At last, the pilot run is given the go-ahead. This is the point when the work of the production planning department pays off. They are responsible for the painstaking schedules involved in preparing machine tools, for ensuring bulk dyed plastic is delivered on time, or for the final assembly of motors. Our new locomotive which has just passed its first test can only go into production if its scheduling fits in with the factory's overall work. For this, data processing plays a key role in helping the planners.
First stop is the die casting shop.
Loco body, chassis and wheels are cast independently of each other. At the same time, in the plastic molding shop, work goes ahead on the remaining body components. The highest precision has to be the rule in the turning shop. The cast wheels for HO and gauge 1 locos are finished here, too. In order to ensure that the paint holds securely, the individual zinc die cast units are electro-phosphated.