A little Piece of History

51hornet · Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 3:27 pm Post subject: A little Piece of History

Nice little article on past President of Hudson Roscoe B Jackson.

ellsworthmaine.com/sit...p;Itemid=1

Dave53-7C · Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 5:52 pm Post subject: Re: A little Piece of History

I remember reading about this in a different article on the net. Good people those Hudson folks.

Zephyrmec · Hornet Joined: Aug 19, 2007 Posts: 623

Rubbing elbows with Edsel Ford put him in first rate company. Could you imagine the car that could have been built by Edsel Ford, Henry Leland, C. H. Wills, and R.B. Jackson? Class, Style, Engineering, and management by car people rather than the likes of tight-assed Henry Ford, tyrannical dishonest Billy Durant, and the rat basset B***t.

Dave53-7C · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 6:52 pm Post subject: Re: A little Piece of History

It still amazes me that the big three can't figure out how to get out of the hole they've dug for themselves. It's just like driving, you should look behind before you move forward. If Detroit would again dazzle buyers like they did up until the mid 70's, T-yota would out of business. Unfortunately, they lost their vision along the way. Then too, having to pay union drones $30.00 an hour to install a screw didn't exactly help things either.

51hornet · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 12:41 am Post subject: Re: A little Piece of History

I read a really good article about the introduction of robotics into the US auto industry. Each unit costs millions but everytime it does the job it does it perfectly. Replaces human and the errors that result. Only problem is they are specialized units that are designed for specific tasks. So specific that during retooling for new designs they have to completely replace them and this is hugely expensive so its come full circle. In the old days the expensive body dies and presses were the cost now we have over priced assembly bots.

Also it did not help that GM alone had 16 truck plants and when the bottom fell out of that market it kind of hurt. I guess since almost 70% of new vehicle purchases in the US in the last 5 years were SUV's and trucks they were to be forgiven the lack of foresight.

Best move they can do is what GM and Ford are doing in pulling over the Euro models into the US. These cars are efficient and sporty and will stop gap until the big three collectively pull their heads out their asses and start to produce nice cars again. Of course when you outsource your part and component manufacturing to other countries and help saw the legs off your bread and butter middle class you are getting what you deserve. I love these corporate assholes who think the laws of economics do not apply to them. Economy is an interlocked ecosystem so when you cut the legs off one part of the horse it stops running as fast as it did. Suits went for short term profits we got the screwing.

Makes me slightly hot under the collar and reminds me of England in the 70's when they began mass offshoring. Genesis produced an album called "Selling England By The Pound" when you sell out your own economy you are not in control of your own destiny. Sad....sad.....

Dave53-7C · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 10:22 am Post subject: Re: A little Piece of History

I can't see how a robot has to be replaced. Reworked or reprogramed maybe, but replaced? I think it would be more expensive to retool for new sheet metal.

I think the way to look at the GM truck plants is that they have 16 plants that built trucks. I'm sure they could easily convert all of them from car to truck production and back again as needs dictate. Case in point was when production stopped on the TX Cadillac FWB line in 1996. They were cranking out trucks there in no time. I assume that the lack of response to the market is them trying to hold on to the big profits trucks generate.

I think Ford will have a winner when they bring the Mondeo over as a 2010 Taurus. Talk of their doing the same with their other foreign platforms is equally promising.

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that domestic employees without much, if any, formal education can aspire to make $30.00 per hour ($62,500 a year without overtime) installing a screw. However, many of the auto workers and the unions representing them are the ones who have sawed the legs off the horse. They can't see the logic of what's wrong with the picture and how rising costs have eroded manufacturer's bottom lines. The manufacturers have to cut cost anyway they can, even if it means outsourcing to other countries. On the up side, the union employees of some domestic companies have voted to take pay cuts and forgo raises. Everyone, from the CEO to the guy that sweeps the floor, has to pitch in to control costs and improve quality. Yes, the manufacturers need to take their heads out of their butts and give consumers exciting designs, quality and value. Also, workers need to let go of the notion of entitlement.

51hornet · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 3:25 pm Post subject: Re: A little Piece of History

Exactly everyone in the food chain has part of the blame.

Yup those robots are completely specialized how the robot moves what attachments are on them. Its a common misconception you can build a multifunction robot. I know we did for the Space station it cost 2 billion dollars.

The car bots are couple of million each and the function is designed to exact job function. Pretty interesting its a trade off between cost and function. Multifunction costs way more. It was fine trade off when you are raking in the money.

GM closed 10 of the plants.

And yes margins are the key piece here. The trucks and SUV have wider margins the efficient cars are narrow margin items. Any way you slice it the economic models of old are dead. Globalization has changed it all. My view is if you offshore you lose the tax breaks.

Dave53-7C · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 6:17 pm Post subject: Re: A little Piece of History

Yes indeed, it's the old trickle down effect. But, gone are the days when the people who built Cadillacs, Lincolns and the late Imperials could actually afford to own them. In addition to buy-outs and concessions from remaining workers, the Big Three are bringing in new hires for about half what they pay union workers in salary and benefits. The domestic auto industry got fat and lazy when they were the only game in town. Now, they're being forced to trim the fat. At least with the bots, you pay once and you're done. No more raises, overtime, sick leave, stikes, lawsuits or union issues to contend with.

Shhh, don't let the laid off employees know, but GM "temporarily" closed 10 plants.

There is a solution to the industries problems, but we'll be damed if we're going to give that info away for free, right Sean? Smile