The galvanic coating and substrate of the coils entering automotive blanking, stamping, and assembly plants have to be absolutely predictable. Coatings or substrates that aren't uniform can cause problems in welding, in which the electrical current melts the two pieces of steel together, sending sparks of molten steel flying above the robotic arms that do nearly all the welding at Chicago Assembly. A variance of one millimeter in the fit of door and other body panels against each other is a big problem, Covey says. When the panels don't fit, Ford employees have to move two or, preferably, one of the panels. Sometimes the coils sit at the mills so long that the prelube migrates down toward the floor and causes problems in the stamping press, since the prelube now is applied unevenly.
Automotive assembly is a wonder of synchronization.
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