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Toyota's commitment to a world class, quality automobile
is entrenched in the entire manufacturing philosophy. From
the development stages to manufacturing a product, the quest
for superior quality is evident.
PHILOSOPHY
The cornerstone of Toyota's quality control system is the
role of the team members in the production process. The principles
on which Toyota was founded are employed at the Georgetown
plant.
Toyota involves its team members by:
- encouraging an active role in quality control,
- utilizing employee ideas and opinions in production processes,
- and practicing "kaizen" — striving
for constant improvement.
Toyota team members treat the next person on the production
line as their customer and will not pass a defective part
on to that customer. If a team member finds a problem with
a part or the automobile, the team member stops the line and
corrects the problem before the vehicle goes any farther down
the line.
PLANNING
In the planning stages, it is important to note that new-product
planning emphasizes a product that is as defect-free as possible.
In other words, Toyota designs quality into the automobile.
Technical advances, such as Computer-Aided Design (CAD),
have helped designers create and modify their specifications
much faster than before, while improving design quality. CAD
allows designers to see their ideas as they take shape on
a monitor display, in addition to clay models.
Quality is an essential part of the pre-production process.
Quality is the driving force in establishing a system that
meets the goals of design, cost and production volume. The
planning phase also establishes a plan that outlines all details
of the inspection process. Quality control involves close
cooperation of many production departments.
PRODUCTION
Toyota's quality control during production ensures that the
correct materials and parts are used and fitted with precision
and accuracy. This effort is combined with thousands of rigorous
inspections performed by team members during the production
process.
Team members on the line are responsible for the parts they
use. They are inspectors for their own work and that of co-workers.
When a problem on any vehicle is spotted, any team member
can pull a rope — called an andon cord — strung
along the assembly line to halt production. Only when the
problem is resolved is the line restarted. This process involves
every team member in monitoring and checking the quality of
every car produced
Quality Audits
- test exhaust system
- maintain mass production quality control levels
- identify improvements for quality assurance methods
- provide detailed vehicle evaluations
Once the vehicles are completed, the tests really get tough.
At the end of Final Assembly, the vehicles are first started
and then driven to functional inspection. Here, every aspect
of the vehicle is put through a demanding set of tests and
inspections.
| Vehicle Performance |
Roll and Brake Test Area
|
 |
- tires
- lights
- horns
- wheel alignment
- steering
- headlamp adjustment
|
- simulated drive
- gear shifting
- smoothness of ride
- braking power
- parking brake
- instrument panel
- emissions
- engine and chassis fluids
|
Water Test Booth
Every car is sprayed with high-pressure water from all angles
and every compartment is checked for water leaks.
Final Inspection
Team members probe every inch of the vehicle. Both function
and appearance are scrutinized. About 150 — 175 cars
are chosen randomly each day and sent to the test track
for a check of road performance and customer satisfaction
drive tests.
PEOPLE
Through Quality Circles and a suggestion system that rewards
employees for ideas, team members strive to achieve the Toyota
principle of kaizen, or continuous improvement. More
than 90,000 employee suggestions are adopted  each
year. Some individual team members have contributed more than
1,000 suggestions.
Each team member is a quality inspector. At any time during
the production process, any team member who spots a problem
can stop production by pulling the "andon cord"
located next to the assembly line. An andon board (left)
lets supervisors know the location of the problem with a blinking
light and a distinct musical tone.
Each year about 60 percent of our team members achieve perfect
attendance — being present and on time every day. They
are rewarded with a gift, a special evening of entertainment
and chances to win a new automobile. Every year, in a random
drawing 15 Kentucky-built Toyotas are given to team members
with perfect attendance.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
- TMMK has won eight Initial Quality Plant Awards from
J.D. Power and
Associates, including four gold.
J.D. Power Awards
1990 - Gold
1991 - Silver
1992 - Bronze
1993 - Gold
1994 - Gold
1997 - Bronze and “Best in Price Class”
2000 - Gold
2001 – Silver
- TMMK’s Power Train Plant won the 1995 Engine
Plant Quality Award from J.D. Power and Associates
for North American engine plants.
- TMMK’s
Assembly, Stamping, and Powertrain sections have each
been recognized for efficiency in productivity by the Harbour
Report.
- TMMK has
received numerous local and state awards, such as the Governor’s
Company of the Year Award, Kentucky’s Leading Exporter
Award from the Kentucky World Trade
Center, the Corporate Leadership Award from the Kentuckiana
Minority Supplier
Development Council, the 1998 Platinum Award for Corporate
Blood Drives, the
Outstanding Corporate Philanthropy Award from the Lexington
Fund Raising
Executives, Top Corporate Contributor Award from the United
Way of Central Kentucky.
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