GM's Global Parts Sharing Strategy

[Ming]

GM's Reuse Strategy
By Laurie Sullivan
Information Week


When General Motors Corp. set out to design its Cadillac XLR, a flashy new two-passenger roadster with a retractable hardtop, it borrowed the frame from Chevrolet's Corvette, a classic American sports car. GM's Opel European subsidiary will use the Epsilon 2 auto-body structure in its next-generation Vectra, a car model that will go on the market by 2009. That auto-body structure also will appear in a new North American Saturn crossover vehicle by the end of the decade. Soon, there will be even greater opportunities to easily share parts used in GM's European- and Asian-brand cars.

More mixing and matching will be possible because GM is expanding its parts database of 40,000 3-D CAD models--representing everything from gas caps to headlamps to suspension systems--for its North American vehicles to incorporate information on parts used in cars built for the European and Asian markets, which often conform to different regulatory requirements and standards. By year's end, the database will include Europe-specific parts information, and, soon after, parts data for the Asian market will be added. When the project is complete, GM expects the data--now accessible to more than 10,000 GM engineers, suppliers, and joint-venture partners worldwide--will be available to 60,000 users. "There's a huge emphasis on reusing common parts," explains Tony Scott, chief technology officer of GM Information Systems & Services. "You will see the results in reduced cost, improved quality, and faster time to market."

The company's goal is to reuse 40% to 60% of parts across its brands, as it ramps up both the number of new car rollouts and its global ambitions. GM will have a record 29 product launches worldwide this year, Maryann Goebel, CIO at GM North America, told attendees at InformationWeek's Fall Conference last week. The company expects that about 60% of its estimated growth will come from emerging economies in Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America.

The automaker isn't the only domestic manufacturer determined to increase parts reuse among its brands. Ford Motor Co. last week confirmed that it plans to share more Jaguar components and technologies with other Ford luxury brands. Such efforts are "critical for [automakers] to compete, not only in North America but now in Europe and Asia," says AMR Research analyst Kevin Mixer. Parts reuse can decrease engineering time by 60%, Mixer estimates, no small consideration since the number of new models introduced increases by about 40% a year. But domestic automakers have a lot of catching up to do with Japanese carmakers, including Toyota and Honda, which have a five-year head start when it comes to sharing designs. Engineers at GM, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler prefer to design new parts, Mixer says, so there needs to be a change in corporate cultures if those companies are to get maximum value out of databases that make it possible to reuse parts.

GM already has a platform in place to take advantage of the parts models that are or will be stored in the database. Using UGS Corp.'s PLM Solutions Teamcenter design and product-life-cycle-management software, it can plug existing parts data into evolving vehicle designs; after searching a parts library, engineers will be able to make changes to those parts as needed to fit the overall car design, and automatically test for manufacturability, quality, and other features. Around the globe, roughly 10,000 CAD files are synchronized nightly among GM designers and partners at 15 major design centers. That system already has helped reduce the engineering cycle time from 48 months to 24 months and, in some cases, to 18 months. GM also has saved hundreds of millions of dollars in engineering costs.

The database and the UGS application are part of GM's "Math Pipeline," a series of applications and business processes that promote collaboration and standardization, from vehicle concept through manufacturing. "The database is a repository we expect engineers and suppliers to access first to see if it's possible to use or modify an existing design," Goebel says.

Joint-venture partners also can use any application or database in the Math Pipeline. Fiat Auto SpA of Italy and Suzuki Motor Corp. of Japan--GM holds a minority stake in both--collaborated with GM engineers in the design of the HFV-6 engine. That's now used in three Cadillac models, two Buick designs, and three of GM's Australian-brand Holden cars, as well as in Suzuki and Fiat models. "We want to act as one company," Goebel says. "We want to make it easier for partners and suppliers to do business with us as a hub of commerce."

FULL Article Here

[caprice 511]

this process was used in the past with GM vehicles . it's a great and effective idea . the problem is that they forgot they had global help as well . knowledge from abroad is a extreme plus .

[tgagneguam]

"There's a huge emphasis on reusing common parts," explains Tony Scott, chief technology officer of GM Information Systems & Services. "You will see the results in reduced cost, improved quality, and faster time to market."

If done correctly, the implementation of these types of systems is arguably just as crucial as turning out great, new products in manifesting a turnaround at GM.

I agree with you, caprice 511.

[MN12Fan]

Although this article is primarily about moves that GM is making, and good ones at that, there was a quote that I saw embedded in the middle of the article that I felt was significant to bring up relative to Ford's, or more specifically Lincoln's, future: "Ford Motor Co. last week confirmed that it plans to share more Jaguar components and technologies with other Ford luxury brands."

I really like the sound of that because it not only means that Ford has a plan to revitalize Jaguar (why else would one use parts from a company if they're not going to give it the resources to do well?) but it also gives a good vote of confidence that Lincoln won't completely switch over to FWD-based vehicles before the end of the decade, unless FWD is in Jaguar's future too (hopefully not).

[caling7]

Originally posted by MN12Fan@Oct 1 2004, 05:52 AM
I really like the sound of that because it not only means that Ford has a plan to revitalize Jaguar (why else would one use parts from a company if they're not going to give it the resources to do well?) but it also gives a good vote of confidence that Lincoln won't completely switch over to FWD-based vehicles before the end of the decade, unless FWD is in Jaguar's future too (hopefully not).

I think they were refering to parts like AC units, common electrical wiring, automatic window motors, and stuff like that, moreso than just platform sharing. An engine can be designed to run FWD, RWD, and AWD, so there's a huge common component that doesn't mean Lincoln's FWD migration will necessarily end, unfortunately.

[MN12Fan]

Originally posted by caling7+Oct 1 2004, 01:07 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (caling7 @ Oct 1 2004, 01:07 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-MN12Fan@Oct 1 2004, 05:52 AM
I really like the sound of that because it not only means that Ford has a plan to revitalize Jaguar (why else would one use parts from a company if they're not going to give it the resources to do well?) but it also gives a good vote of confidence that Lincoln won't completely switch over to FWD-based vehicles before the end of the decade, unless FWD is in Jaguar's future too (hopefully not).

I think they were refering to parts like AC units, common electrical wiring, automatic window motors, and stuff like that, moreso than just platform sharing. An engine can be designed to run FWD, RWD, and AWD, so there's a huge common component that doesn't mean Lincoln's FWD migration will necessarily end, unfortunately. [/b][/quote]
I understand the fact that most of the sharing going on would amount to much of the parts you mentioned but a lot of that stuff is mundane and should've been shared in the first place (I mean really, does the British concept of a power window motor or an air conditioning system have to be so different from its American equivalent?). My hope for that quote is that it would be referring to major elements of a Jaguar car - such as an entire platform - to be shared with Lincoln. When it comes to other major parts, such as engines, there has already been sharing going on. The 3.9L DOHC V8 used in the Lincoln LS and the Ford Thunderbird is merely a Jaguar 4.0L DOHC V8 with a slightly smaller displacement. However, the unfortunate thing about this engine is that if Ford chooses to go with FWD/AWD at Lincoln in the near future, I wouldn't expect to see engines much larger or more powerful than the 3.9. Lincoln's used a transversely mounted 4.6L V8 before but a return of this engine couldn't be expected to offer too much beyond 300HP in this configuration. The same goes for Jaguar's 4.2L DOHC V8 if Ford decided to bring it over for FWD usage. That's pretty ****ty when one can estimate the limitations of a move that a company may make long before they actually make it. For God sakes Lincoln, bite the bullet and base the successor to the ancient Town Car on the LWB version of the XJ. The car has a wheelbase that's an inch longer than the Town Car yet actually weighs almost half a ton less; not to overshadow the fact that the XJ also has a minimum 50HP+ advantage and a 6-speed automatic.

[tainted]

Evenin from Aus,

This is a good idea, seeing as work in one the the major design houses for Holden, for the past few years I've been seeing more and more parts from GM, Opel, Vaxuhall, etc
make their way in to the CAD waork and subsequently the vehicles. This is good for service and manufacture, so long as quality remains high, with the aim of improvements to products.

[gmsickofan]

As the world's largest automaker, this makes sense.

It makes no sense, on the other hand, to have Opel, Daewoo, GM USA and others all building vehicles with different engines, and platforms with no sharing.

If GM does this right, they could be unstoppable.

[mgescuro]

Epsilon 2 will be the platform for the new Vectra, huh? I wonder if that will underpin the new 9-5.

[mbukukanyau]

http://www.gminsidenews.com/gallery/albums...s_2002_01_b.jpg[/IMG] [/quote]
Nissan has 3 Engines

A 4 Banger
the V6 Vq
and the Vq Derived V8

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

It's all well and good, but it must be limited or done properly, to avoid obvious errors.

Example, the HVAC panel on a 97-03 Pontiac Grand Prix. It's display has a green filter, which completely doesn't fit with the red instrumentation used on everything else. Change a 1 cent filter to a red one, it would cost nothing over the model run, but the car becomes "better". It makes no difference in anything tangible, but it makes it look non-partsbin.

Things like HVAC systems, that GM cars have always had the best, should be shared, it could work wonders, and more money could be spent on R&D of the 1 or 2 systems as opposed to 75, leading to a better car (tangibly) and a more satisfied owner. Perhaps we can combine GM North America's superb air con units with Saab's excellent heating systems...

Engines really make the car, but HVAC? HVAC systems don't arouse passion (at least for me) like engines do - if it works good it's good, but I don't really care if the HVAC in my CTS-V is identical to a 9-5's which in turn is the same as a Corvette's, obviously the control panel needs to be different, but sharing the core components is fine, and actually makes the job of the owner easier when it needs to be replaced, hopefully never.

[ibechip]

I completely agree that they should share more engines. I believe a lot is being done to solve this though. From what I understand they are trying to make a global V-6 engine which can go from the mid-2 liters to about 3.9. And the Chevy small-block as almost always been about the same story. Also, how many GM 4 cylinder engines run on something that's not an Ecotec?

I think the problem in the past is that the engineers have gotten over-zealous and figured that core components of a air-conditioning system on a Vette can't be the same as the one in the Cavalier. So they just design one for the Vette that works exactly like the one in the Cavalier but it's different.

[paul3230]

Originally posted by gmsickofan@Oct 1 2004, 10:37 AM
As the world's largest automaker, this makes sense.

It makes no sense, on the other hand, to have Opel, Daewoo, GM USA and others all building vehicles with different engines, and platforms with no sharing.

If GM does this right, they could be unstoppable.

I agree!

[stewacide]

Re: FWD/AWD Lincolns, why is 300hp some sort of barrier? Audi's make crazy amounts of power from their horizontal engines through FWD/AWD trannys.

Anyways I'm sure they're talking about components, not platforms. E.g. why develop entirely different nav' systems and stereos for Jag', Volvo, Lincoln, LR, and Aston when they can share all the bits you don't see/notice, and focus on making them fit the character of the brand (instead of reinventing the wheel every time).

[AMcA]

It's interesting that the linchpin of the whole effort is nothing more than a gigantic database.

Just one more fascinating example of the totally unforeseeable ways that digital technology affects the world. Who would ever have thought that computing, i.e., number crunching, would have had such a profound impact not because it allowed us to crunch numbers, but because it facilitates communication of huge amounts of information?