Chevrolet manufactures - Essay Example

So, this paper will analyze the various processes and issues that took place in the departments of production and operation, when GM or more specifically Chevrolet manufactured its Corvette Z06 range of cars. Corvette Z06 comes under the brand of Chevrolet Corvette C6, which is the sixth and also the current generation of sports car produced by the Chevrolet, a part of General Motors. Launched in the year 2006, Corvette Z06 debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last month.

As Z06 are the latest models, it can be considered as the most powerful production Corvette till date. This reputation of being a powerful car, can be held till 2012, because the only C7 will make a entry. According to Motor Trend magazine, the C6 will not be superseded by a new C7 generation at least until the 2012 calendar year. (Connor, 2008). The production and the operation process of Z06 were optimized, when compared to the C5 generation. Apart from the major overhaul in the aspects of engine (a larger 6.

0 L with 364 cu in and 5967 cc engine), interior space and other technicalities, the production process of Z06 was mainly geared to using aluminum as the preferred metal for the body of the car. The body frame was constructed using aluminum, thereby saving 136 pounds, which would be the extra weight if a standard steel frame was used. “In place of the steel frame on the conventional C6, GM is substituting an almost identical aluminum spaceframe, thereby reducing mass by over 30%” (Whitfield, 2005).

Although, GM decided to use Aluminum, it did not have the resources to come up with the Aluminum car body structure and this where the coordination processes came into the picture, with GM using the services or working in coordination with Structural Solutions Group’s, Dana Corp. Although it seemed like a simple substitution, transforming a spot-welded steel frame into an aluminum