http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd5WGLWNllA
Check out this awesome video of the NEW VW factory.
New VW factory
- perrib
- Posts: 1891
- Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 1:00 pm
- Kubelmann
- Posts: 1380
- Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2003 12:01 am
Some people (including me) would say VW never produced a decent car after 1980 Nearly every new bug that rolled off the line had a defective fensterheiber that had to be replace or parts replaced. Most of the convertibles sat in dealership shops waiting parts so the tops would go up and down. Very poor quality control. AT 20,000 miles most water cooled VW are all falling apart.
- raygreenwood
- Posts: 11895
- Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2003 12:01 am
That is actually an Audi line that was making that car. All of the Audi lines look like that. Its actually very smart. They start with a semi-clean room (low level). They have the Audi mess measuring system integrated with the entire line to check fit and finish. Its why for much lower cost, Audi, VW, Seat and Skoda have fit and finish that rival or surpass anyone.
The glass/see through thing has no bearing one way or the other. The plant could have had walls made of anything for the same cost. Even the VW Puebla line for Jettas and Beetles in Mexico has semi-clean room automated sctions in it. Looks the same on the inside...just has no glass walls except inside dividers.
The wood floors keep dropped tooling damage, noise , dust and maintenance down.
In fact...a fews years back when there was flooding in Dresden tha damaged the museums..I believe that VW/Audi allowed closed the assembly line and allowed all of the museum displays to be moved into teh production line for viewing until the museum could be repaired.
Some of that line is probably government subsidized .
Also...not one iota of it has anything to do with GM. General motors wishes they had VW's fit and finish quality level.
However...GM influence has been heavy in parts aquisition models and some sub-assembly design...and in some parts sourcing. I do think that has been a mistake and caused some quality issues. Ray
The glass/see through thing has no bearing one way or the other. The plant could have had walls made of anything for the same cost. Even the VW Puebla line for Jettas and Beetles in Mexico has semi-clean room automated sctions in it. Looks the same on the inside...just has no glass walls except inside dividers.
The wood floors keep dropped tooling damage, noise , dust and maintenance down.
In fact...a fews years back when there was flooding in Dresden tha damaged the museums..I believe that VW/Audi allowed closed the assembly line and allowed all of the museum displays to be moved into teh production line for viewing until the museum could be repaired.
Some of that line is probably government subsidized .
Also...not one iota of it has anything to do with GM. General motors wishes they had VW's fit and finish quality level.
However...GM influence has been heavy in parts aquisition models and some sub-assembly design...and in some parts sourcing. I do think that has been a mistake and caused some quality issues. Ray
- Captain Spalding
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 8:05 pm
Sorry, have to disagree here. Just the real estate costs alone make the idea of putting the factory in the midst of the city a questionable one. That parts tram? Good for traffic, but adds to the cost compared to having the factory outside the city beside its own spur. Clean rooms are one thing, but exterior walls made of glass are more expensive and and less energy efficient.raygreenwood wrote:The glass/see through thing has no bearing one way or the other. The plant could have had walls made of anything for the same cost. Even the VW Puebla line for Jettas and Beetles in Mexico has semi-clean room automated sctions in it. Looks the same on the inside...just has no glass walls except inside dividers.
Wood floors are neither low cost nor low maintenance, compared with pretty much anything else.The wood floors keep dropped tooling damage, noise , dust and maintenance down.
It looks like a great place to work, but I'd have very mixed feelings if I were a shareholder.
ETA: I LOVE the Apollo 11 Haynes manual. Genius.
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Re:
With all due respect Mr. moderator, my '03 Eurovan Westfalia has 160,000 plus miles on it and has driven to every one of the lower 48 states without one single problem. Just consumables like tires, brake pads and one battery. I'd call that pretty decent.Kubelmann wrote:Some people (including me) would say VW never produced a decent car after 1980 Nearly every new bug that rolled off the line had a defective fensterheiber that had to be replace or parts replaced. Most of the convertibles sat in dealership shops waiting parts so the tops would go up and down. Very poor quality control. AT 20,000 miles most water cooled VW are all falling apart.
- Kubelmann
- Posts: 1380
- Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2003 12:01 am
Re: New VW factory
Sounds like you have had a very positive experience with your EuroVan/ I have a few friends who have one and they also have good things to say about them.
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- Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 6:50 pm
Re: New VW factory
I will admit that I disliked every car on my local VW Dealers lot recently though (except the 74 Thing I was sitting in at the time).
- Kubelmann
- Posts: 1380
- Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2003 12:01 am
Re: New VW factory
They seem to have peppy engines and a series of poorly designed sub system that start failing around 20-30K miles..