission
control systems.
1977: SIGHT-I, the first industrial computer vision system on a U.S. automotive
production line, is installed at the Delco Electronics Division plant in Kokomo, Ind.
1978: The worlds first programmable universal machine for assembly (PUMA)
robot is used at GMs Rochester Products division.
1980: GM unveils a standardized computer language called Manufacturing
Automation Protocol (MAP) to communicate with PLCs, robots, conveyors and other
plant-floor equipment. Within two years GM Truck and Bus in Pontiac, Mich. truck
begins installing MAP. The result is better control over the manufacturing process
because proprietary data systems are eliminated.
1982: GM launches a major campaign to increase productivity through automation.
GM forms a joint venture with FANUC Ltd. to create GMFanuc Robotics Corp.
1983: GMs Orion Township, Mich., assembly plant opens. It features 22 unmanned
forklift trucks that follow wires buried in the floor and bring parts to the assembly
line. GM embarks on the innovative Buick City experiment in nearby Flint. The
$300-million project transforms one of the oldest automotive assembly plants in the
world into a state-of-the-art, lean manufacturing facility that opened in 1985.

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1985: The Detroit-Hamtramck plant opens and begins assembling Buick, Cadillac
and Oldsmobile sedans. It features 2,000 programmable devices, including 260
robots.
1995: Annual vehicle sales outside North America exceed 3 million units for the
first time. GM establishes a joint venture in China with Shanghai Automotive
Industry Corp. The Synchronous Math-Based Process is launched to digitally design
vehicles, components and production processes.
1999: GMs parts-making operations become Delphi Corp.
2002: The flexible Lansing Grand River factory opens. It is GMs first plant built in
the 21st century and is located on the site of the original, 100-year-old Oldsmobile
complex. A new assembly technology called C-Flex is unveiled. The programmable
body shop tooling system replaces body style-specific tooling. It allows multiple
body panels to be robotically welded with the same set of programmable tools and
robots.
2003: GMs Global Manufacturing System (GMS) debuts. Flexible layouts and
production processes are designed around providing support for operators and
teams on the plant floor so that all manufacturing facilities globally can build highquality vehicles at a competitive cost.
2005: GM operates three of the top five vehicle assembly plants in the annual
Harbour Report. The Oshawa, Ontario, plant is ranked the most productive plant in
North America.
2006: GMs newest assembly plant, Lansing Delta Township, opens. It is GMs
fastest-built assembly complex. It also is the first manufacturing facility to achieve
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification.
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