Japan – Production of the new sports coupe has required several upgrades in the press shop, paintshop and assembly hall, including the introduction of what Nissan describes as “innovative manufacturing processes”. The plant has been making Infiniti vehicles since the brand was launched in 1989.
The changes include deep-body stamping technology and new tooling machinery for the resin boot lid, which Nissan says is a world-first; a combination of resin skin on a steel frame that enables the development of one-piece shapes.
In the paintshop, a new booth was installed for the application of the recently developed Dynamic Sandstone Red finish, which is the result of tests involving several hundred formulations and application methods. The revamped paint operation includes both manual and automated processes and, according to Nissan, enables finer control over paint thickness and quality.
New lighting for inspection and a camera and video system on the assembly line will enhance quality control.
Specially trained in premium vehicle manufacturing, 216 highly skilled takumi (craftsmen) have been drawn from the plant’s 4,500-strong workforce to operate the Infiniti production line. A further six meister takumi (master craftsmen) have been selected to oversee every aspect of Q60 production at Tochigi.
