jagamajajaran

The Bowling Green Assembly is undergoing major changes with more to come later this year. These are exciting times for the Corvette brand!

Those who have been on a plant tour know the thrill of watching new Corvettes come to life. This is especially true for those who have participated in a buyer's tour.

GM released some new assembly line photos a couple of months ago that I hadn't seen until today. The following is a compilation of photos taken at that time as well as some taken at the beginning of the 2014 C7 production year. I have ordered the photos in such a way as to show the basic order of the build process. For those who have yet to experience the plant, I hope this photo tour gives you a good idea of the assembly process. Enjoy!




Adhesive application in the body shop. (2016 photo)



Frame assembly in the body shop. (2013 photo)



Frame welding. (2013 photo)



(2013 photo)



(2013 photo)



(2013 photo)



(2013 photo)



The frame has been assembled and painted. Lower rocker panels (aperture panels) are being installed. (2016 photo)



A separate cockpit assembly line assembles the cockpit that will soon be placed in the frame assembly. (2016 photo)



The cockpit and rear tub have been added to the frame and it now approaches the main assembly line. (2013 photo)



Moving down the first part of the assembly line. (2016 photo)



Carpet installation. (2013 photo)



The rear hatch is installed. (2013 photo)



Seat installation. (2013 photo)



The seats are placed in the car. (2016 photo)



The door assembly line is a separate line that assembles all of the door components. (2016 photo)



The assembled doors arrive to be installed. (2013 photo)



Door alignment and gaps are being checked following the door installation. (2016 photo)



The front windshield is being installed here. (2013 photo, steering wheel installation now takes place later in the assembly process.)



Car being inspected before heading into the first buffer area before chassis marriage. (2016 photo)



Engine build in the Performance Build Center. (2016 photo)



Adding the engine to the drive line. (2013 photo)



The marriage of the chassis and the body. (2016 photo)



(2013 photo)



Moving into the second buffer area before the final portion of the assembly process. (2016 photo)



The water intrusion test takes place after the car comes off the line. (2016 photo)



A secondary inspection area called the Care Line where all Corvettes are inspected one more time before being prepped for transport. (2016 photo)

obxchartercaptain

Thanks for the post....Brought back great memories of my Museum delivery & tour Aug 2015. One thing that shows in your pictures that is hard to convey to someone that has never been there is HOW CLEAN THE ASSEMBLY LINE IS.....

Steve Garrett

Fun photos to look thru, Jeremy. I can't wait to see the HUGE expansion of the Plant.

Rooster OG

Awesome photos, thanks for the share!

tractman

Jag...thanks for taking the time to post these wonderful photos of our special car coming together.

Gary '09 C6

very interesting...thanks for sharing with all of us !

jeff7457

I gotta ask. Can someone get a tour of the plant without having the museum delivery?

Gary '09 C6

The plant gives public tours, all run by the NCM. Check the NCM website for information.

Maxie2U

Did you see the new paint shop during beta testing? if not here's a pic

witch hunt

thanks a lot for posting those Jag---very interesting indeed on a number of levels. One being obvious union negotiations have lead to little or no safety equipment/attire being required for most line personnel. Amazing how most non-union shops and shipping/receiving warehouses require safety shoes, belts, head protection, safety goggles, etc.

maugust24

Great pictures, thanks for posting. I have a tour date set up at the end of April.

Bunk

It is shocking the complete absence of PPE and short sleeves, no sleeves and short pants. It looks wholly unprofessional and generally unsafe.

BrunoTheMellow

People handling bare metal must wear kevlar gloves and sleeves. Paint shop employees all look like the guy in the blue suit. Accidents like the one's you're thinking don't happen often, most are actually unrelated to anything PPE could prevent (forktruck-to-person accidents, bumps, falls). Actually most accidents are from people walking on their phones (against rules), cutting through areas they do not belong (against rules), generally not paying attention, and driving lifts entirely too fast.

JOEHAWK

Awesome photos! Thank you!

jagamajajaran

Plant Management, under the leadership of new Plant Manager, Kai Spande, last year implemented new mutilation policies placing some limitations on certain items that people could and could not wear. A couple of these included no more rings and belt buckles have to be properly covered. As for safety on the line based on the type of clothing worn, I've never seen or heard of any issues.

Maxpowers

This is awesome. Thx for sharing.

John Micheal Henry

Thanks for sharing and how is your car coming along..?

Corvette ED

First test mules painted in the new two tone option

GR Jay

There is no metal removal taking place in these photos, just people using lift assists and electric torque drivers.

The Japanese and Germans would likely have their people wearing uniforms but that will never happen in a UAW plant.

Spinny

After looking at these photos I am amazed at how few actual people are needed to manufacture and assemble such a complex automobile. Robots and machines seem to have replaced most of the human beings who used to work in auto plants. This does not seem to bode well for reemploying people who have lost their manufacturing jobs.