Automotive Assembly

RSS

DETROIT—Where once robots whirred and presses thumped, the sound of prayers will be heard when a shuttered American Axle assembly plant here is converted into a mosque.

DETROIT—Next to the wheel, it’s one automotive component that dates back to the horse-drawn carriage era, and it’s about to go the way of the buggy whip. The front bench seat, once a fixture among large American cars, will be headed for oblivion when the final 2013 Chevrolet Impala rolls off the assembly line in the coming months.

HUNTSVILLE, AL—Construction starts in a few weeks for a 300,000-square-foot expansion of Toyota’s engine assembly plant here. The expansion will create 125 new jobs, and production is expected to begin in March 2014.

FOND DU LAC, WI—Wells Vehicle Electronics, a manufacturer of vehicle electronics, will construct new headquarters here and expand its existing assembly plant, creating up to 73 jobs.

CAMBRIDGE, UK— Hyundai Kia has expanded its use of real-time location systems from Ubisense at its South Korean assembly plants.

FORT WAYNE, IN—GM’s truck assembly plant here is taking the physical needs of aging workers into account when designing jobs on the assembly line.

TOKYO—Honda is planning to double its worldwide automobile sales to more than 6 million vehicles by March 31, 2017.