Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press., 1927-03-10
BUICK UNIFIED Line TURNS
OUT 1900 CARS EACH DAY

Bucks new unified line, an assem-
bly, system said to be unrivaled for
speed and economy, is now in full op-
Grafton after over a year of planning
and building. This assembly system,
completely housed under one roof, is
capable of turning out over thirteen
hundred complete automobiles each
day.
! The plant engineers and officials
who planned and built the new as
sembly system say that their purpose
was to obtain the most speed and
economy in tn assembly operation
consistent with the rigid standards Of
quality maintained in the past. How
well this purpose has been accomplish
ed is shown by the fact that between
885 and 900 men, with the aid of the
new system, are able to assemble
eleven hundred complete automobiles
each day. This places the actual cost
| of assembling each car at figure
| less than the wage of one man for
one day, as far as the labor item is
concerned.
This is but one of th emany costly
items that figure in the price of the
completely assembled car, however.
Another expensive and difficult prob
lem for any automobile plant is to
get materials to the assembly line at
the lowest possible handling cost. In
the case of Buick, this means handling
over two hundred tons every hour.
In order to do this with the most
efficiency and at lowest cost, an ar
ray of elaborate and intricately de-
signed conveyors, all of them designed
and built by Buick engineers, are in
corporated in the unified line. From
the engine plant, more than half a
mile away, comes steady stream OF
finished and tested valve-in-head en-
gines. They cmoe in tunnel on an
endless chain, over buildings and
around corners. Sos perfectly is this
conveyor built that it takes only one
and a half HI rse power to operate it.
1t is said to be the longest conveyor
in the world.
It can be readily seen that any de-
lay in the operation of the assembly
system will necessarily delay all other
operations throughout the plant. Yet
the system has proved itself so eff
cient that the "float," stock kept on
hand to take care of unforeseen delays,
has been reduced more than fifty per-
cent. Thus unity in manufacturing
is centered on and directed toward
a completely unified assembly system.
The unified line in reality consists
of three assembly lines, located In
building 81 feet wide. This fact alone
speaks voIumns for the efficiency Of
the system. When Buick engineers
proposed to operate three assembly
lines in space only Ga feet wide
the ywere told it was impossible; that
other companies had trouble operat-
ing even one line in space that mar
row. But thanks to the efficient man.
ner in which materials ar edelivered
to the unified line, by both gravity
and power conveyors, the space avail
able has proved more than mple.
There is no interruption in assembly
from the ime the bare frame IS
started at on end until the finished
car is driven away under its own
power at the other. All assembly op-
erations are performed on this line.
Buick builds chassis of three
lengths and two engine sizes. There
are eighteen domestic body styles,
several export right hand drives,
many different paint combinations OF
bodies and wheels, two sizes OF steer
ing gears, transmissions, axles, brakes
gaoline tanks, tenders, etc. There
are three styles of headlamps. and
scores of other differences to consid-
er. About the only factor which SIM
plifies the system is the fact that
Buick builds chassis of Identical quail
ity and design.
A frame for chassis of 1913 inches
wheel base starts at the riveting bays.
throughout it's long journey through
thousands of assembly operations, 1t
must in every case receive exactly
the right part for this particular
chassis. 1t must receive the proper
engine, axles, springs, steering gear,
wheels painted the proper color, and
so on. Yet materials are so promptly
delivered to the line, and In the right
order, that there is never mistake
made; never hitch in the smooth
progress of assembling the car.
Cady B. Durham, vice-president
and assistant general manager of the
Buick factory, conceived the unified
line and built it with the assistance
of his staff of plant engineers. He
did not plan the system as spectac-
ular stunt, but for definite purpose.
This purpose is to build Bucks to
the same high standard of quality
which has been maintained for twen-
ty-three years, and yet to eliminate