Essex Car Assembly

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 172, 11 October 1927, Page 6

Essex Car Assembly

IN AN AUCKLAND WORKSHOP

Average Nine a Day FEW Aucklanders know of the large organisation built up by the Dominion Motors, Ltd., for the assembly of Essex cars.. “.Headlight” paid a visit to their plant in Albert Street the other day and was interested in the work being- done.

Essex cars now sold by the Dominion Motors are imported into this country in parts and • assembled here. Practically all the parts in the car are imported so that the mair work is the assembling into complete cars as quickly as possible. The assembling is carried out on the ground floor of the Albert Street premises, on what is known as the “line’ 1 method, that is, the work is commenced at one end of a moving platform —or line —and as the chasses pass along workmen stationed at points carry out their allotted piece, and that alone, leaving the next job to be done by the next man, until the chasses arrive at the end of the line complete. This system is that in force in all the motor-car manufacturing concerns in the world, as it has been found to be the quickest and most efficient. At one end of the line one sees the pieces of steel making up the chassis framework being rivetted together by a pneumatic ri vetter. When these embryo cars leave the hands of the rivetters it is difficult to see in their gauntness any semblance of the graceful cars one sees on the road, but as the chassis passes along each man adds

his fittings, and one can almost see a car grow under one’s eyes. Axles, engine lugs, torque tubes, rear axles, springs, wheels, brakes, fuel tanks, gear boxes, radiators—all in their place ready for fitting. Meanwhile, men are working on two subsidiary lines, one on the engines and the other on the bodies. In both of these cases the work is so arranged

1 that the assembly of the body or of i the engine is completed to synchronise with the arrival of the chassis at that spot. The engine is fitted in first, and the necessary connections on to the frame, the carburettor, and the gear-box are made while moving on to where the body is being finished. On arrival there the body is hoisted on to the chassis and bolted down, while mechanics are putting the finishing touches to the job—linking up the speedometer, wiring up the lights and switches, and so on. Finally the completely finished car has a gallon of* benzine put in the tank, and so carefully has the work been carried out that it starts away under its own power. All parts which require oil were oiled on the way along, and the engine, chassis and undergear were painted before having the body fitted. The painting is an interesting process, for it is done very quickly by spray under compressed air. Mr. J. L. Laing, the manager of Dominion Motors, Ltd., informs us that the organisation is equipped to assemble over eight cars a day, and that only 22 men are employed on the

work. For some time past, however, the demand for Essex cars has been so great that the work .has been speeded up, and a steady average of nine cars a day maintained. This means a car is assembled every 50 minutes —a remarkable performance, and one that compares very favourably with the big manufacturing concerns in America.