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| The H1300 coupe employed the revolutionary Mohican structure |
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The TN360 mini truck launched in October 1967 was in production at Suzuka's automotive plant. However, adjacent to the TN line was a large vacant area, which when the plant was constructed was seen as the possible location for an expanded car-production facility.
Masaru Ohara, of the Suzuka Plant's welding section, was eventually reassigned to a station in the manufacturing machinery plant at Sayama (now Honda Engineering). The first employee to receive such an order, Ohara's task was to help establish a new production line for the H1300 full-featured small passenger car to be built in the area adjacent to the plant, then vacant. Ohara met with engineers from the Welding Department to discuss what form an ideal production line for a small passenger vehicle should take.
"We were so absorbed in our work," Ohara remembered. "But I just didn't know how it could be done. My colleagues were not sure, either. We collected reference books from overseas and studied them. Everyday was spent in discussions, with all of us sitting and debating the question."
"Probably because we were young, we were spirited and full of energy. We simply never gave up," added Ryo Arakawa, a welding engineer.
Brimming with confidence and ambition, they knew no one but them could do it. Gradually a production facility took shape, featuring a General Welding(GW) machine based on a completely new concept. Busily directing design revisions at the R&D Center, Soichiro Honda would drop by the plant every two months to see firsthand the changes taking place on the production floor.
One day, he saw six operators carrying frames on the line. "How can you let a person do such a meaningless job!" he shouted. "Do something about it by my next visit!"
The Welding Section was now under pressure, and the relevant personnel were called to an emergency meeting. Wracking their brains, they eventually created a device that hoisted the frame and carried it to the next process via a rail running overhead, along the line. When Soichiro next visited the plant, Ohara proudly showed him the system and said, "We corrected the problem you pointed out last time." Little did he know he would be the recipient of another thunderous volley from Soichiro.
"Damnit," Honda bellowed. "Of course those six people who were working here are not here anymore. But what about these people who must operate the hoist all day long? They have to baby-sit the engine enroute to the next step, then lower it, and come back here. They are nothing but housekeepers. Get rid of this system, right now. We cannot let valuable employees be consumed by such mindless work. Is that the best you could come up with?"
Mr. Honda's motto was " respect for the individual." At the same time, he had his own yardstick by which to determine efficiency. Not to mention the speed of the line, he was quite demanding when it came to cutting waste. He would not even compromise on issues such as the time needed to move things from one location to the next. At one time, he nearly covered the plant's concrete floor in white with chalk, drawing diagrams to teach the younger employees how to operate the line more efficiently.
One of the many distinctive features of the H1300 coupe released in February 1970 was the outer contour of its side body panel.
With the conventional N360 and the H1300 sedan, the side panel was built by assembling several components and soldering the joints. Yet, since a single pressed panel was subject to dimensional variations, smaller components were welded together and adjustments were made during the process to guarantee precision.
However, learning that the gas generated by soldering was harmful to the human body, Soichiro ordered the complete elimination of soldering. Accordingly, the development staff had to devise an alternative.
Therefore, following a series of discussions with designers at the R&D Center and production engineers from Suzuka and the manufacturing-machinery plant, the so-called "Mohican structure" was born. The basic idea of this structure was to form an integrated exterior side panel rather than the conventional split-type panel. Although the dies became a little more complex, the precision of stamping enjoyed a dramatic improvement. In terms of design, the product's appearance was also enhanced considerably. Moreover, the new structure yielded greater strength and productivity compared to the conventional panel.
The Mohican structure is currently used by many automobiles around the world. Though the details have changed over the years, line number one in the welding factory built for H1300 production still maintains its original features, including the general welding machine, which is still in operation. Behind the facility's success are the efforts of those who have worked with the machine for more than thirty years.
"We knew it was going to become a production technology, not to mention an automobile manufacturing technology, for the future," Ohara and Arakawa recalled. "We didn't have robots then, so the industry was still relying on multiple-weld techniques. We had many problems, but the line operators learned so much by dealing with these problems. They learned by making and adjusting their own tools. It was the beginning of Honda's 'hand-made automation.' The H1300, our first car, contributed greatly by forcing us to create important production technology. Looking back, that model was the starting point for everything." |
