The Toyota Century’s new generation is being produced at the Tahara Plant in Japan. It is meticulously hand-assembled by a team of 40 skilled workers, carefully selected from a pool of 1,500 employees. These workers undergo a rigorous three-part assessment to qualify for their tasks on the assembly line.
Hiroki Tanaka, one of the selected workers, underwent a mandatory training course and passed a certification exam to earn his spot on the team. The exam consists of three parts: a basic skills assessment, a written test on the history of the Toyota Century and vehicle structure, and a practical examination to demonstrate proficiency in assembling this luxury car.
“The written exam was more challenging than the practical one, consisting of 200 questions. However, I managed to pass it on my first attempt by diligently studying books since my days as a student,” Tanaka said. “I have gained valuable knowledge, from the history of Toyota and Century to the unique high-quality manufacturing techniques of automobiles. It has been an invaluable experience.”
This 35-year-old assembly worker has been with Toyota since 2007. As a graduate of the Toyota Technical Skills Academy, he is thrilled to be working on the Land Cruiser line, as it is his dream car. He aims to purchase one for himself after retiring.
His experience in assembling Land Cruiser frames has provided him a solid foundation for his current job, which involves assembling the suspension components for the Century. Hiroki Tanaka’s role is particularly crucial as any error can be felt when the vehicle is in operation.
Precision is always a key focus in Toyota’s vehicles, and the high-end Century model demands even higher standards. While a 20% torque deviation from the specifications is allowed on regular Toyota vehicles, this luxury SUV only allows for a 5% deviation.
Tanaka explains, “On any assembly line other than the Century, each belt screw or bolt is tightly tightened using a dedicated tool in one go. First, we tighten to close to the required specification using a simple device. Finally, we use a digital torque wrench that loads the torque value on the computer, and we manually work to achieve the final value.”
This mechanic may spend up to a minute tightening larger, longer parts – significantly longer than the 5 seconds it takes workers to tighten bolts and screws on other vehicles. Hence, Toyota only produces three Centuries per day.
On the Toyota Century assembly line, these carefully selected workers are divided into four specialized departments: Trim (responsible for managing parts such as the control panel and roof), Chassis (in charge of installing the engine, suspension system, and PHEV battery pack), Final (handles final assembly, including seats, doors, and windows), and Adjusting (monitors the final steps, such as adding engine coolant and brake systems).
Ti?n Dung (Forum.autodaily.vn)
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