This is a really, really cool video that any gearhead will appreciate for the sheer technology involved. Basically over the course of the six minutes after you press play, you’ll follow the production line at the Bowling Green, Kentucky plant where the Corvette is built. You’ll see robots and people building the cars as they creep over the factory floor. The robots are really amazing to watch and they do everything from slinging frames around to welding stuff, etc. The movements and dexterity they have is mind blowing and a little on the creepy side. The effortless way they wing stuff around is super cool as well.
Literally from the installation of hardware into the fiberglass pieces that make up the car’s body and tub, this is a lot of stuff to be seeing in six minutes. Perhaps for time packaging you’ll notice that the workers showed during the scenes where humans are doing stuff are working a little too quickly. Looks like the tape was sped up to shorten segments and keep the video moving. Either that or they want all of us to believe that the workers at the plant are running around like coked up jackrabbits. We think it is was for timing purposes. Just a hunch.
The tools that the production line workers use are neat, too. From the rigs used by guys to lower seats into position, glass into place, and complete dashboards right up to their respective locations, these save worker injuries and certainly keep things moving. The big multi-pronged torque wrench that is used to tighten down the wheels is truly boss. It makes short work of installing tires, that is for sure. A version of this tool with 20 heads is used to torque the bottom end assemblies down on the former handbuilt engine line GM had at their Wixom, Michigan facility. That line is being moved to Bowling Green and we’ve already talked to the boys at GM about getting a sneak peek when things are up and moving. Stay tuned.
Modern car factories are truly mind-blowing places and this video proves it. It really is like poetry in motion to see how the machines, the people, and the rest of the factory all synchromesh together and the end result is a bona fide supercar that can take on the world’s best.
Thanks for the tip Dave Matty!
PRESS PLAY BELOW TO FOLLOW A CORVETTE FROM FRAME ASSEMBLY TO COMPLETE CAR AT THE BOWLING GREEN PLAN IN 6-MINUTES!
They’ve opened the tours back up if anyone is in the area. They do them Monday-Friday at 3 different times. It’s pretty awesome to see in person.
^^^^+ 10
If your in the area stop by for the tour.
The honestly work their asses off!
UAW members!
Taking care of Business!
God Bless them, keeping The American Dream Alive!
I worked at the Nissan of Smyrna plant. I am amazed by how exactly the same many of the processes and assists are. Many of the assists are the exact same ones we used, made by the same company. I would think some things would be different. The only noticeable difference is how the car is wrapped before shipping. Nissan didn’t do it quite that extensively.
What they didn’t show was some of the crazy guys that load the cars, I guarantee at least 1 in 10 of those vettes were hotrodded before loading, just by going off things I’ve seen done with the V6 Maximas before they were loaded..
I want one .