Honda’s large transmission plant in west-central Ohio reached a major milestone when associates built their 10 millionth automatic transmission. Honda Transmission Mfg. of America supplies these transmissions to Honda’s auto engine plant in Anna, Ohio, where they are mated up with the engines for delivery to Honda auto plants in Marysville and East Liberty, Ohio, and in Canada and Mexico.
Located in Logan County near Russells Point, Honda Transmission has manufactured transmissions for nearly 12 years. The 10 millionth transmission was produced for a Honda Accord and will remain on display in the plant. Nearly every department was involved in its production through its final assembly and quality inspection, including casting of the aluminum case, and forging and machining of its high-precision gears.
More than 1,000 associates at Honda Transmission are being recognized at an internal ceremony for their contributions to the production milestone. “Our team has worked very hard to achieve this milestone,” Honda Transmission President Nobuyuki Sanui said. “Working together as one team to exceed our customer expectations is the driving force behind our successes.”
Since starting transmission production in 1996, Honda Transmission has steadily expanded operations to keep pace with Honda’s growth into new passenger car and light truck models. In addition to the Accord, the plant produces automatic transmissions for the Honda Ridgeline, Element and CR-V, and the Acura TL, MDX and RDX.
The plant’s growth would not have been possible without the contributions of each associate, said Jeff Tomko, the company’s vice president. “What we are celebrating goes well beyond a production milestone,” Tomko said. “Our associates have worked as a strong team to satisfy 10 million customers, and they are continuing to build on that success as we increase our capabilities with the additional production of gears and differentials.”
The result of a $100 million expansion project, Honda Transmission associates started producing high-precision transmission gears in 2006, followed a year later by four-wheel-drive rear differentials for the Acura RDX and MDX. That 263,000-square-foot expansion was part of a major North American drive-train initiative that Honda announced in late 2004 that also included investment of $100 million for Honda Precision Parts of Georgia, a new plant that now supplies automatic transmissions for the light trucks produced at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama. At the same time, Honda invested $70 million to expand engine machining at the Alabama plant.
More recently, Honda invested $75 million at the Anna Engine Plant in Ohio to increase the production of steel engine parts previously imported from Japan. That project included a 135,000-square-foot expansion to manufacture camshafts, crankshafts, cylinder sleeves and connecting rods. Honda’s largest auto engine plant in the world, the Anna plant celebrated production of its 15 millionth engine last year.
Honda Transmission’s predecessor company, Bellemar Parts Industries, started producing auto parts for Honda of America Mfg. in 1982 as the Marysville Auto Plant was making history as the first Japanese auto plant in America. The company was formally incorporated as Honda Transmission Mfg. in 1997. Investment in the 651,000-square-foot facility exceeds $325 million.
Among five Honda plants in Ohio, Honda Transmission has the capacity annually to produce 750,000 automatic transmissions, 288,000 gear sets and 110,000 rear differentials. Honda’s two auto plants in Marysville and East Liberty, Ohio, produced a record 700,000 cars and light trucks in the state last year, making it the largest auto manufacturer in Ohio.
Source: Infibeam.com
Bookmark this post: | 
|
0 comments:
Post a Comment