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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Edmonds, WA
    Posts
    3,144

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    The FDC factory tour was certainly something NOT to miss and I highly recommend it to future OSDers.

    When my son and I were told to board the tour train/trolley it was kinda like SouthWest Airline's festival seating -- Rush in and grab your seat of choice

    My son and I did just that and we went for the front trolley seats. My son was polite and sat in a front seat and left the one beside him open for me. However, I took one look at the frontmost swivel seat and decided it looked more comfortable and it sprang up and down. My real reason for the front seat was also to be close to the person conducting the tour as I was sure to have questions, right ?

    Well, all was great until a nice young lady asked me to get out of the seat as she wanted it -- she was in fact our tour guide

    No problem I thought as I sat alongside my son who was grinning like a Cheshire cat by this time. Incidentally, we both had forgotten to check our cameras in at the tour desk as requested earlier and so I was hoping they didn't somehow fall out on the floor and expose our misdeed Not to worry, we didn't use them as requested for Volvo proprietary reasons.

    The tour got underway and it wasn't long before I asked my first question. The young lady answered it without any hesitation -- great I thought -- we had made the right choice by sitting up front.

    However, as the tour got further underway the young lady obviously had lots to say and was well rehearsed. She had so much to say that it really was impossible to ask any further questions but maybe one.

    My point here is that with such a lot of interesting things to see and wonder over throughout the factory tour there was no avenue provided for people to make on the spot inquiries etc.

    No matter, the tour was fantastic and one got to see a car manufacture from a roll of steel to the finished product.

    For women I wonder how they mulled over the fact that the paint shop was the most hazardess for humans and that it was staffed almost entirely with women

    One of the most amazing things I took note of was that the production line consisted of just about ALL Volvo models as apposed of a single model. I was expecting to see a huge line up of say XC90s moving along a production line -- but that was not so. The automated process they employ allows the people and robots to know the exact details of the car being worked on be it an XC90 or an XC70 etc. One advantage to this is that the Volvo line workers get variation and avoid boring repetitive activities.

    A great tour and DON'T miss it for the world



    Regards -- Barry Sharp
    ==============
    Current: MY2012 XC70 T6/Twi Bronze/Espresso Brown/Polestar/Platinum/BLIS/Tech/ABL/Scuff Plates/Front&Rear cameras
    Traded 2011 C30 R-Design
    Son's '01 S60 2.3L T5,Maya Gold,96Kmi
    Son's '03 XC70 Platinum Green (OSD)
    Daughter#1 2011 XC60
    Daughter#2 2010 XC90
    SOLD '86 745 GLE 6-Cyl-Turbo Diesel,Graphite,255Kmi
    SOLD '03 XC70 to my son
    SOLD '03 XC70, '04 S60R, '07 S60R

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    San Francisco, CA USA
    Posts
    259

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    Barry - sounds as if you and your son sat in the same spot as my wife and I

    No doubt, this was one of the highlights of the visit. Even if you're not "into cars", it's a fascinating insight into the process of going from sheet metal to finished consumer product. I know Barry already said this, but - DON'T MISS IT!

    The thing that really impressed me was that you were right in the middle of the factory floor, literally driving in amongst (loud&#33 hydraulic presses, welding robots, assembly lines, test areas, etc. This was a real, live view of a real, working factory. The safety glasses weren't just for show, as we found out when driving past the welding robots...

    Regarding questions: It probably depends on your tour guide. I recall several questions being asked during our visit.

    AutoMonkey
    2003 Platinum Green XC70, OSD March 2003

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    945

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    I am not sure how much to say here- you have to see it for your own eyes.  The tour is absolutely amazing.  I was ready to take it again.... there is so much action, so many things to look at.  

    It is a perfect case study.  The workers were VERY happy, proud, celebratory, concerned, efficient, thourough, etc... 45 percent women, 106 languages, all having an above-average education, and part of a functioning team that decides its own pace, fate, wage, function, etc.  That's a run-on sentence, but it captures the spirit of what you see.  

    The presses, the sparks, the metal, the sheer perfection that is seen with the placement of each body and its selected parts.  

    I can't say that any other factory I have witnessed first hand seemed to have even HALF the postive vibe of the Volvo factory.  I am sure they have their issues, but they are not on the surface in any regard.  

    I must say that knowing more about the people and the technology behind the product has made me appreciate the car and the company that made it all the more.
    Current Volvos
    2012 XC70, OSD, Twilight Bronze/Espresso
    2008 C70, OSD, Celestial Blue/Cream Sovereign

    Former Volvos
    2009 XC70 Oyster/Black
    2006 S60R Black Sapphire/Nordkap
    2003 XC70, OSD, Ash/Espresso
    2000 S40, Ice White/Black

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    San Francisco, CA USA
    Posts
    259

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    </span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">45 percent women[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

    They have a much larger percentage of female employees compared to similar manufacturing plants in Sweden, and are proud of the fact...

    As an aside, a couple of the guys and gals on the line were horsing around at one point as we drove past (on their break, no doubt... or maybe that was Barry&#39;s Pt green XC they were putting together? ). The tour guide mentioned that there are a substantial number of romantic relationships between fellow co-workers...

    AutoMonkey
    2003 Platinum Green XC70, OSD March 2003

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Edmonds, WA
    Posts
    3,144

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    AutoMonkey wrote:</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">As an aside, a couple of the guys and gals on the line were horsing around at one point as we drove past (on their break, no doubt... or maybe that was Barry&#39;s Pt green XC they were putting together?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
    Yea -- my son and I were wondering about that lipstick we saw on the backside of the instrument&#39;s plastic bezel being on the backside makes it difficult to remove also. Geeesh, now I know why that nice fair headed lady winked at me as we passed final assembly

    Seriously though, the workers at the Volvo factory did seem very happy and always gazed without scorn at us as we glided along in the trolley.

    Did I hear correctly -- the tour lady said every car being assembled was a custom order -- ie no speculative ones.



    Regards -- Barry Sharp
    ==============
    Current: MY2012 XC70 T6/Twi Bronze/Espresso Brown/Polestar/Platinum/BLIS/Tech/ABL/Scuff Plates/Front&Rear cameras
    Traded 2011 C30 R-Design
    Son's '01 S60 2.3L T5,Maya Gold,96Kmi
    Son's '03 XC70 Platinum Green (OSD)
    Daughter#1 2011 XC60
    Daughter#2 2010 XC90
    SOLD '86 745 GLE 6-Cyl-Turbo Diesel,Graphite,255Kmi
    SOLD '03 XC70 to my son
    SOLD '03 XC70, '04 S60R, '07 S60R

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    945

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    Indeed, there were a couple of play actors on a break near the dash installation area.... &nbsp;

    A woman was sitting on top of a young male pretending to strangle him. &nbsp;The guy was lifting his legs, wiggling and screaming- while holding a large tool up to his head as if he had been stabbed. &nbsp;The woman smacked him if the head and burst out laughing. &nbsp;Even the train operator started laughing.... the two were said to be a married couple.
    Current Volvos
    2012 XC70, OSD, Twilight Bronze/Espresso
    2008 C70, OSD, Celestial Blue/Cream Sovereign

    Former Volvos
    2009 XC70 Oyster/Black
    2006 S60R Black Sapphire/Nordkap
    2003 XC70, OSD, Ash/Espresso
    2000 S40, Ice White/Black

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Boston, Massachusetts
    Posts
    1,838

    Default Imported post

    </span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (barrysharp @ April 09 2003,14:14)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">One of the most amazing things I took note of was that the production line consisted of just about ALL Volvo models as apposed of a single model. I was expecting to see a huge line up of say XC90s moving along a production line -- but that was not so. The automated process they employ allows the people and robots to know the exact details of the car being worked on be it an XC90 or an XC70 etc.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
    This explains why I had V70 side cladding on the two passenger side doors of my Cross Country.
    MY2002 - V70XC
    Nautic Blue/Graphite

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