A la hora de fabricar un vehículo normalmente se siguen los pasos descritos más abajo. Algunos fabricantes (especialmente de gama alta, ej. BMW) crean en vehículo a partir de la configuración del cliente, en lugar de crear vehículos con diferentes equipamientos, colores y variantes entre los que el cliente pueda elegir.

El vehículo en construcción se desplaza entre las diferentes áreas y las diferentes estaciones mediante sistemas de cintas transportadoras. La producción puede estar repartida por una sola planta o (especialmente en zonas donde el metro cuadrado es más caro o bien no hay posibilidad de expandir la planta) en varias. La llegada de mercancías así como las prensas (por su peso y volumen) suelen estar en la planta baja.

Foundry

In this area, components that require casting are created, for example the engine block. This area is not necessary if these types of components are produced in other factories and are therefore components from a supplier.

Presses

In this area, the "Plate (metal profile)" plates are made, with which the bodywork will be created. The metal arrives at the plant in the form of rolls (in English "Coils"). Which are cut into plates and pressed in a mold to give them the desired shape.

Structure/Body

In this area the metal components of the presses are joined to the body structure. The union is made by means of welding points, although welding or pressure insertion rails are increasingly common. Processes such as rivets (e.g. aluminum/steel joints) and gluing (as a complement to welding joints, but also as the only fastening method) are also becoming more frequent. A large number of industrial robots are usually used in the elaboration of the structure.

The production of bodies in the elaboration of the structure can be subdivided into the following groups:.

In addition to production itself, there are other related peripheral departments:

Technical departments collaborate with production employees in case of production disruptions or quality problems, e.g.:.

Paint

The bare bodywork is first protected against corrosion, for which purpose the bodywork is usually immersed in a bath one or several times. Depending on the process followed, one or two protective layers are applied during the painting process. Prior to the final coat of paint, the bodywork is protected against corrosion with the cathodic bath painting method. Afterwards, a filler is applied that makes a homogeneous distribution of the lacquer possible. This is when the layer of paint with the desired color is applied and finally a protective transparent lacquer.

auxiliary assembly

In these production areas, large parts are assembled to speed up the main assembly line. These components can be assembled internally or externally (in the latter case these suppliers are called systems suppliers). Examples may be the engine, transmission, axles, passenger compartment, front assembly (bumper + headlights), seats, doors, etc.

Mounting

In this area the bare body is completed with all the necessary parts. To do this, the doors are usually disassembled and sometimes also the trunk door to be assembled in parallel and thus facilitate access to the interior of the vehicle. It starts with the cable harness (different depending on the special equipment of the vehicle) to gradually populate the interior, coverings, climate control module, steering wheel + axle, instrument panel, seats, etc. In parallel, the engine is assembled with the transmission and axles. The union of the vehicle body and the underside is called a "wedding". Finally, the doors disassembled at the beginning of assembly are assembled, the vehicle is filled with all the necessary fluids (e.g. engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, etc.).

Quality control

This is when the engine is started for the first time to test the vehicle at high speeds on two rolls (so that only the wheels turn and the vehicle remains stationary). After carrying out different electronic tests to confirm that all the intelligent components do not report any problems (OBD), finally the last details are carried out, such as imperfections in the bodywork or optimal opening and closing of the doors. As long as the vehicle does not require any major repairs in the "rework area" that could not be done directly on the line, the vehicle is ready to be shipped.

Sale

After passing all the tests, the vehicle is delivered to the sales division.

The trend in recent years is to increasingly increase the amount of components that are supplied Just-in-time"), approx. 8 hours before they are needed, or Just-in-sequence"), approx. 4 hours before they are needed, to avoid having to store the components before they are needed. These processes require suppliers to supply the exact variants of the required components within the next 4-8 hours in the exact sequence.

The approximate time required to assemble a vehicle in the Volkswagen Golf class from scratch is usually between 15 - 20 hours, depending on the complexity and equipment. The production time record is held by the Smart "Smart (car)"), which requires approx. only 4 hours to be completed. This is possible thanks to its small size and the significant percentage of previously assembled components.

The creation of a vehicle production plant requires a very significant investment capital but is very beneficial for the region where it is located. It is estimated that for every direct job in the production plant, another 5 are created in suppliers, sub-suppliers, etc. These external elements are increasing, thus simplifying assembly in vehicle production plants. In particular, system suppliers, which are increasingly popular, require their own complex production lines and, since they are composed of large components and due to logistical challenges, they are usually located near the vehicle production plant.

A la hora de fabricar un vehículo normalmente se siguen los pasos descritos más abajo. Algunos fabricantes (especialmente de gama alta, ej. BMW) crean en vehículo a partir de la configuración del cliente, en lugar de crear vehículos con diferentes equipamientos, colores y variantes entre los que el cliente pueda elegir.

El vehículo en construcción se desplaza entre las diferentes áreas y las diferentes estaciones mediante sistemas de cintas transportadoras. La producción puede estar repartida por una sola planta o (especialmente en zonas donde el metro cuadrado es más caro o bien no hay posibilidad de expandir la planta) en varias. La llegada de mercancías así como las prensas (por su peso y volumen) suelen estar en la planta baja.

Foundry

In this area, components that require casting are created, for example the engine block. This area is not necessary if these types of components are produced in other factories and are therefore components from a supplier.

Presses

In this area, the "Plate (metal profile)" plates are made, with which the bodywork will be created. The metal arrives at the plant in the form of rolls (in English "Coils"). Which are cut into plates and pressed in a mold to give them the desired shape.

Structure/Body

In this area the metal components of the presses are joined to the body structure. The union is made by means of welding points, although welding or pressure insertion rails are increasingly common. Processes such as rivets (e.g. aluminum/steel joints) and gluing (as a complement to welding joints, but also as the only fastening method) are also becoming more frequent. A large number of industrial robots are usually used in the elaboration of the structure.

The production of bodies in the elaboration of the structure can be subdivided into the following groups:.

In addition to production itself, there are other related peripheral departments:

Technical departments collaborate with production employees in case of production disruptions or quality problems, e.g.:.

Paint

The bare bodywork is first protected against corrosion, for which purpose the bodywork is usually immersed in a bath one or several times. Depending on the process followed, one or two protective layers are applied during the painting process. Prior to the final coat of paint, the bodywork is protected against corrosion with the cathodic bath painting method. Afterwards, a filler is applied that makes a homogeneous distribution of the lacquer possible. This is when the layer of paint with the desired color is applied and finally a protective transparent lacquer.

auxiliary assembly

In these production areas, large parts are assembled to speed up the main assembly line. These components can be assembled internally or externally (in the latter case these suppliers are called systems suppliers). Examples may be the engine, transmission, axles, passenger compartment, front assembly (bumper + headlights), seats, doors, etc.

Mounting

In this area the bare body is completed with all the necessary parts. To do this, the doors are usually disassembled and sometimes also the trunk door to be assembled in parallel and thus facilitate access to the interior of the vehicle. It starts with the cable harness (different depending on the special equipment of the vehicle) to gradually populate the interior, coverings, climate control module, steering wheel + axle, instrument panel, seats, etc. In parallel, the engine is assembled with the transmission and axles. The union of the vehicle body and the underside is called a "wedding". Finally, the doors disassembled at the beginning of assembly are assembled, the vehicle is filled with all the necessary fluids (e.g. engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, etc.).

Quality control

This is when the engine is started for the first time to test the vehicle at high speeds on two rolls (so that only the wheels turn and the vehicle remains stationary). After carrying out different electronic tests to confirm that all the intelligent components do not report any problems (OBD), finally the last details are carried out, such as imperfections in the bodywork or optimal opening and closing of the doors. As long as the vehicle does not require any major repairs in the "rework area" that could not be done directly on the line, the vehicle is ready to be shipped.

Sale

After passing all the tests, the vehicle is delivered to the sales division.

The trend in recent years is to increasingly increase the amount of components that are supplied Just-in-time"), approx. 8 hours before they are needed, or Just-in-sequence"), approx. 4 hours before they are needed, to avoid having to store the components before they are needed. These processes require suppliers to supply the exact variants of the required components within the next 4-8 hours in the exact sequence.

The approximate time required to assemble a vehicle in the Volkswagen Golf class from scratch is usually between 15 - 20 hours, depending on the complexity and equipment. The production time record is held by the Smart "Smart (car)"), which requires approx. only 4 hours to be completed. This is possible thanks to its small size and the significant percentage of previously assembled components.

The creation of a vehicle production plant requires a very significant investment capital but is very beneficial for the region where it is located. It is estimated that for every direct job in the production plant, another 5 are created in suppliers, sub-suppliers, etc. These external elements are increasing, thus simplifying assembly in vehicle production plants. In particular, system suppliers, which are increasingly popular, require their own complex production lines and, since they are composed of large components and due to logistical challenges, they are usually located near the vehicle production plant.