Honda has developed a production system that uses lasers to cut body parts and steel plates, becoming the first company to use similar systems for car production.
Honda develops a large power laser cutting machine for automotive manufacturing
The system is promoted by Honda Manufacturing Technology research and Development department Honda Engineering and large-scale production equipment development and manufacturer Hitachi Shipbuilding Plant Society.
The ordinary laser cutting machine power is not enough in the market, the cutting plate needs to consume too much time, so it is not suitable for automobile production. Honda and Hitachi have developed a device that allows high performance laser beams to move at high speeds and devices that provide tens of thousands of steel a day to meet the needs of car production. This system cuts the steel plate speed to be 10 times times faster than the ordinary laser cutting function on the market.
Honda's system also has a number of benefits. It is reported that the use of metal molds to produce automotive parts of the traditional method lacks flexibility, once the mass production, you can not change the design. For this reason, carmakers often use the same metal molds repeatedly before they design an update, but this time may last for several years. And Honda has a new laser cutting machine system can be flexible change parts design, and only modify the System program settings. And because it eliminates the need to develop and produce metal molds, the cost is reduced. Typically, it takes tens of millions of yen (10 million yen ≈ 572,000 yuan) to develop and produce metal molds that can cut relatively large parts (such as doors and roof).
The system also makes it easier to make low-margin models profitable, so Honda can produce more unique new models. Honda's reputation is partly based on its ability to produce cars with first-rate designs. S660 and NXS are Honda's finest.
The system has been installed at the Honda factory in Saitama, the main hatchback for Honda, to produce the fit and Vezel multi-purpose vehicles. Honda plans to extend the system to other factories, including those in North America.
