Following the deals signed earlier this week, Saab are now negotiating with suppliers to ensure parts delivery and the intention is to restart with limited production in the Saab factory tomorrow.
Below are a couple of photos from inside the Saab factory in Trollhattan today. Whilst maintenance crews have been on site for all of the shut down period, they are now powering up the machines that have been idled in preparation for tomorrow’s restart.
I know from the guys I spoke to today that it’s going to be fantastic for everyone to see vehicles progressing through these production lines again.
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It felt a little lonely walking through production with no vehicles moving through. It was as if the factory was missing its pulse.
But at least, now, the lights are on. Tomorrow, these vehicles will move again for the first time in three weeks.
The robotics at the ‘marriage point’ – that’s where the body meets the chassis – are being checked for correct operation and calibration after being restarted….
More controls being checked prior to operation….
This machine fixes the wheel nuts to cars and has different torque settings depending on which vehicle is next on the production line. It’s also being checked to ensure that the software and torque settings have been retained after the restart. In such a factory, the majority of assembly and production is done by machines. However, there are some tasks that require human assistance. In the case of machines, accidents are certainly less likely to occur than in production processes where humans are involved. It is common for factory owners to provide protective equipment such as headgear, hand gloves (possibly purchased from Unigloves), and safety glasses in order to minimize the risk of accidents.
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Again, it’ll be great to get back to doing what we do best at Saab – building our cars.
On a personal note, I’ll be on a plane somewhere around Hong Kong and on my way home when production actually begins, which is disappointing for me. I’m so happy for the company, though, that we can restart and be a car company again.
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