European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 5, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday june 5, 1986 the stars and stripes Page t3 Volvo Plant stresses role of individual h h Sotl in s Volvo corp Nilion Nic Domestic Mirtl is i i Iii Urc. But nol its hire Cost by Uny . The o re Merkel a Tinct Roost of Volvo s buyer nearly to percent of Fig ure. North Aurum represents about 30 per Tinl of Llie Willinia ally Tuiuli Volvo is one of i hts Mii Liller Nulo Iii, with 3 bout 1,3 percent of inc work. Umbel its s iks volume in rur pc Mic 45 pure Cal of in a in be com i red with Mercedes and Bow in thut Cir size , to1.il production Lim e in was about units. On the in free military markets. Vikt arc ii oui 4.000 units i year with members from the Murium my Huish military inc primary buyers. Volvo ranked sixth on last year s annual a Savour registration re port. My has been among inc lop 10 for Many Jonrs. In fuel Volvo led the Regis Ira Lions list in i9no and 1981. We recently made a visit to the firm s Headquarters in Goteborg with More than -40 americans who went there to pick up their new curs the 200 arid 700 series models. The in lira program which included a Char Ier flight to Sweden i return Vilh the new car by overnight ferry and automotive happenings de luxe was made possible by c irs International of Stuttgart and Chap Man automobile of a armies. Both Bujor Vulva dealers on the american military mar Ket. Executives of Volvo were present to Greet the americans and to discuss their car s Van ions aspects. On our return from Sweden we hid the Opportunity to Check out the Volvo 740 Ole on a drive from Kiel la Darmstadt Sec Story Mctaw. Our major sightseeing goal at oot Corfi Wils the to Slanda Plant the largest work place in Scandinavia and one that employs 10.000 people the Volvo 240 and 700 series cars arc made there Volvo plants there is another in Kal mar arc different from Moit in the Auto Industry because of Hitt personal role the a robot performs one of inc spot welds required on a 700-sencs Volio Sedan. Workers play in the car s construction. Volvo skin crud inc birth Inye wisc 0 years Zigu when in decided to h in teams Alembic the cars and Lake a More personal part in Ihu whole Prucy it. The idea being to banish is Sembly line boredom. In n visit to the United slates last year Volvo s chairman Pultr Gyllenhamma air told Auto executives that inc old style Assembly line is not an Cuvir Olmen that lends itself to excellent performance and the movement to High Lech makes this Point even More important the higher the technology the More Jua lined the people need of be because they Musl understand the system and be Able to fix it instead of culling for help from engineers or consultants. They should be the masters of the systems with which they a train Wilh wheel especially de signed for Fae Lury Idunk. Look i through the Plant which failure an incredibly silent steel precis in operation where Mirium in Iutin i begins. The Environ ment in the pressing Panl has been Radi Cally changed. Volvo says the four press lines enclosed to curb noise. And As Flur Imin went by one could which the Hig Pils a stumping out roofs flours sides and other parts the Sec through enclosure keeping noise Loli Niini Munin like All modern plants Volvo uses robots Jure photo. With 100 Robulus Lorit working on the Voo series cars which re quire sonic 5.000 spol welds. Another so robots work on the 240-series cars. Once the body has been welded together the Small teams of employees carry of supplementary welding grind off and fit Dixie i bolide find Oiher components. Afler rust proofing Antl pain int. Sunie Ficq bodies arc stored in the Meli Bay War Liq he at eight Levels. A science fiction atmosphere Jirva ils Here Beca use no one in the warehouse everything is done with the Aid of computers. Once final Assembly work is begun. Each Volvo k Given an in card us bribing what the car will Tomk like and what equip ment it will have. More than Var Eanls arc possible. Final Assembly the uniting of body Wilh inc engine and transmission and final inspection Complete inc process As our train left the factory and moved outside the passengers had in juy cd a goofy look a modern ear Eun Struc Tion in an atmosphere that honors the Roth of the individual. Randy Barnes 740 Gle Sedan a family car with plenty of room tie Volvo 740 Cle 4-door Sedan ii basically a family car one that has accept Able performance scats five in Complete Comfort and offers Good value for inc Money we drove the us specification Model 740. One that has a 2.3-Litcr engine of 114 horsepower coupled to a 4 Speed automatic overdrive transmission. We won t go into Loo much technical Dattil be cause we be tested and reported on All of the 700-scrics cars As they be come onto the Maricl. Including
