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as one of the most notable parts of the skyline happens to be the headquarters of General Motors, that has been left out. There is something to be said for authenticity. There is also something to be said for not giving your competitors free space in your products.) From Nearly Closed to World-Class The Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (north of Detroit, but close enough to count for the "Imported from" line) has been around since 1953, when it opened as a jet engine manufacturing facility. It quite nearly closed in December 2010. Chrysler, having gone through bankruptcy in 2009, left the plant behind in its reorganized form. But the sales of the Dodge Avenger and the Chrysler Sebring picked up, so in March 2010, Chrysler reacquired the plant. On December 6, 2010, Sergio Marchionne announced that the company was mak- ing a nearly $850-million investment in SHAP (the acronym by which the plant is known within the company). The monies would be used for a 425,000-ft 2 paint shop and new machinery, tooling, and material handling equipment. Production of the Avenger would con- tinue, but the Sebring would give way to the frst Chrysler 200, model year 2011. And things have only gotten better at the plant, as there was an additional invest- ment, nearly $1-billion, for the production of 2015 200—as well as for future models, as the plant has the fexibility to produce any of the vehicles that are based on the Compact U.S. Wide platform. Part of the investment was for a new body shop that was developed under a global standard jointly created by Chrysler and Fiat engineers. Flexibility, productivity, and quality are among the key objectives for the body shop, which makes extensive use of robotic automation. One interesting aspect of the robotic deployment is that it is based on an approach called "BRIC," or "Basic Robot Integrated Confguration." Essentially, this is a modular approach to robot installation, as the arm, control, and ancillary equipment come in as a unit. To assure that closure panels are precisely located, four robots using measurement lasers measure the body shell when it enters the station; that information is then used to set the location of the decklid, doors, fenders, and hood. To assure that the front end module is precisely ftted for each car, that measurement data is used to guide the laser cutting of the ends of the front rails of the car so that the front end module has a precision mounting surface. A $12.5-million metrology center in the plant—including coordinate measuring machines, Meisterbock gauge, and 3D laser scanners—are used to assure quality of everything from incoming parts to built cars. Over in the paint shop, among the tech- nologies deployed are a 180° rotating conveyor system that turns over a vehicle body so that underbody sealing and coating can be robotically performed (36 robots are used), taking advantage of gravity, and having the body positioned in such a way that operators have more ergonomically correct access to the work area should additional work be necessary. Also, the paint shop's fnal inspection line uses lights that automatically adjust both their color and intensity, based on the color of the car being inspected. This use of the uwe braun lights from OLIGO Lichttechnik GmbH is said to be the frst North American deployment. Not bad for a plant that was not all that long ago destined to be shuttered. p The lights in this inspection area automatically change color and intensity based on the color of the car being examined. This is a North America frst. 42 AD&P; > June 2014 > FEATURE > Creating the 2015 Chrysler 200 > Gary S. Vasilash > gsv@autofeldguide.com 0614ADP FEATURE Chrysler 200.indd 42 5/21/2014 12:50:41 PM