delta township plant opening special section

7/29/2019 Delta Township plant opening special section

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Workers voicesHeres what they have to sayabout working at GMs newest

assembly plant.

Interactive mapTake a tour ofLansing DeltaTownship and compare it

with Lansing Grand Riverat www.lsj.com

INSIDE ONLINEFlexibility countsLansing Delta Township assemblyplant is designed to keep pace

with changing auto industry.

Sunday, November 12, 2006


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1-800-SUNDANCE (517) 627-4051

We Want To Welcome

All GM Employees &

Family Members To

Delta Township

Open Every Day at

SundanceSundays 12-5 pm

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0000329202


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You WontGetItAnywhere Else!517-394-0330517-394-0330632 American Road, Lansing

Toll Free at 1-800-678-9561Hours:

Mon.-Thur. 8:00 AM to 8:00 PMFri. 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM

Sat. 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

www.shaheenchevrolet.comwww.shaheenchevrolet.com

Se HABLO ESPAOL:

272-6547

Quality

Sold by

Would like to congratulate

WALTAMMERMAN IIIon reaching the 600,000 mile club in

his 1999 ChevySuburbanpurchased and serviced at Shaheen.

Hats off to Walt and our GM Workers!

Excellent Work!

0000328829


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2801 E.MICHIGAN AVE.

517-374-0900BUDKOUTSCHEVY.COM

C

ONG

RAT

ULA

TION

S!

0000329105

Extends their

warmest welcome& congratulations tothe entire General

Motors family!For over 54 years it

has

been our honorto sell and service

the finest new &used vehicles inAmerica!


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Its a brand new

Outlook!Good for GM...

Were proud to supportGMs Delta Plant, buildingthe new Saturn Outlook

Main Office

111 S. Waverly Road, Lansing, MI 48917

North Office

15851 US 27, Suite 24, Lansing, MI 48906

South Office

320 E. Jolly Road, Lansing, MI 48910

West Office

137 S. Marketplace Blvd., Lansing, MI 48917

Phone: 517.323.3644 Web: www.autobodycu.org

0000329155


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Saturn ofGrand Ledge517.622.7890

5677 E. Saginaw Grand Ledge, MI

0000329104

WWW.LANSINGSATURN

.COM

Saturn ofOkemos517.347.7890

1728 Grand River Okemos, MI

SATURNOFOKEMOS

517.347.7890

Lik e always. Li k e n ever before.

SATURNOFGRAND LEDGE

517.622.7890

Welcome andCongratulationsGM!

Itsahonor to haveGMbuildingSaturns rightin ourneighborhood!WithGMscommitment to quality

andSaturns impressive newlineupofvehicles, weatSaturn ofGrandLedgeandSaturn ofOkemos take

pride inshowingyou theSaturndifference. Were proudtobeservingyoulikealways, and offeringyou

vehicleslike never

before!Sherrill Freeborough

President, Saturn of Okemos/Saturn of Grand Ledge


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$1.5B BABYInside GMs state-of-the art facility

1/4 mileN

496

69

96

96

69

Lansing

96

127

MapDetail

GMproperty

MilletHwy

DavisHwy

E.Mt.Hope Hwy

Billwood Hwy

Nixo

n

Rd

New

facilities

Wildlifepreserve

Outbound

ShippingFacility

The SiteTheGM facilityinDelta Townshipsitsona 1,100-acreparcel. Thecurrent plantusesapproximately300 acresof thatparcel, including 75acresset asidefor awildlifehabitat.

PAINT SHOPSize: 713,388 square feet,

four floorsEmployees:350Time car is in paint: 6.5 hoursThe Paint Shops workers mustmeet stringent standards of per-sonal hygiene to avoid blemishesin this clean-room environment.Perfume, body powder and evensome deodorants are not allowed.

Size:728,197 square feetEmployees:230Supports: Lansing Grand Riverand Lansing Delta TownshipThe Stamping Plant uses transferpresses to stamp out major s heetcomponents. Its proximity to thetwo plants reduces transportationcosts.

STAMPING

Size: 782,075 square feetEmployees:618Robots: 810Flexible robotic fixtures: 485The Body Shop uses parts from theattached stamping plant as well asparts trucked in from other GM s tamp-ing plants and suppliers to build theinner and outer shell of the vehicle.Room has been left on the north sideof the building to allow for the additionof possible future models.

BODY SHOP

TheAutomatic Storageand Retrieval System usesroboticcranesto storeup to176 vehiclebodies ina parking garage-stylebuilding. Becausethe bodiesare easilyand quicklyrecoverable,customerordersare assignedto bodiesat thispoint ratherthanatthe beginning of thechassis-building process, saving nearly20 hourson order-processing time.

Visitor center

BUILDINGGREEN

TestingOncethe vehicleiscomplete, itundergoesa bevyof tests,including basic functionality,leak-testing andsqueak andrattletestson a 500-footindoortrack.

ClosuresBeforethe vehicleleavesforthepaintshop, workersattachdoors, a hoodand aliftgate.

Flying highOnceall exteriorpanelsarein place, thebodyofthevehiclemakesitswaytothepaint shopviaanindoor overheadconveyorsystem.

Framing it upHerethevehiclebeginstotakeona recognizableform asrobotsassemblebodysidesandothercompenentsinto thevehiclesskeleton.

Fluid fillFluidsfrom above-groundtanksareput intothevehicles, including gas,antifreeze, power-steer-ing fluid, windshieldwasherfluid andtrans-missionfluid.

GENERAL ASSEMBLYSize: 820,000 square feetEmployees:1,300Work stations: 163, plus 109sub-assembly work stationsGeneral Assembly has the largestworkforce of any single area at theLansing Delta Township facility.Innovations in the new plant includecarriers that adjust to workers height toimprove the ergonmics of car assembly.

Engine dressEnginesand transmissionsfromsuppliersare matedand variouscomponentssuchasthealternatorandp owersteeringpumpareattached.

Utilities

Sources:LeonHandt, LDT engineering director;Randy Thayer, LDTplant manager;

Geoff Weller, LDTassistantplant manager; Kim Carpenter, GMspokeswoman;

DeltaTownship;General Motors;GHAFARI;Alberici Group;Wikipedia

Trimming it upAfterbeing assignedto a customerorderin theAutomatic StorageandRetrieval System, the vehiclemakesitsway togeneral assembly. The

first piecestobe put inarethetrim,including carpeting, interiorpanels,theinstrument panel andmore.

Offices

Read to rollFullyassembled, testedand qualityapproved, thevehicleisloadedonto a tractortrailerandtransport-edtoan outboundshipping facilitysouthof theplantortruckedto a GMdealersomewhereinthenation.

GM will beginmanufacturing forsale

itsentry inthe competitivecrossover

market the SaturnOutlook and

GMCAcadia thismonthat thenew

Lansing Delta Townshipfacility. In

2008, theBuick Enclavewill jointhe

lineup. Heresa look at the vehiclesand

a few of thefeatures.

GMC Acadia

Saturn Outlook

Images provided by GeneralMotors Corp.

TheLansing Delta Townshipfacilityisbuilt tobeflexible. It hasthe abilitytoproduce anyunibody-stylevehiclein GMsportfolio, andthe capabilitytobuild asmany asthree different architecturesatonce.

Thismeans that itspossibleto buildthe GMCAcadia andSaturnOutlook (bothof whichshare theirunderpinnings)

next toeachother. But itsalsopossible tobuild a mid-sizesedanand a small roadster(whichwould havesignificantlydifferent underpinnings)right afterthe SUVs. Whilethis ca-pabilitywaspurposely designedinto theplant, thefacilityisnot currentlyconfiguredto runmore thanone architecture.

Photo by Rod Sanford/Lansing StateJournal

Front-wheeldrive comesstan-dardon all models, withavailableall-wheel driveoption. Acadia willalsobe thefirst front-wheel drivepassengervehiclefor GMC.

Optionalhead-updisplay isavailableonthe Acadia only

The Outlooksaggressivestyling followscuesfrom SaturnsSkyroadster.

Lower stance,along withindependentfront andrearsuspension,makebothvehicleseasytodrive

Able toseat 8passengers,inthreerowsof seating withavailableoptions.

Final assemblyTiresand rimsdeliveredby suppliersareassembledandput onthevehicle.Seatsand doorsare alsodeliveredandinstalled at thispoint.

Customer orders

Flexible production

Color timeAutomatedrobots applywater-basedcolorcoatsofpaint andthe final,solvent-basedcleartopcoatto thevehicles,whicharethenbakedonelast timefor25 minutesat275degrees.

Powder primeThevehiclesare thenprimedusing anelectro-static powdercoating processthat eliminateswasteand harmful VolatileOr-ganic Compounds(VOCs). Thepowdercoating isset bybakingthecaragain, thistimefor20minutesat 350 degrees.

TreatmentBeforethe paint goeson, thevehicletakesa bathina phosphating solutionand isresubmergedin anEcoatsolutionforcleaning andcorrisionprotection. Next,bodyseams aresealedto prevent waterintrusionbeforeit isbakedinanovenat340 degreesfor 25minutes.

Pig dosingByinserting tworubber-gasketedpigs, orslugs, intothe paint line, GM will reducesolventuseandnot berequiredtorun batchesofcolor.

Paint Paint

Solvent

Pigs orslugs

GMsnew paint facilitygoesto greatlengths toreduce oreliminateemissions andincreasetheplantsflexibility. Herearea few oftheinnovations:

Low-emissions painting

Powder-priming processemits noVOCsand recoversandreuses wastematerial.

Water-basedcolorpaint emitsfew VOCs Pig dosing system (seeright)reduces

solvent useand allowsforfrequent colorchangesby recovering unusedpaint.

TwoRegenerativeThermal Oxidizersheat emissionsfrom theovens and

painting processesto 1,400 F, destroy-ing odorand VOCs

The Products

Buick EnclaveAllthreearepoweredbya 3.6L V-6 produc-ing 270 horsepowerandmatedwithasix-speedautomatictransmission

Cisternsabovethebathrooms storetherainwater.Eachof the10cisternscanhold3,000 gallons.

Gravity takesthewaterto a low-flowcommode. Urinalsarewater-freeandusechemicalstoneutralizeodor.

City water isconnectedto thesystem incase thecisternrunsd ry.

Speciallydesignedareas of theGeneralAssemblybuildingsroof collect waterforstoragetanks, orcisterns. Thesecollection

areasaredesigned tokeep thesystem workingwithaslittleas1/4 inchof raina week.

The green flush

Underbody

Robotsattach underbodycomponentsto form theve-hiclesfloor pan. Becausetheprocessis automated, lightsarekept at a low level (aboutthesameasa lightedparkinglot at night)toconserveenergy.

N

Coming

togetherEngineand drivetraincomponents arematchedwith thevehiclesbodywithautomatedguidedvehicles.

In the beginningThestamping plant turnssheetsof high-qualitysteelintopieces forthe vehiclesstructural andexteriorcomponents.

At first glance, the newGMLansingDeltaTownship assembly plant complex looks likeany other: a sprawling building surroundedby an equally large parking lot.

Upon closer inspection, theplant is quite unlike otherGM site.Large cisterns hold thousands

of gallons ofrainwater gatheredfrom the roof.Areas ofthe factorywhere robots do all the work haveno lights beyond whatsneeded formaintenance.And across that large parking lot

is 75 acres ofwildlife habitat, in-cluding wetlands, a wood lot anda prairie.About 800 acres surrounding

the plant remain undeveloped.Itsunsure what ifanything GMwill do with it.

GMs newest plant is also GMsmost environmentally friendly andmost energy-efficient plant, saidRandyThayer, the plants manager.Building green serves two pur-

poses. Itseasier on the environ-ment and saves money.For example, at the LansingDel-

taTownship plant, 3,000-galloncisterns hold rainwater for use inplant bathrooms. Waterless urinalshave been installed.GM expects to reduce demand

for city water by 4.1 million gallonsa year, a drop of 45 percent.

And instead ofusing a dark-colored bi-tuminous roof, the roof is white to reflectsunlight.

By doing whats right for the environ-ment, were using less energy, said LarryBliss, an architect employed byGM. Thatsa savings.

Graphic | Jesse WoodruffStories | Barbara WielandLansing State JournalwWhenTroyCreed walked intoGMsLansingDeltaTownshipplant for the first time, he felt hedbeen there before.

Virtually, he had at theDetroit automakersWarrenTechnicalCenter.Creed, aGM electrician,

helped design the plant. The fac-tory was drafted on ac omput-erized three-dimensional systemthat allowedCreed walk throughthe plant in virtual reality.This new way of designing the

facility is estimated to have savedGM 5 percent to 8 percent offtheplants $1.5 billion price tag.GM says this is the way it will

design all of its plants in the fu-ture.

A lot ofwork went into that,Creed said. It let them come upwith a simpler design. The main-tenance people are going to no-tice that theres a lot less clutter.Design in 3-D had been done

before on a smaller scale, saidJimWiemels, vice president andgeneral manager ofGMmanufac-turing engineering.

Its never been done on thismassive a scale in the automotiveindustry,Wiemels said.The new

way ofbuilding givesGM improve-ments in safe-ty, time andquality, hesaid.For exam-

ple, thecomputerizedmodelsshowed a sup-port beam anddrain spoutfighting for thesame space.In the past,

that problemmight not havebecome appar-ent until con-struction hadstarted.Workthen wouldhave had to beredone toresolve theproblem.Ten thousand such problems

were identified and corrected be-fore construction began.As a result, the plant was built

20 percent faster than LansingGrandRiver, said Paul Lemley, se-nior vice president and generalmanager ofthe AlbericiGroup,the design-buildcontractors forthe project.

By the numbers:the evolution ofGMs Delta plant

1,300Construction workers

on site at peak of

construction

250Number ofconstrucion

contractor companies

4 millionHours worked

in construction

13.1Miles ofconveyer belt winds

through the site

875Robots in the plant, working

mainly in the body shop

3,200Total jobs, most ofwhich

are callbacks for workers laid off

from Lansing Car Assembly.

3,600Parts put into each vehicle


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2003/332

YourOrganizationalPerformanceImprovement Partner

Business & Community Instituteat Lansing Community CollegeThe constantly-changing nature of the global marketplacerequires high-performing businesses, industries andorganizations to master a variety of skills, including the artof human resource management and strategic planning.

The Business & Community Institute at LCC provides abroad spectrum of consulting services and performance

improvement solutions that will strengthen your companysorganizational performance. Our consultants, mastertrainers, superb LCC faculty members, and our vastnetwork of national and international performance partnersare ready to work with you to fine-tune the core operationalcompetencies of your organization.

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Quality Management Systems Lean Thinking/Lean Office Supervisory and Leadership Development Consulting Training Needs Assessment Development of Job Aids WorkKeys Job Profiling Quality Systems Gap Analysis Team Dynamics, Teamwork, and Team Leadership DDI Leadership Assessment Center Key-Person Training/Executive Coaching

Whatever your needs will be at the General Motors DeltaTownship Production Plant, well connect you to a solutionthat works for your operation. Were located right down theroad from you. Your place or ours?

In keeping with its tradition ofquality service and excellence,BCI is certified to the ISO 9001:2000standard. Being certified to the ISO9001:2000 standard signifies that BCIhas met international standards forconsistency of quality throughout

the organization, and has a systemin place for continuously improvingcustomer satisfaction in qualityproducts and services.

The Business &Community Institute5708 Cornerstone Dr.Lansing, Michiganwww.lcc.edu/bci

For moreinformation or toaccess services,

call (517) 483-1857and ask to beconnected to a BCIaccount executive orsend an e-mail [email protected].

0000326388

OurSalute to GeneralMotors

From the UnitedAssociation of

Plumbers & Pipefitters

LocalUnion 333

Congratulations on the new

Delta Township

Production Plant

1533150

1533012


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The staff of the Lansing State Journalwould like to extend

congratulations to General Motors and the employees of the

Lansing Delta Assembly Plant.

CongratulationsCongratulationson theon theGood News!Good News!

0000329856


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0000329096

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Honestyand Integrityare Everything

WE ARE PROFESSIONAL GRADE

call click visit517.627.8411 OR www.crippencars.com 8300W. Saginaw Highway1.800.CRIPPEN All leases and payments based on GMS eligibility, non GMS slightly higher. See Crippen for details.

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Lansings Best Sales & Service Teamis proud to have the opportunity to

sell & service Lansing-made

Buick Enclave & GMC Acadia!

Congratulations GM on a job well done!

DELTA PLANT


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michigan.org

Youve builtmore than

a plant here.Youve built

a future.

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation congratulates General Motors on your new

$1.5 billion assembly plant in Delta Township. Your continued success in Michigan helps to fuel

the success of thousands of people across the state. Were proud of the future youre building

here, and wherever in the world you compete, well be ready to help give youthe upper hand.

1533221


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Lansing State Journal Sunday, November 12, 2006 21Crossing over to the futurewww.lsj.com

What willGeneralMotors do with all ofthat extra land?

General Motors Corp. hasland in Delta Township.Lots and lots of land.Ofthe 1,100 acres the auto-

maker holds, far less than halfis being utilized at the LansingDelta Township assembly plant.So, what will happen to the

rest?There arent any firm plans

right now, but there is plenty ofspeculation.Maybe the Lansing Delta

Township plant will expand.Maybe auto suppliers will set upshop.Whatever its fate, GM says

it doesnt have anything in theworks for the extra acreage.

We currently dont have any

plans for it,GM spokeswomanJanine Fruehan said. Its typical

for there to be a lot of openspace around a new plant. Itgives us flexibility for the fu-ture.Thats a smart real estate

move, said David Cole, chairmanofthe AnnArbor-based Center

for Automotive Research.Land around the assembly

plant would be much cheaperbefore the plant exists than afterit is built and running.

Ifyou go in for a greenfield(undeveloped) site, it will besomewhat more high-acreage.Land is cheap, but it becomesmore expensive as the areaaround it becomes more builtup, Cole said. Its a contingen-cy plan,But what do you do with all

that space ifyoure GM?So far, Cole said he hasnt

heard any rumors about whatmight become ofthe open land.But he and other experts havetheir ideas.Cole said the land likely

would be used as an expansionfor the GM plant or developed

into an industrial park for autoparts suppliers.

On the other hand, ErichMerkle, director of forecastingfor Grand Rapids-based automo-tive research firm IRN Inc., hashis own idea ofwhat might gointo that space.Starting in 2009, he said, GM

is going to make a new series ofminivans.Those minivans will be based

on the Lambda platform thebasic vehicle structure used bythe crossovers that will be madein Delta Township the SaturnOutlook,GMCAcadia and BuickEnclave.Minivans are currently made

in Doraville,Ga., but that plant isclosing.So,Merkle reasoned,GM will

have to take production else-where.Delta Township would be a

likely spot for production, hesaid, but the Lansing workersmight lose out to GMs plant inSpringHill, Tenn.

They need a home some-where, Merkle said ofthe mini-vans. Where are they going to

put them? Thats the $10 millionquestion.

Even with its newplant, automakerhas plentyofspace

BY BARBARAWIELANDLansing State Journal

Lansing State Journal file photo

Room to grow: GM has 1,100 acres in Delta Township, but less than half is being used for its assembly plant andadjacent stamping operation.

Metalmarker: Apiece ofstructuralsteel was ondisplay foreveryone tosign at the

March 2004,ceremonymarking thebeginning ofconstructionat GMs DeltaTownshipplant.

Lansing StateJournal file photo

DELTAS

DAWNING

Going up: Crews work on what would become the paint shopin this September 2004 photo. Work on General Motors Lansing

Delta Township assembly plant wrapped up in 2006 a $1.5 billionproject that created 2,900 jobs.


Paintingprogress:

Workers walkpast paint

oven exhaustducts awaiting

installation inthe paint shopbuilding in the

GM LansingDelta Township

assemblyplant in

February 2005.


Round of applause: UAW shop committee member Russ Jennings(right), UAW Local 1 618 Chairman Mike Knox and Local 1 618 President

Brian Fredline applaud the speakers at the March 2004 ceremony markingthe start ofconstruction on GMs Lansing Delta Township plant.

Years in the making, GMsnew $1.5 billion plant a causeforcelebration across region

Sign ofthetimes: Chris Laird

(left) and EricTepper ofAraneae

Sign InstallationGroup put up thenew signs at the

entrance oftheGM Lansing DeltaTownship plant in

May 2006 as workon the new plantdrew to a close.

ROD SANFORD /Lansing State Journal

ROD SANFORD /Lansing State Journal

Cause for cheer: Workers applaud as the fi rst test vehicle Saturn Outlook isdriven offthe line at GMs Lansing Delta Township plant on May 24, 2006.


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WelcomeDelta TownshipPlantEmployeesCongratulationsonyournewAssemblyCenter

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HOW FITTING THE WORLDS GREENEST

AUTOMOTIVE PLANT IS IN LANSING, MI.

The Lansing-area GM dealers salute GM and the UAW

on the opening of the Delta Township Production

Plant, home of the new GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook

and Buick Enclave crossovers. As the first and only

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

certified auto plant in the world, this state-of-the-art

facility has certainly embraced the color green.

Perfect for Spartan country.

See your General Motors Lansing-area

dealers for great offers in November.

delta township plant opening special section

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