Narrator: TODAY ON "HOW IT'S MADE: DREAM CARS,"
THE CHEVROLET CAMARO...
A LEGENDARY MUSCLE CAR TRANSFORMED FOR THE MODERN ROAD.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
THE YEAR WAS 1966.
GENERAL MOTORS WAS HOLDING A BIG EVENT
AT A HOTEL IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, 14 DIFFERENT CITIES
WERE LINKED VIA PHONE LINES FOR A LIVE PRESS CONFERENCE.
IT WAS THERE THAT GENERAL MANAGER PETE ESTES
ANNOUNCED THE BIRTH OF A NEW CAR LINE... THE CAMARO.
THE NAME WAS INSPIRED BY THE FRENCH WORD "CAMARADE,"
MEANING "GOOD FRIEND."
THE VEHICLE WOULD GO ON
TO BECOME ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC AMERICAN MUSCLE CARS EVER BUILT.
THE CAMARO IS SOMETIMES CLASSIFIED AS A PONY CAR,
MEANING AN AFFORDABLE BUT STYLISH
HIGH-PERFORMANCE VEHICLE.
HALF A CENTURY AFTER ITS DEBUT,
CAMAROS ARE AMONG THE OLDEST AND MOST CELEBRATED VEHICLES
YOU CAN BUY.
IN 2002, GM HALTED PRODUCTION OF THE CAMARO,
BUT JUST 7 YEARS LATER, IN 2009,
THE LINE WAS REVIVED
WITH THE FIFTH-GENERATION CAMARO.
TO COINCIDE WITH THE BRAND'S 50th ANNIVERSARY,
THE SIXTH GENERATION LAUNCHED IN 2016.
THE CAMARO BODY COMES TOGETHER
AT GM's STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY
IN LANSING GRAND RIVER, MICHIGAN.
GM HAS BEEN PROUDLY MANUFACTURING CARS IN MICHIGAN
FOR OVER 100 YEARS.
TECHNICIANS LOAD A CAMARO PRODUCTION HOOD
ONTO A FIXTURE
SO IT CAN BE INSTALLED NEXT TO DIMENSIONALLY PERFECT PARTS.
A LASER SCANNING ARM HELPS AN OPERATOR
CHECK THE HOOD'S DIMENSIONS.
THE SCANNED RESULTS SHOW UP ON THE SCREEN OF A COMPUTER
THAT CAN INSTANTLY COMPARE THE PART TO ITS DIGITAL DESIGN.
THE SCANNER ALSO CHECKS THE GAPS BETWEEN THE PRODUCTION PART
AND THE MODEL PART.
THE DATA GATHERED HERE
FEEDS BACK TO THE APPROPRIATE SUBASSEMBLY LINES.
TECHNICIANS CAN ADJUST THE PRODUCTION PROCESS
TO IMPROVE THE RESULTS.
DEPENDING ON WHAT'S NEEDED,
GM USES DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES TO EXAMINE THE PARAMETERS
OF THE PARTS.
HERE A TECHNICIAN WORKS BY HAND ON A SMALL, FOCUSED INSPECTION.
HE USES A SET OF CALIPERS
TO MEASURE TINY DIFFERENCES IN THE GAP SIZES.
AFTER PASSING INSPECTION,
COMPONENTS GO TO THE BODY ASSEMBLY LINE.
ROBOT ARMS APPLY ADHESIVE AND SEALER
TO THE PARTIALLY FRAMED BODY.
GM USES MORE THAN 300 FEET OF ADHESIVE
WHEN BUILDING A CAMARO.
THE ADHESIVE ADDS RIGIDITY TO THE CAR,
WHICH IMPROVES PERFORMANCE, HANDLING, AND RIDE QUALITY.
THE BLACK MATERIAL IS A FORM OF SEALER.
GM STAMPS OUT THE BODY SIZE FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF STEEL.
THE ROBOTS LOAD THE BODY SIDES ONTO THE CAR,
HANGING THEM CAREFULLY ON A SERIES OF SLOTS AND TABS.
NEXT, TWO ROBOTS BRING IN A SET OF LARGE FIXTURES
DESIGNED TO CLAMP ALL THE COMPONENTS IN PLACE.
THESE FIXTURES ENSURE THAT THE STRUCTURE OF THE CAR
IS DIMENSIONALLY CORRECT BEFORE WELDING BEGINS.
GM USES A COORDINATE MEASURING MACHINE, OR CMM,
TO AUDIT CRITICAL SUBASSEMBLIES
AND ENSURE THAT THEY ARE BUILT CORRECTLY.
THE CMM MEASURES ALL DEVIATIONS FROM THE DESIGN PARAMETERS,
RECORDS THEM, AND FEEDS THEM INTO A DATABASE.
THIS DATA IS USED TO DIRECT PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS.
A PRODUCTION TEAM MEMBER BRINGS A DOOR TO THE CAR.
THE DOOR HINGES HAVE BEEN PRECISION WELDED TO THE FRAME.
HE HANGS THE DOOR ON THE HINGES,
TORQUES THE BOLTS, AND RELEASES THE LIFT ASSIST.
AS TEAM MEMBERS BEGIN THE FRONT END BUILD-UP,
THEY USE A HIGHLY SPECIALIZED FIXTURE
TO HELP MOUNT THE CAR'S FENDERS.
THE FIXTURE CAN READ ELECTRONIC TAGS ON THE CARS IN ADVANCE
AND ADJUST ITSELF TO ACCOMMODATE THE DIFFERENT MODELS
AS THEY COME.
THE ASSEMBLED BODY IN WHITE TRAVELS TO AN AUDIT BOOTH,
WHERE THE QUALITY OF ITS SURFACES ARE EVALUATED.
OVER 5,000 SPOT-WELDS HELP HOLD THE BODY TOGETHER,
BUT ALUMINUM CAN'T BE WELDED TO STEEL,
SO GM USES RIVETS AND ADHESIVES TO BOND THE DISSIMILAR METALS.
THIS PROCEDURE ALSO INCREASES THE CAR'S OVERALL RIGIDITY
BY 20%.
IN THIS STAGE, A SET OF SPRAYERS SHOWERS THE CAR WITH CLEANER.
THE CAR WILL GO THROUGH ALTERNATING SPRAY ZONES
AND DIP TANKS.
THEN IT GOES THROUGH AN OVEN
TO COMPLETE THE PRE-TREATMENT PROCESS.
THE PAINT SHOP GIVES THE CAR A PRIMER APPLICATION.
THEN A BASE COLOR COAT GOES ON,
FOLLOWED BY A CLEAR COAT FOR GLOSS AND DURABILITY.
Narrator: THE SIXTH-GENERATION CAMARO COMES IN THREE DIFFERENT TRIMS.
THE LT MODELS FEATURE GM's ALL-NEW 3.6-LITER V6 ENGINE,
WHICH IS LIGHTER AND MORE POWERFUL THAN ITS PREDECESSOR.
TEAM MEMBERS AT GM's ROMULUS POWERTRAIN FACILITY
IN MICHIGAN BUILD THE V6.
BUILDING AN ENGINE ALWAYS STARTS WITH THE ENGINE BLOCK.
A TECHNICIAN CAREFULLY LOADS THE 3.6-LITER ALUMINUM BLOCK
ONTO A FIXTURE CALLED A PEDESTAL.
ONCE IT'S SECURELY IN PLACE,
SHE SCANS A TWO-DIMENSIONAL MATRIX TAG.
THIS CREATES AN IDENTIFICATION NUMBER THAT THE ENGINE
WILL CARRY THROUGHOUT PRODUCTION.
A TEAM MEMBER LOADS A CRANK ONTO A FIXTURE,
WHERE A SCANNER READS THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL MATRIX.
THEN HE PUSHES THE CRANK INTO AN OILING MECHANISM.
WHEN THE MECHANISM IS FINISHED OILING,
THE TECHNICIAN REMOVES THE CRANK AND USES A LIFT ASSIST
TO TRANSFER IT TO THE ENGINE BLOCK.
THE PISTONS ARE COUNTERBALANCED
FOR ONE SIDE OF THE ENGINE OR THE OTHER.
HE PUTS A PISTON GUIDE FORK INSIDE A BORE
AND THEN ALIGNS A CONROD ON THE OTHER SIDE.
A SEMIAUTOMATIC STUFFER INSTALLS THE PISTON.
HE REMOVES THE FORK AND THEN INSTALLS THE CONROD CAP.
AN INITIAL TORQUE KEEPS THE PISTON IN PLACE.
HE LINES UP THE CRANKSHAFT
FOR INSTALLATION OF THE NEXT CYLINDER.
AT THE NEXT STATION, THE ENGINE IS LIFTED OFF ITS PEDESTAL.
CAMERAS CHECK UNDER THE BLOCK FOR TYPE, ORIENTATION,
AND ERROR PROOFING OF THE PISTONS.
AUTOMATIC FASTENERS GIVE THE BOLTS
THEIR FINAL SPECIFIED TORQUE.
A TEAM MEMBER INSTALLS A COMPONENT
CALLED THE OIL DEFLECTOR PLATE.
SHE LOWERS A MULTI-SPINDLE GUN INTO POSITION,
THEN TORQUES DOWN ALL THE BOLTS AT ONCE.
THE TECHNICIAN ROTATES THE ENGINE
SO SHE CAN EASILY INSTALL THE OIL PUMP.
SHE STARTS THE BOLTS MANUALLY
TO ENSURE THERE'S NO RISK OF CROSS-THREADING
WHEN THEY'RE TIGHTENED.
NEXT A TECHNICIAN LOWERS
THE CAMARO'S DUAL OVERHEAD CAM CYLINDER HEAD
AND CAM CARRIER ONTO A PREVIOUSLY INSTALLED GASKET,
RETAINED BY DOWEL PINS.
A HIGH-TECH DEVICE APPLIES A PLASMA TREATMENT
TO THE ENGINE'S FRONT COVER.
THE PLASMA TREATMENT SIMULTANEOUSLY CLEANS
AND ELECTRICALLY CHARGES THE SURFACE
IN PREPARATION FOR A SPECIALIZED SEALANT.
THE RTV,
OR ROOM TEMPERATURE VULCANIZATION SEALANT,
IS APPLIED TO THE SURFACE
BEFORE A TECHNICIAN INSTALLS THE COVER.
NEXT, A TEAM MEMBER INSTALLS THE CAM COVER.
ONCE IT'S IN PLACE,
HE MANUALLY TIGHTENS THE BOLTS.
THE FINAL FASTENING TAKES PLACE AT THE NEXT STATION.
A MULTI-SPINDLE MECHANISM
TORQUES THE CAM COVER'S 18 BOLTS SIMULTANEOUSLY.
AS WITH EVERY OTHER COMPONENT ON THE ENGINE,
GM TECHNICIANS HAVE SCANNED THE CAM COVER
AND ADDED ITS INFORMATION TO THE ENGINE'S DATA.
BEFORE INSTALLING THE OIL PAN OVER THE OIL SUCTION PIPE,
GM PLASMA-TREATS THE CEILING SURFACES
AND APPLIES RTV SEALANT,
THIS PROCESS HELPS PREVENT LEAKS
OVER THE LIFETIME OF THE ENGINE.
IN THE COLD TEST STATION,
GM CONDUCTS ITS INITIAL TEST OF THE ENGINE.
SENSORS CLAMP IN PLACE AND INSTEAD OF FIRING IT UP,
THE TEST STAND SPINS THE ENGINE.
IN JUST OVER A MINUTE,
THE STATION IS ABLE TO CHECK 1,500 PARAMETERS.
THE CAMARO ENGINE IS COMPLETE.
A TEAM MEMBER MOVES IT OFF THE LINE.
THANKS TO THE SCANNING PROCESS,
EVERY STEP OF THE PRODUCTION HAS BEEN RECORDED,
AND THE MANUFACTURING HISTORY OF EACH COMPONENT
IS COMPLETELY TRACEABLE.
Narrator: SIXTH-GENERATION CAMAROS
COME WITH SIX-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS
AND ALL-NEW HYDROMATIC PADDLE SHIFT
EIGHT-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS,
WHICH ARE LIGHTER, FASTER, AND SMOOTHER
THAN THEIR PREDECESSORS.
GM BUILDS THE CAMARO TRANSMISSION
AT ITS POWERTRAIN PLANT IN TOLEDO, OHIO.
A STICKER ON THE TRANSMISSION CASE
HAS THE TRANSMISSION UNIT NUMBER, OR TUN,
A SERIAL NUMBER THAT ALL BUILD DATA WILL BE LINKED TO.
THE TEAM MEMBER POSITIONS THE EXTENSION GASKET
ON THE CASE.
GM USES THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL BAR CODE TO RECORD EVERYTHING
THAT HAPPENS TO THE EXTENSION COMPONENT.
A TEAM MEMBER INSTALLS THE EXTENSION.
THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT CAMERAS SCANNING
AND ERROR-PROOFING THE ASSEMBLY AT THIS STATION ALONE,
THE CAMERAS COMPARE WHAT THEY SEE
TO AN IDEAL IMAGE OF THE ASSEMBLY.
A TECHNICIAN LOADS A COMPONENT
CALLED THE OUTPUT CARRIER ONTO A SEMIAUTOMATIC FIXTURE
AND SCANS IT TO RECORD THE STEP.
THE FIXTURE FLIPS THE ASSEMBLY TO PREPARE IT FOR THE NEXT STEP.
THEN THE TEAM MEMBER INSTALLS A PART
CALLED THE REACTION CARRIER AND SCANS IT, AS WELL.
THE ASSEMBLY AT THIS STATION IS COMPLETE.
THE PART PIVOTS TO THE NEXT PHASE.
AS THE PART SWINGS AROUND,
IT MEETS THE TRANSMISSION CASE.
A FULLY-AUTOMATED OVERHEAD GANTRY SYSTEM PICKS UP A BEARING
AND THE CARRIER ASSEMBLY.
IT LOADS THE BEARING INTO THE BOTTOM
OF THE TRANSMISSION CASE.
IT SLOWLY LOWERS THE CARRIER ASSEMBLY
ONTO THE BEARING INSIDE THE CASE.
THE TOOLING ROTATES THE ASSEMBLY
TO PREVENT THE EXTENSION LIP SEAL FROM ROLLING INSIDE.
A TEAM MEMBER POSITIONS A TRIPLE CLUTCH HOUSING
ON A PALLET THAT WILL TRAVEL THROUGH THE ASSEMBLY.
A CNC GANTRY-MOUNTED CAMERA TAKES HUNDREDS OF PHOTOS
TO MAKE SURE THE PARTS ARE IN THE RIGHT POSITION.
THE COMPONENTS MUST BE PRECISELY LOCATED ON THE PALLET
SO THE CNC GANTRY CAN ASSEMBLE THEM.
AS THE PALLETS MOVE, THE CNC GANTRY GOES TO WORK,
MEASURING THE PACK TRAVEL
AND SELECTING THE CORRECT SNAP RINGS TO INSTALL.
A TEAM MEMBER BRINGS THE COMPLETED TRIPLE CLUTCH
TO THE TRANSMISSION CASE.
THE TECHNICIAN MUST ROTATE THE CLUTCH AND OUTPUT SHAFT
IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS
TO SPLINE EIGHT DIFFERENT FIBER PLATES
WITH TWO DIFFERENT RING GEARS AS IT DROPS DOWN.
HE SCANS THE CLUTCH TO MARRY THE PART'S UNIQUE NUMBER
TO THE TRANSMISSION.
WITH SOLENOIDS CALIBRATED TO THE MILLIAMP,
THE VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY IS THE TRANSMISSION'S NERVE CENTER.
THOSE SOLENOIDS MUST NOT BE DAMAGED DURING INSTALLATION.
A SPECIALIZED FIXTURE CLAMPS ON
AND PICKS UP THE VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY.
IT TRANSFERS THE ASSEMBLY TO THE TRANSMISSION
AND ALIGNS ITSELF PRECISELY BEFORE LOWERING INTO PLACE.
THE FIXTURE RELEASES THE SUBASSEMBLY,
AND THE TRANSMISSION TRAVELS TO THE NEXT OPERATION.
A TECHNICIAN USES A LIFT ASSIST TO PICK UP THE TORQUE CONVERTER
AND BRING IT TO THE TRANSMISSION.
ONCE HE'S LOADED IT IN,
HE USES A SPECIALIZED TOOL TO ROTATE THE TORQUE CONVERTER
AND DROP IT INTO POSITION.
HE THEN SCANS THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL CODE.
THE TRANSMISSION IS COMPLETE,
BUT IT MUST GO THROUGH A QUALITY-CONTROL CHECK
BEFORE SHIPPING OFF.
Narrator: THE CAMARO BODY GOES STRAIGHT FROM THE PAINT SHOP
TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY LINE AND TRANSFERS
ONTO A CONVEYOR SYSTEM REFERRED TO AS THE SKILLET.
IT'S TIME TO ASSEMBLE ALL THE COMPONENTS
INTO A MUSCLE CAR.
OPERATORS USE A SPECIALIZED LIFT ASSIST FIXTURE
CALLED THE COCKPIT LOADER
TO INSTALL THE DASHBOARD.
THE INJECTION-MOLDED DASHBOARD INCLUDES THE INSTRUMENT PANEL,
THE AIR-CONDITIONING CONTROLS, AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG.
THEY USE TORQUE CONTROLLED BOLT DRIVERS TO ATTACH IT IN PLACE.
AS THEY WORK, THE CAR CONTINUES TO MOVE ON ITS SKILLET.
A WORKER CLEANS A SECTION OF THE TRUNK SURFACE
BEFORE USING A LOCATING FIXTURE
TO POSITION THE FAMED CHEVY BOW TIE EMBLEM.
A THREE-RAIL CARRIER SYSTEM
MOVES THE CAR BODY THROUGH THE NEXT PHASE.
THE POWERTRAIN AND CHASSIS MOVE ON AN AUTOMATED GUIDED VEHICLE,
OR AGV.
THE AGV USES A LASER-GUIDED SYSTEM
TO SYNC UP PERFECTLY WITH THE CARRIER.
THEN IT QUICKLY LIFTS THE POWERTRAIN AND CHASSIS
UP INTO THE BODY.
TECHNICIANS DRIVE IN SIX FASTENERS PER SIDE
BEFORE THE AGV LIFT DESCENDS,
SO THEY CAN GET UNDER THE CHASSIS
AND COMPLETE THE FASTENING PROCESS.
A WORKER USES A LIFT ASSIST
TO INSTALL THE SEATS INSIDE THE CAMARO.
A TECHNICIAN LOADS A WHEEL
ONTO A FRONT END WITH A LIFT ASSIST.
SHE LOOSELY INSTALLS THE LUG NUTS FOR THE NEXT OPERATION.
AN OPERATOR USES A PURPOSE-BUILT DEVICE
CALLED THE MULTIPLE LUG NUT SECURE TOOL
TO TORQUE ALL THE LUG NUTS SIMULTANEOUSLY.
A TECHNICIAN CONNECTS THE HORN AND THE AIRBAG.
WORKERS ADD ALL THE FLUIDS,
INCLUDING COOLANT, FUEL, RADIATOR,
BRAKE, AND WASHER FLUID.
THE CAR'S DOORS ARE REMOVED BEFORE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BEGINS.
THEY TRAVEL ON A SEPARATE SUBASSEMBLY LINE.
THEY SYNC BACK UP WITH THE CAR HERE,
WHERE A WORKER INSTALLS THEM.
THE THREE-RAIL CARRIER RELEASES THE CAR,
AND A SUPPORTING TRANSFER FIXTURE
LOWERS IT DOWN ONTO A FINAL LINE CONVEYOR.
THE CAMARO CROSSES A RUMBLE STRIP
AS IT TAKES ITS FIRST DRIVE.
THE CAR THEN PARKS AT THE WHEEL ALIGNMENT STATION.
IN THE PIT UNDERNEATH,
A TECHNICIAN VALIDATES THE WHEELS' PRESETS
AND MAKES FINAL ADJUSTMENTS,
FINE-TUNING THE WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND CAMBER.
THE CAMARO COMES WITH THREE DIFFERENT-SIZED WHEEL PACKAGES,
SO THESE ADJUSTMENTS CAN VARY SLIGHTLY,
DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CUSTOMER ORDERED.
AT THE NEXT STATION, THE DRIVER
PULLS ONTO A SET OF ROLLERS FOR THE DYNAMIC VEHICLE TEST.
HE RUNS THE CAR THROUGH A GAMUT OF DIFFERENT DRIVING MODES,
AS THE STATION'S EQUIPMENT TESTS EVERY PARAMETER,
FROM THE RPMs TO THE GEAR SHIFTING AND BRAKING.
THOROUGH AS THE TESTS ARE,
THE WHOLE PROCESS TAKES LESS THAN 2 MINUTES.
THEN THE CAR IS OFF.
AT THE FINAL STEP, A CONVEYOR SYSTEM
MOVES THE CARS PAST A BANK OF FULL-SPECTRUM LIGHTS.
TRAINED TECHNICIANS EXAMINE EVERY ASPECT OF THE VEHICLE,
BOTH INSIDE AND OUT,
ASSESSING ALL SURFACES FOR FIT AND FINISH.
THE PROCESS IS KNOWN AS THE C.A.R.E. LINE, AN ACRONYM
FOR CUSTOMER ACCEPTANCE REVIEW AND EVALUATION.
AFTER A CAR MEETS FINAL CARE INSPECTION CRITERIA,
IT'S FINALLY READY TO HEAD OUT INTO THE WORLD.
THE SIXTH-GENERATION CAMARO
RECALLS THE GLORY DAYS OF 1960s MUSCLE CARS.
IN FACT, IT BEARS A RESEMBLANCE TO THE ORIGINAL 1967 CAMARO
ITSELF.
BUT LIFT THE HOOD,
AND IT'S IMMEDIATELY CLEAR
THIS IS A 21st-CENTURY HIGH-PERFORMANCE VEHICLE.
THE INTERIOR COCKPIT LEAVES NO DOUBT
THAT THIS IS A VERY CONTEMPORARY TAKE ON A CLASSIC.
FROM BACK ROADS AND HIGHWAYS TO BIG-BUDGET MOVIES,
FEW CARS IN AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY HAVE EMBEDDED
THEMSELVES SO THOROUGHLY IN THE COLLECTIVE MEMORY.
THE CHEVY CAMARO IS ON EVERYBODY'S LIST
OF THE TOP 10 MUSCLE CARS OF ALL TIME.
THANKS TO STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY
AND CLEVER ENGINEERING,
THE MODERN INCARNATION OF THIS LEGEND
IS LIGHTER AND MORE MUSCULAR THAN EVER BEFORE.