Have an idea for a link, suggestion or a question? Click E-mail and send a letter our way!!!
THANKS FOR VISITING !!!
All photos, drawings and the Casual Corvettes Logo used on this site are PHOTO COPYWRITE protected and may not be used for anything other than personal use without the written permission of the owner.
Email for details.
This page was last updated on: July 23, 2006
MADE IN THE USA
CORVETTE PRODUCTION WAS MOVED TO THE
BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY
CORVETTE ASSEMBLY PLANT IN 1981.
THE PLANT, LOCATED ALONG INTERSTATE 65 TYPICALLY OFFERS TWO TOURS A DAY, EACH DAY OF THE WORK WEEK.
THE PLANT IS LOCATED, VIRTUALLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM.
VISITORS PREPARE TO TAKE THE TOUR OF THE CORVETTE PLANT BY FIRST GOING THROUGH A SHORT ORIENTATION THAT OUTLINES SAFETY, AS WELL AS A SHORT HISTORY OF THE FACTORY OPERATIONS.
INDIVIDUALS ARE ASSIGNED TO SMALL GROUPS AND INTRODUCED TO THEIR TOUR GUIDE.
MANY OF THE TOUR GUIDES ARE CO-OP STUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN KENTUCKY, ALSO LOCATED IN BOWLING GREEN.
JUST OUTSIDE OF THE ORIENTATION ROOM ARE DISPLAY BOARDS SIMILAR TO THIS ONE, SHOWING RETIRED PLANT WORKERS.
OTHER BOARDS AND DISPLAYS SHOW CURRENT WORKERS, CORVETTE CLUB LOGOS / EMBLEMS AND PAINT COLORS USED ON CORVETTES FOR VARIOUS RECENT YEARS.
A FACTORY "PRO SHOP" IS ALSO LOCATED HERE, WHERE VISITORS CAN BUY FACTORY MEMORABILIA.
PAINTED COMPONENTS AWAIT THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS AND ARE DELIVERED TO THE LINE AS NEEDED VIA THESE "KANBAN" DOLLIES.
PAINTED REAR QUARTER PANELS AWAIT THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED HOW CLEAN THE ASSEMBLY AREA IS. SMOKING, SNACKS AND BEVERAGES ARE ALLOWED ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE.
EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE YOU WILL HEAR MUSIC FROM A NURSERY RHYME PLAYING OVER THE PA SYSTEM. THIS IS A SIGNAL FOR A SUPERVISOR TO RESPOND TO AN ISSUE IN THEIR WORK AREA.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT NURSERY RHYMES FOR DIFFERENT SUPERVISORS.
A TEST FIXTURE IN THE ASSEMBLY AREA.
A 2002 ZO6 BEGINS IT'S JOURNEY TO "BIRTH" DOWN THE BODY BUILD-UP ASSEMBLY LINE.
ANOTHER LINE (NOT SHOWN) IS BUSY BUILDING THE CHASSIS WITH THE DRIVE UNIT AND POWER TRAIN.
ROBOTIC ARMS ARE UTILIZED IN MULTIPLE AREAS OF THE PLANT, WHILE ADJUSTABLE RACKING PRESENTS MATERIALS TO THE ASSEMBLERS AT THE CORRECT POINT OF USE.
OVERHEAD "SCOREBOARDS" (NOT SHOWN) GIVE CONSTANT INFORMATION TO THE ASSEMBLY LINE ABOUT FEEDER LINES' KANBAN STATUS. (i.e. HOW MANY CHASSIS UNITS ARE STAGED FOR THE LINE) THIS IS A COMMUNICATION DEVICE THAT LETS ALL AREAS KNOW IF THERE IS A PROBLEM IN ANOTHER AREA THAT MAY IMPEDE PRODUCTION.
AN ASSEMBLER USES A ROBOTIC ARM TO POSITION THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR OF A CAR ON THE BODY BUILD-UP LINE.
ONCE COMPLETED, THE ASSEMBLER RELEASES THE ROBOTIC ARM FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR AND PREPARES FOR THE NEXT VEHICLE IN LINE.
CORVETTES ARE TYPICALLY GROUPED ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE BY COLOR ONLY... MEANING YOU WILL SEE A SPORT COUPE, FOLLOW A Z-06, THAT IS THEN FOLLOWED BY A CONVERTIBLE, AS SHOWN IN THIS PHOTO.
OPTIONS ARE INSTALLED ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS WHILE THE CAR TRAVELS THROUGH THE LINE. (i.e. IF AN EUROPEAN LIGHT KIT IS REQUIRED, ASSEMBLERS INSTALL THE EUROPEAN LIGHTS INSTEAD OF DOMESTIC LIGHTS OR PERHAPS RED CALIPERS INSTEAD OF BLACK)
A "RIDER CARD" TRAVELS WITH EACH VEHICLE IDENTIFYING EXACT OPTIONS REQUIRED FOR EACH VEHICLE
A BODY ASSEMBLY PULLED FROM THE LINE DUE TO A QUALITY PROBLEM THAT NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED PRIOR TO FURTHER ASSEMBLY.
THE BODY IS PLACED ON A DOLLY AND TRANSPORTED TO THE CORRECT LOCATION FOR REPAIR AND THEN RETURNED TO THE ASSEMBLY LINE, WHERE IT WILL BE REINSERTED FOR COMPLETION.
A BLACK SPORT COUPE WITH A SNAZZY RED INTERIOR PACKAGE NEARS COMPLETION ON THE BODY ASSEMBLY LINE
AT THE END OF THE BODY ASSEMBLY LINE THE BODY UNIT IS LIFTED FROM THE CONVEYOR AND GOES UP AND OVERHEAD, ENROUTE TO MEET THE CHASSIS ASSEMBLY LINE.
THE BODY ASSEMBLY ARRIVES FROM OVERHEAD AND IS JOINED WITH THE POWERTRAIN - DRIVE UNIT CHASSIS.
ASSEMBLERS BEGIN THE PROCESS OF ATTACHING THE BODY TO THE CHASSIS
NOTE THE EXHAUST SYSTEMS IN THE FOREGROUND
THE JOINED BODY-CHASSIS ARE SEPARATED FROM THE CHASSIS DOLLY AND THE CAR IS NOW SUSPENDED BY THE ORIGINAL SUPPORT ARMS THAT LIFTED IT FROM THE BODY ASSEMBLY LINES
WHEEL ASSEMBLIES ARE ADDED TO THE VEHICLE AND THE CAR IS PREPARED FOR "BIRTH" OR INITIAL START-UP.
WHILE ON A TOUR, ONE LUCKY TOUR GROUP MEMBER IS INVITED TO BE THE FIRST TO START A NEW CORVETTE. THEY ACTUALLY ENTER THE VEHICLE AND ARE PREPED BY AN ASSEMBLER ON THE VARIOUS FUNCTIONS CHECKED AT THIS STATION.
THEN, THE VISITOR STARTS THE CAR. A CERTIFICATE IS THEN PRESENTED TO THIS PERSON BEARING THE SERIAL NUMBER OF THE VEHICLE TO WHICH THEY GAVE BIRTH.
COMPLETED VEHICLES HEAD FOR THE END OF THE ASSEMBLY LINE, WHERE THEY TOUCH GROUND AND THE LIFT MECHANISM IS REMOVED.
THE CARS NOW GO THROUGH A SERIES OF FINAL INSPECTION PROCESSES TO ASSURE THE QUALITY OF EACH VEHICLE PRODUCED.
VEHICLES IN WHICH A PROBLEM IS DETECTED ARE MOVED TO STATIONS AT THE END OF THE LINE WHERE ALTERATIONS ARE MADE TO BRING THE CAR INTO SPECIFICATION.
A DYNO STATION PUTS EVERY CORVETTE THROUGH ITS PACES, WHILE VISITORS WATCH RESULTS ON A DIGITAL READ-OUT SHOWN TO THE FAR LEFT.
RETURNING TO THE PARKING AREA, YOU WILL UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE A NEW RESPECT FOR YOUR CORVETTE AND THE FINE PEOPLE THAT PRODUCE THEM.
