SEOUL, March 29 (Korea Bizwire) — Hyundai Motor Co. plans to introduce a mixed-model production system starting from August that allows various types of vehicles to be assembled in a single assembly line, as part of wider efforts to enhance production efficiency, industry sources said Monday.
The carmaker is currently in talks with its labor union to introduce the mixed-model production system at the company’s No. 3 plant in Ulsan, about 410 kilometers southeast of Seoul, sources said.
Once this system is introduced, it will clear the way to produce various types of vehicles on a single assembly line.
At present, a single assembly line can produce only one or two types of vehicles since automobile components are piled next to a conveyor belt and assembled one by one. Each model uses different components.
Hyundai plans to improve the system towards moving all components needed to make an individual car on a cart to ensure they are not mixed and enabling a single line to produce various types of models.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)