Chrysler celebrates manufacturing launch of '09 Ram

Chrysler LLC on September 12 celebrated the manufacturing launch of the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram at the Warren (Michigan) Truck Assembly Plant with an event involving approximately 1,000 attendees, including Jim Press, Chrysler LLC vice chairman and president; Frank Ewasyshyn, executive vice president for manufacturing; Governor Jennifer Granholm for the State of Michigan; General Holiefield, United Auto Workers vice president and director, Chrysler Department; as well as company employees and local dignitaries.

"The best way to compete in a business challenged by high gas prices and tight credit is to have the strongest pickup truck available in the marketplace," said Press. "With the launch today of the 2009 Dodge Ram, we have an opportunity to demonstrate what Chrysler can accomplish when we fully commit to meeting the needs of our customers. It is a very exciting, and important, launch for our organization and dealer body."

Approximately $220 million was invested in Warren Truck Assembly to prepare for production of the new Dodge Ram. The investment was supported by the Michigan Economic Development Council in multiple ways, including training funds to support the major plant and process transformation.

"Today's launch of the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram demonstrates Michigan's continued leadership in the global auto industry," said Governor Granholm. "We are proud to support Chrysler's commitment to invest in Michigan and create jobs for Michigan workers."

Uncompromised Quality and Manufacturing
Much has changed at Warren Truck Assembly in order to ensure a smooth launch. Supported by more than 150,000 hours of training over the past two years, the entire organizational structure of the plant was changed to help ensure a high quality launch. The training, with a focus on customer satisfaction and manufacturing quality, enabled the workforce to shift from a traditional plant-floor model to a system of small, self-directed teams in which assembly line workers are empowered to run their operations. Plant management assumes a supporting role. The re-structuring allows for five times more quality assurance team members on the floor.

"A great deal of effort from multiple fronts has come together to create a state-of-the-art manufacturing process which will produce one of our most important vehicles," said Ewasyshyn, who is also a member of the Shingo Prize Academy for his accomplishments in manufacturing. "We continue to increase our focus on quality during our manufacturing launches and we are seeing the positive results of those efforts."

Already, as a result of the new processes, the teams have identified and eliminated potential customer satisfaction issues. With a renewed emphasis on in-station quality, these teams are empowered to halt the assembly line, address a potential issue, and prevent defects from flowing downstream. Quality metrics since initial Dodge Ram production are showing improved quality results.

Earliest versions of prototypes were built on Warren Truck's assembly line to de-bug potential problems months before the production of saleable units. Even before actual truck bodies were available, the launch team took measures to prepare paint operations with ad-hoc components in order to eliminate the risk of delays. Quality Validation Stations were incorporated into the current manufacturing process and a new Quality Verification Process was put in place that will use a standardized system to protect the customer, drive corrective actions and will use problem-solving teams to identify and resolve potential quality issues that may arise in workstations.

Warren Truck underwent a 200,000-square-foot expansion that houses a completely new body shop powered by robotics that quickly adapt to almost any build plan. Enhanced processes and the installation of new technology will also benefit future product launches and product variants due to greater levels of flexibility. The system has been put into place at most Chrysler assembly plants and new model change-overs of the future will cost 80 percent less than changeovers of the past. The redesigned body shop houses all-new automation, including 270 new robots, several new conveyors and use of a faster pallet conveyance system.

Improvements were made to the final assembly area, including, for example, a new sun roof installation process as well as modifications to the seat delivery system in order to accommodate the installation of larger seats in an ergonomically correct manner. Additionally, trim shop work stations were revised to produce the new, highly-improved interior, and the chassis shop received multiple enhancements in order to manufacture new features for the truck, including the segment-first multi-link coil-spring rear suspension system with a solid rear axle.

The 2009 Dodge Ram crew cab and Quad Cab(R) pickups also will be built at Warren Truck Assembly Plant.

"When properly supported, our members are the best workforce anywhere in the world," said Holiefield. "On behalf of the entire UAW and president Ron Gettelfinger, I'd like to congratulate the members of Locals 140, 889, and 412 for a job well done."

All-new 2009 Dodge Ram
The all-new Ram has more standard features and a lower MSRP than 2008 models, offering consumers thousands of dollars more in value as well as a number of segment-first and best-in-class innovations.

For example, the all-new Dodge Ram will be offered in regular cab, Quad Cab and crew cab size configurations, with three box lengths: 8 feet (regular cab), 6 feet, 4 inches (regular cab and Quad Cab) and a new-for-2009 box length of 5 feet, 7 inches ( Ram Crew 1500). All fit in a standard-size garage. Five trim levels are offered: ST, SLT, TRX, Sport and Laramie.

An improved frame design incorporating high-strength steel supports an all-new, first-in-segment, solid axle, multi-link coil spring rear suspension that provides outstanding ride and handling characteristics without sacrificing payload (up to 1,850 pounds) and towing capability (up to 9,100 pounds).

The all-new Dodge Ram Crew 1500 features an available first-in-segment RamBox cargo management system that provides weatherproof, lockable, illuminated and drainable storage compartments integrated into both fender sides for effortless access and convenience. Each box holds up to five cases (120 cans) of 12-ounce beverages. Total capacity is 7.4 cubic feet – slightly more than the capacity of a 55-gallon drum. In addition, RamBox offers a segment-exclusive cargo management system than includes a built-into-the-bed cargo rail system with sliding and adjustable cleats for tie-down versatility, a removable, adjustable divider, and a two-foot bed extension feature to secure loads up to 7 feet long.

Powertrain choices include the new-generation 5.7-liter HEMI that produces best-in-class 390 horsepower (291 kilowatts) and 407 foot-pounds (552 N*m) of torque. Also available is a 4.7-liter V-8 providing 310 horsepower (231 kW) and 330 foot-pounds (447 N*m) of torque, and a 3.7-liter V-6 generating 215 horsepower (160 kW) and 235 lb.-ft. (319 N*m) of torque; four- and five-speed automatic transmissions; part-time and on-demand four-wheel-drive transfer cases; and 3.21, 3.55, 3.92 and 4.10 axle ratios.

Equipped with the new HEMI, the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram R/T regular-cab 4x2 model with a short bed and 4:10 gears blasts from 0-60 mph in less than 6 seconds – best-in-class performance.

Green Initiatives
Warren Truck has implemented a number of initiatives to protect the environment, and is ISO 14001 Certified. The plant uses only natural gas, no coal or oil. Low-energy bulbs are used for lighting and motion detectors are used in many locations to control unnecessary use of lights and fans to reduce energy consumption. Further, the plant uses a regenerative thermal oxidizer to capture and re-use the heat generated by eliminating air pollutants generated by the E-coat paint process. The plant re-distills and re-uses paint shop solvents, particularly a purge-solvent process.

With the addition of the new body shop, Warren Truck is connected to the Warren (Mich.) Stamping Plant, allowing for shared resources and eliminating the need for large trucks to move parts from Stamping to Assembly facilities.

Materials recycled at the plant include tires, oil, mercury, batteries, alcohol wipes, mirror covers, aqueous parts washer solution, solvent from non-aqueous parts washers, absorbent pads and booms, anti-chip powder, plastics, metal, cardboard, paper, wood, copper, aluminum and steel (separately), printer cartridges, fluorescent and incandescent bulbs, High Intensity Discharge lamps, mop heads, and automotive glass.

Ram Production in Missouri
The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram is also being built at Chrysler's St. Louis (Fenton, Mo.) North Assembly Plant, which employs approximately 1,085 people. At St. Louis North, the body shop was completely rebuilt, with the addition of 210 new robots and more than a mile of new conveyor, including an extensive use of clean, quiet, friction-drive conveyance systems. Ram standard cab and crew cab pickups will be built at St. Louis North Assembly Plant. RamBox production occurs at St. Louis North.

The ability to produce the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram at two U.S. assembly locations allows Chrysler the flexibility of shifting production volumes at either location in order to accommodate market demand.

Warren Truck Assembly Plant
The 3.32-million-square-foot Warren Truck Plant was originally constructed in 1937 and has 2800 employees and is represented by United Auto Workers (UAW) Local #889, #140 and #412. Known locally as "Dodge City," the plant has been making trucks since 1938. Dodge Dakota was introduced in 1987. Dodge Ram was introduced in 1993. The second-generation Dodge Dakota was launched in 1996. The all-new 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 was launched in September 2001 with the Quad Cab. Mitsubishi Raider began production in September 2005. Production of the completely redesigned 2009 Dodge Ram began in August 2008 in both Quad Cab and crew cab.