Feature
How to Build a Pickup
We visit NUMMI to see what it takes to build the 2005 Toyota Tacoma
We love robots. From Will Robinson's buddy on Lost in Space to Governor Schwarzenegger, the idea of hanging out with a robot all day just sounds cool. Mechanical super strength, a super-smart brain, what's not to love?
So what do robots have to do with new cars and trucks? A lot more than you might think.
A few months ago we staged a midsize truck comparison test that pitted the 2005 Toyota Tacoma, 2005 Nissan Frontier and 2005 Dodge Dakota against Chevrolet's recently redesigned Colorado and Ford's aging yet still popular Ranger. Every truck in the test was impressive in its own way, but the Toyota stood out as a shining example of everything a modern pickup truck should be.
Impressed, we crowned the Toyota king of the midsize pickups and ordered up a 2005 Tacoma Double Cab 4x4 with the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) Off-Road Package for our long-term fleet.
All Tacomas for the American market are built in Fremont, California, 40 miles south of San Francisco, so we decided to get a closer look at what it takes to go from parts to a pickup. When we found out giant robots are used as part of the assembly process, the decision was made. We had to check it out.
A few phone calls later and we were all set to visit New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI), a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors. Originally founded as a General Motors assembly plant in 1962, the 5.3-million-square-foot facility was shuttered 20 years later when the gas crunch took its toll on the General's sales.
At that time Toyota was starting to carve a niche for itself in the American market, and the Japanese manufacturer wanted to set up a factory in the U.S. but didn't know the ins and outs of the American labor and political systems. The two automakers teamed up and reopened the plant in 1984 with new equipment and a new name.
Today NUMMI employs 5,700 employees, and it is responsible for turning out over 400,000 vehicles a year. In addition to the Toyota Tacoma, the Toyota Corolla and the Pontiac Vibe are stamped, assembled, painted and tested in the same facility.
It takes 22 hours to build a Tacoma from start to finish (including time to let the paint cure) and thanks to the combination of skilled labor and giant robots a Tacoma rolls off the line every 82 seconds. The build process moves quickly, so we documented it in its entirety in a unique photo flipper. Click the link below to scroll through the step-by-step assembly process, and don't forget to check out the robots.
So what do robots have to do with new cars and trucks? A lot more than you might think.
A few months ago we staged a midsize truck comparison test that pitted the 2005 Toyota Tacoma, 2005 Nissan Frontier and 2005 Dodge Dakota against Chevrolet's recently redesigned Colorado and Ford's aging yet still popular Ranger. Every truck in the test was impressive in its own way, but the Toyota stood out as a shining example of everything a modern pickup truck should be.
Impressed, we crowned the Toyota king of the midsize pickups and ordered up a 2005 Tacoma Double Cab 4x4 with the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) Off-Road Package for our long-term fleet.
All Tacomas for the American market are built in Fremont, California, 40 miles south of San Francisco, so we decided to get a closer look at what it takes to go from parts to a pickup. When we found out giant robots are used as part of the assembly process, the decision was made. We had to check it out.
A few phone calls later and we were all set to visit New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI), a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors. Originally founded as a General Motors assembly plant in 1962, the 5.3-million-square-foot facility was shuttered 20 years later when the gas crunch took its toll on the General's sales.
At that time Toyota was starting to carve a niche for itself in the American market, and the Japanese manufacturer wanted to set up a factory in the U.S. but didn't know the ins and outs of the American labor and political systems. The two automakers teamed up and reopened the plant in 1984 with new equipment and a new name.
Today NUMMI employs 5,700 employees, and it is responsible for turning out over 400,000 vehicles a year. In addition to the Toyota Tacoma, the Toyota Corolla and the Pontiac Vibe are stamped, assembled, painted and tested in the same facility.
It takes 22 hours to build a Tacoma from start to finish (including time to let the paint cure) and thanks to the combination of skilled labor and giant robots a Tacoma rolls off the line every 82 seconds. The build process moves quickly, so we documented it in its entirety in a unique photo flipper. Click the link below to scroll through the step-by-step assembly process, and don't forget to check out the robots.
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