Nikkei BP Japan Technology Report / M1312-027-001

Inside Honda’s State-of-the-Art Yorii Plant in Japan To Boost Global Cost Competitiveness

Hiroshi Chikaoka, Kenichi Takada Nikkei Monozukuri

Abstract: Honda’s brand-new cutting-edge Yorii Plant has shifted to full-scale operation, producing 1050 new Fit automobiles a day, with a tact time that has already been compressed to under 50 seconds. The plant is positioned as a technology development bed, creating the manufacturing technology destined for introduction into Honda plants worldwide. There is only a single stamping line, with four high-speed servo-stamping machines in operation, while the welding process has been split into two compact lines: inner frame welding and “smart” welding. The painting process is handled on the world’s shortest body painting line. This article provides in-depth coverage of Honda’s new, flagship plant.

Nikkei Monozukuri is a monthly magazine published by Nikkei Business Publications (Nikkei BP) in Japan providing frontline engineers and project development leaders in the manufacturing industry with the practical information indispensable for problem solving and technology innovation. To its key readers engaged in the manufacture of automobiles, industrial machinery and precision/office machinery, Nikkei Monozukuri offers helpful hints on how to spur innovation, streamline operational processes, strengthen the competitiveness of engineers, and enhance alliances with manufacturing partners in the world. “Nikkei BP Japan Technology Report” is a fee-based publication offering English-language translations of key technical articles selected from the full array of Japanese-language Nikkei BP publications. ( http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/ ) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

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Nikkei BP Japan Technology Report / M1312-027-001

The new Yorii Plant, the manufacturing facility constructed by Honda Motor at its existing Saitama Factory in Japan, has begun full-scale operation (Fig. 1). The plant came online in July 2013, and ramped up to full-scale, two-shift production in September. A ceremony commemorating the event was held on November 7, and the line opened to the press. The production target is 1050 new Fit compacts a day, which works out to under 50 seconds per unit, and the firm plans to gradually increase daily output to slash tact time even further. Some people in the automotive industry have already called it the “last Completely Built-up Unit (CBU) manufacturing line in Japan,” and they have a point: domestic automobile sales have been, at best, flat, and are trending down. Other Japanese automobile manufacturers seem to feel that no new CBU lines are needed in Japan, and indeed Honda will have a tough time recouping its enormous capital investment into the new facility from a shrinking domestic market. Even Takehiro Kono, Yorii Plant Manager, agrees that “We really didn’t need this plant to handle demand for the Japan market.” With the new plant, however, Honda closed down

Fig.1 Layout of the Yorii Plant

As a core facility for developing manufacturing technology, the Yorii Plant is equipped with a variety of new technologies designed to boost cost competitiveness. Total output is 250,000 units/year, including compact Fit SUVs and sedans. It handles the entire manufacturing process, including stamping, welding, painting, plastic part (bumpers and instrument panels) forming, assembly, and vehicle inspection, employing about 2200 people.

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