PART
II: THE MILWAUKEE MOTOR PLANT
Written
by Henry N. Patterson
September
30, 1994
We arrived at the Capitol Drive Plant in plenty of time to have a tour but went to the wrong door, as we did not see the sign, which was around the corner. We registered and waited for the video to start. They have a good video which brings you up to date. There were enough of us that we were divided into two groups. They gave each of us safety glasses as we started the tour. The guide put on a portable speaker which was only good if you stayed close to him. If you looked too long at a machine you heard nothing of what he was describing. When we got through the door we were met by a wall of noise. The hundreds of individual machines, some big and some small, each making a noise and with as many of them as there were it was loud. The computerized machines were working away spitting out metal residue on one side and a gleaming finished part on the other side. Occasionally a robot would be making his awkward but efficient movements turning a difficult job into a fine finished part. They say a robot puts in and takes out all parts that go to the furnace for heat treatment. We did not get to see that. The cost of all these machines must be mind boggling. Gone are all the old turret lathes and gear hobs and milling machines that I remembered. These machines are much more efficient and better than the old turret lathes. They had to be set up to make a particular part. It would make as many as were scheduled and then would be torn down and refitted to make another part. Most of these parts then had to go to another machine to have something else done that could not be done there. If somewhere along the way or after a part was out on a bike and it was found to be defective the whole batch would have to be recalled. The original lathe that had started this part would then have to be refitted to start the whole process over again. Sometimes it had been refitted several times for other parts and if it was scheduled to make so many of something else you would have to wait until it was through with that item before you could get the part remade. This process used to give us lots of back orders. Now only one machine has to be corrected.
Most of the first of the tour had to do with transmissions. As we got to the motor part machines we saw rods coming out ready for the bushings. Alternator parts being automatically made. At the end of some areas there was a nice showcase with some of the parts before and after finishing.
As we approached the motor assembly area it was getting much quieter. You could even hear the workers talking to each other. We passed an area where they were putting on the VIN number on the cases. It was no small machine. The case was put on a jig and the machine automatically came over and down and bang the number was there. We did not get to see the entire assembly line but were up close where the motor was timed. It only had the cases and rods and still no pistons. It took about ten or fifteen seconds being electronically timed. Across the way we could see the heads being put on and a guide later told me that the air tools used there were computerized and had a read out how many turns and what torque was put on each bolt for future reference if necessary. After each transmission and motor is finished it is tested before it goes to a rack where it is bolted in place for shipment to York. From a distance we saw the room where cam gears were matched to cases. Also the room where the motors were started and run before going to the shipping rack.
At this time they were expected to finish 375 motors per day and there was a lighted board above that told them at all times where they were in the count. The workers work steadily no rush or slowness but keeping at it. There was hardly any talking between them. They would alternate jobs so everyone could get a break. The only time the line stops is if someone sees something wrong they can stop it. As we left the assembly line we saw stacks and stacks of motors and transmissions ready to leave for York.
Nothing was mentioned about the plant expansion but we could see quite a large addition on the west end. On the south four new loading ramps were being made. This addition means more expensive machines that have probably been ordered. People do not realize that it will take a year or more for a machine to be designed and made for a particular part and may cost untold thousands of dollars.
