THIS writer has been covering the motoring beat for quite some time now, and he has seen assembly plants of major manufacturers from a safe and distant location. Safe and distant because an assembly plant is not a place where I could just get in without consequence.
But on a bright, sunny Thursday, a group of motoring journalists was invited by Isuzu Philippines Corp. to check out its assembly line, up close and personal, to see how a vehicle is actually put together.
Isuzu senior vice president Art Balmadrid was on hand to welcome them and give a briefing on the intricacies of the production process as well as the all-important safety rules. Isuzu even issued the requisite clothing—a pair of industrial shoes, pants and shirts, including a belt without a buckle—to comply with ISO standards for people entering a plant.
After a hearty breakfast and an exercise regimen called “Radio Taiso,” which is a standard procedure for all Japanese companies, the group headed straight for the production line.
Of all the auto manufacturers in the country, only Isuzu can boast of assembling 70 percent of its vehicles in-house for the Philippine market. These vehicles include the D-Max, Crosswind, Alterra, N-Series and F-Series trucks. On any given day, Isuzu can roll out at least 35 vehicles from its assembly line depending on the requirement of their sales department.
Balmadrid proudly declared that their plant has been accident free for the past two years and we were urged to stay out of trouble so they can keep this record going for a longer period.
Interestingly enough, an Isuzu vehicle can be assembled in 14 minutes flat, 12 minutes if a bigger volume is required. Parts are taken from a huge parts bay and loaded onto a cart before a worker enters the assembly line.
“We have adopted the part cart system because this makes sure that all parts are installed in a given vehicle. This can be easily be verified when the cart is empty of all parts loaded onto it,” said Balmadrid.
And to our further amazement, the Isuzu assembly line is not so high-tech at all. Isuzu still believes in a human work force using hand tools to fix the components in place. Even the body welding process, one that is automated and robotic in most other manufacturers today, is done by hand by a team of welding experts.
Up front and as near to their noses as they could get, the journalists observed how the technicians put together the D-max, Crosswind or Alterra. They also took delight in how a truck chassis was flipped over twice in order to attach the suspension, engine and body.
On one of the lines, the group was surprised to find the graduates of Isuzu’s training camp in Tacloban, Leyte, all employed and happily working as Isuzu technicians at the plant.
These girls and boys, who were mere kids the last time we saw them at the training camp, were part of the Isuzu-Tesda project that took aspiring mechanics and auto engineers from the hardship of their community and given the opportunity to study and become productive members of society.
Aside from observing the manufacturing procedures, the group also got to drive the vehicles fresh off the assembly line.
The visit revealed that there was more to manufacturing cars than one would think, and it made this writer appreciate the skills of Isuzu’s all-Filipino workforce in an industry that is highly competitive in the global setting.
In Photo: A D-Max body and chassis come together guided by the skillful hands and watchful eyes of Isuzu technicians.
