Inside the Fiat 500 factory...

While we're waiting for the North American version of the Fiat 500 to begin rolling off the assembly line in Toluca, Mexico, let's take a look at where the European Fiat 500 is made.

The Euro Fiat 500 is manufactured at the Fiat Auto Poland factory, located in the Polish city of Tychy. One of the most modern in the world, the Tychy factory has won numerous prestigious awards. Notably in September 1996, Fiat Auto Poland became the first automotive company in Europe to win the ISO 9001 Quality Assurance Certificate.

More recently, in 2007, Fiat Auto Poland joined the select group of "World Class Manufacturing� organizations, that is companies recognized with the best production systems in the world. WCM means a comprehensive program of reconfiguring production management systems, a program based on fundamental principles of eliminating losses and waste in every shape or form. WCM draws on the best time-tested methods and tools supported by commitment and involvement of the entire staff and management in the process.

Here's a summary of awards won by Fiat Auto Poland:

- ISO 9001 Quality Assurance Certificate in 1996
- ISO 14001 Environmental Management System certification for the Body Plant in Tychy in 1999
- ISO 9001:2000 and PN-N-18001 in 2002
- The Polish Quality Award in 2004
- FAP was recognized for excellence in 2005 in the European Quality Award Competition, the
first Polish company awarded
- Bronze Level Award for adherence to WCM standards in 2007
- The top place for Fiat Panda in the category of city cars in ADAC�s 2008 reliability
ranking
- �Auto Lider 2008� special award for FAP for its long-standing contribution to the
development of Polish automotive industry and economy
- Silver Level Award in 2009 from the WCM audit

(It should be noted that Chrysler has adopted Fiat's World Class Manufacturing techniques and the plant in Mexico slated to build the North American Fiat 500 is well on it's way to achieving WCM status.)

Fiat Auto Poland Factory, Tychy, Poland

The plant in Tychy employs 6,422 people and one car rolls off its lines every 35 seconds translating to a daily production of over 1,500 cars. In 2009, the factory produced 605,797 automobiles. It covers 1,365,259 square meters in total area with 426,180 square meters of usable area.

Take a tour of the Tychy factory:



The Welding Shop


The Welding Shop is the most automated department in the factory with 715 robots on the Panda and Fiat 500 lines.


This is where individual components are mounted together to form the body and where the car
gets its definite form.

After the welding shop, bolt on body panels are installed. Here the tailgate has just been installed.

After the tailgate is installed, doors are next. The doors will be removed once the body is painted to allow easier access.

Hood is installed and alignment checked with optical equipment.

Body ready for priming and sealing.

The Paint Shop


This video shows the automated paint process. Note this video is from the Mirafiore factory, Tychy uses a similar process.

Primed and sealed, this Fiat 500 is headed towards the Paint Shop.

The Paint Shop is considered one of the most advanced industrial installations of this type
in Europe with extensive automation guaranteeing high quality standards. Using water-based paint and very low levels of solvent, it is a state of the art, environmentally friendly, facility.

Base coat and...

...clear coat applied.

Here, the body undergoes phosphate coating, cathaphoresis, and sealing, gets a primer coat, metallic or pastel base coat, and finally a clear coat. The paint shop is fully environment-controlled.

Paint inspection

Paint is applied using an electrostatic sprayer. This technology enables the paint particles to be charged, meaning that, following the spraying carried out by means of the 30,000 rpm rotation of the turbine cup, they are attracted to the sheet metal of the body. By using the electrostatic application technology, the efficiency of transfer of the product increases from approximately 35 percent to more than 80 percent. The main advantages are excellent paint coverage and less paint waste while still achieving the required application thicknesses.

The paint is looked over...

by skilled craftspeople...

...and perfected.

With the paint work done, the body is loaded onto an overhead conveyor to be sent over to the Assembly Plant.

The Assembly Plant

The doors are removed and protective coverings installed to protect the new paint.

The Assembly Plant is where individual trim components are fitted, such as dashboard, driveline, suspension, front end, seats, radiator, fan,tanks, etc.

The Fiat 500 factory is organized, clean, bright and airy. World Class Manufacturing is about eliminating waste, making work more efficient and encouraging workers to come up with solutions to achieve these goals.

Dashboard about to be installed. Traditionally a very awkward job, now made easier through automation.

Dashboard easily guided into place.

The drivetrain and suspension ready to be installed. Note the assemblies are raised....

...to allow a more comfortable position for the workers.

The front radiator support for the Fiat 500 is detachable, making the engine very accessible.

After the front end is installed, next come the wheel and tire assemblies. The Fiat 500 Abarth is also made in Tychy.

Fluids are filled

Meanwhile, the doors, which were removed after painting to facilitate access to the interior, have received their components and are ready...

It takes 16 �process� hours for the Tychy plant to transform rolls of sheet metal into a finished car.

...to be installed.

Final detail inspections.

However, it is only a theoretical cycle as it does not include all the necessary logistics and preparatory operations.

More inspections and...

...tests.

The finished car undergoes strict and thorough testing and inspection before it is turned over to marketing to assure the highest possible quality.

The Fiat 500 on the dynamometer at the factory.

Some sub-assemblies arrive at the plant as finished products ready to be mounted. Therefore, the plant can turn out about 880 Fiat Panda, 570 Fiat 500 and 70 Fiat Seicento cars a day.





Sources:Fiat Group Press, Fiat Auto Poland, manufacturing-journal.net

How is the rust proofing on the new Fiat 500?

Rust is not an issue on modern Fiats, they are among the most rust resistant cars you can buy.


Besides sprayed on rust proof coatings, panels galvanized on both sides account for 90% of the 500's body weight.


In particular, all the parts that make up the chassis and the most exposed to corrosive agents, are 100% galvanized.

Of these, the structures defined as safety structures, such as the suspension mountings and reinforcements for the seat belts, are made from panels with a high zinc thickness, up to 20 microns.


All the body panels for the doors, bonnet, boot lid, side panels, wings and roof are made entirely from 8 micron galvanized steel.


The exception is some of the inner parts of the passenger compartment because there is no risk at all of oxidation such as, for example, the dashboard mounting brackets.


Source: Fiat SpA
Pictures: Fiat Group Press

The Fiat 500 hits the 500,000th mark...

Fiat 500 numbers 499,999, 500,000 and 500,001

There's no doubt that the Fiat 500 is a huge sales hit. The 500 was introduced on July 4, 2007 and, in little more than a month, 70,000 orders were taken in the first two countries (France and Italy) it was marketed. That number grew to more than 105,000 by the end of four months.

By the end of that year more than 140,000 total orders were taken for the 500. That figure had swelled to 390,000 by the middle of last year.

Today, March 29, 2010, Fiat celebrates the making of the 500,000th Fiat 500 at the Tychy, Poland factory.

With production set to begin at Toluca, Mexico for the US and Latin American markets later this year, the Fiat 500 promises to add a considerable number to its already impressive sales totals.

Below is the Fiat Press release on this major achievement of the Fiat 500:


The 500,000th Fiat 500 rolls off the production line


Another important milestone in the history of the Fiat 500 and the Fiat Auto plant in Tychy, Poland, where the car is manufactured. The 500,000th Fiat 500 rolled off the production line there only last week. The car in question was finished in Funk White and powered by a 69 HP 1.2 engine with Start&Stop.

Fiat 500 display in Japan, 2008

On sale and in demand in 83 different countries around the world, from Italy to Brazil, South Africa to Japan, the new Fiat 500 has reached this historic figure in only 21 months from its launch. The biggest ten markets for the first 500,000 cars have been: Italy (244,755 units), France (58,425), the Great Britain (51,445), Germany (48,319), Holland (13,682), Switzerland (10,765), Spain (10,103), Belgium (9,548), Japan (9,030) and Austria (8,648). It is well worth remembering too that 80 per cent of customers choose the top of the range versions (the Lounge and Sport) which are fitted as standard with Blue&Me.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne receiving the 2008 European Car of the Year award

This new record has once again focused the media spotlight on the Fiat 500, and has confirmed its reputation as an Italian style icon capable of winning the hearts and minds of the public and the international motoring press. In addition to success on the sales front, the Fiat 500 has already won 40 international awards, has received the prestigious EuroNCAP 5 star rating�, and boasts a dedicated internet site (fiat500.com) with a community of over 120,000 users from 206 different countries taking part in 30 online activities and clocking up an amazing 240 million page visits.

Fiat 500C

This production record and the model�s unquestionable popularity are the result of the 500 project�s great ability to generate new versions. This was demonstrated by the debut of the 500C, the original cabriolet version of the 500 that pays homage to the 1957 soft-top but comes packed with advanced solutions in terms of build, engines and passenger comfort.

Fiat 500 By Diesel

The range offers a choice of two versions (saloon and Cabrio), 6 configurations (Pop, Lounge, Sport, Rock, by Diesel and PUR-O2), 2 petrol engine (a 69 HP 1.2 and a 100 HP 1.4) and 2 turbo-diesel engines (a 75 HP 1.3 Multijet and a 95 HP 1.3 Multijet II), all Euro 5 and available with either manual or sequential robotized (Dualogic) gearboxes. Remember too that the Fiat 500 has also inspired a number of Special Editions and show cars, from the 500 by Diesel to the Barbie� show car. And this is without mentioning the fascinating, high performance Abarth 500 and Abarth 500C. In brief, the Fiat 500 is a genuine �platform� for a whole family of cars characterized by technology and attention to detail normally only available on far more prestigious automobiles.


Turin, 29th March 2010

With thanks to Fiat Group Press

US Fiat 500 from...Poland?

Fiat 500 factory in Tychy, Poland

Here's something I read that came right out of left field...

In a speech made on February 11 before the Chicago Economic Club, Ralph Gilles, CEO of the Dodge brand, made a comment that production of the Fiat 500 from Toluca, Mexico might not be ready by the anticipated December 2010 launch date, so the first batch of Fiat 500's might be brought in from Fiat's Tychy, Poland plant!


While you're waiting for your Fiat 500, watch one being made in this video!

Now this is very preliminary, and I'm working on getting more information, when I do, I'll let everyone know.

Photo and Video used by permission of Fiat Group Press

Fiat investing $550 million in Chrysler's Toluca plant...

Anyone that has followed this blog already knows that Fiat will build the 500 at the Chrysler plant in Toluca, Mexico. What is news is the amount Fiat will invest in the plant. President Felipe Calderon, President of Mexico, confirmed Monday that Fiat will invest $550 million, creating more than 400 jobs and 1200 indirect jobs.


Production of the Fiat 500 will begin in December of this year with an ideal capacity of 130,000 vehicles being possible. The initial production figure is predicted in the 100,000 range, being split evenly between the US and Latin American markets.

Ten months to get the tooling together, set up the factory, find suppliers, train employees, etc. All i can say is...WOW!

Photo courtesy of Fiat Group Press

Building the Fiat 500...

Just released today, here's a short clip of the New Fiat 500 being manufactured at it's factory in Tychy, Poland. It's neat to see the car being created before your eyes.

Making the Fiat 500

Here is some background on the plant that makes the Fiat 500. After Italy and Brazil, Poland ranks as the third largest manufacturing center of Fiat Group Automobiles in the world. Founded in May 28, 1992, following privatization of the FSM Small Engine Car Plant in Tychy, the Fiat Auto Poland plant makes several models of Fiat cars, such as the 500, Panda and Seicento. Since the start of its operation, Fiat Auto Poland has manufactured more than 4.5 million cars. In 2008, 482,885 cars rolled off the assembly lines of the Fiat Auto Poland plant in Tychy, a 36% increase compared to 2007.