INSIDE: The LFA Works - Story via Lexus Magazine
05-10-11, 11:55 AM
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INSIDE: The LFA Works - Story via Lexus Magazine
What an amazing look inside "The LFA Works" - Motomachi Plant, Japan
WoW just WoW !!!! ~ Joe Z
- Enter either of the two buildings at the Motomachi plant, where the LFA is made, and you'll find your senses quickly overloaded. Despite its hangar-like size, the place is more premium body shop than factory: paint scents hang in the air, while heaters and air extractors hum steadily, punctuated by the whirs and bursts of torque wrenches. And then there's the car. It can be seen in all stages of assembly here, from sheets of carbon fabric to the finished article — a captivating sight.
- For each LFA, there's about 10,000 parts, including engine, drivetrain, framing, and, of course, spools of carbon thread for the LFA's ultra-light carbon-fiber components. The thread starts its plant journey at either the special 3D carbon-braiding machine or the now well-known Lexus “loom,” one of only a few in the world (shown here), that weaves the carbon into tubes of various thicknesses.
- Some of the raw carbon-fiber gets laser-cut and then advanced to “lay-up”—a technique that takes specialists about six months to master. Here, resin-saturated carbon-fiber sheets are layered on molds to create dashboard panels and side members. Each carbon fiber layer, up to 13 in all, is heated with a hand-held dryer and then shaped with white-gloved fingers. Each new layer is then vacuum-sealed (left) to ensure bubble-free adhesion to the preceding layer.
- Other carbon-fiber components, like the floor tunnel, require a different technique. Here, larger pre-cut, resin-infused carbon sheeting, spun in the 3D carbon braiding machine—which gives the sheets both vertical and lateral stitching for greater strength—are shaped by specialists like Ryuuta Murakami. Says Murakami: “Handling carbon is a bit like being a sushi chef. You need to be aware of how the temperature of your fingers influences the product.”
- Specialists then harden the larger carbon fiber components via a process inspired by the aviation industry, where carbon fiber is a mainstay. Inside the special LFA Works is a vast autoclave that cures the resin at just over 150 degrees Fahrenheit for about eight hours.
- Once the LFA body shell takes form, holes are drilled for wiring and hoses. But drilling perfect holes in super-tough carbon fiber is no small task, as drilling specialist Akira Yamaguchi explains: “Carbon has its own complexities and uniqueness. It's a little like bamboo under the drill. And every day I find out something new about the way it behaves. To account for this, we apply 32 different drill bits, some with bespoke tips and diamond coatings, for the finest, purest cuts.”
- When the body shell components are complete, the surfaces are slightly roughened with a treatment of water and abrasives, which makes them ready for bonding. Then, for some parts, glue is applied by robot (one of the few around); after that, specialists apply glue to the remaining body shell parts and conduct initial inspections.
- A quick note on the workers here: LFA-manufacturing boss, Shigeru Yamanaka, helped the company hand-pick the LFA team from around Lexus, which makes the entire team the best of the best. But there's no ego. Instead you'll find cool, intense focus or thoughtful group chats about such topics as avoiding scratches. And almost everyone seems to be smiling—and the ones who aren't still have a contented glow about them.
- Here, Yoshinao Miyata, an expert on body rigidity, oversees strength tests for each assembled carbon-fiber body. Says Miyata: “We load the carbon body with 200 kilograms of weight. If a gauge registers a deformation over our tolerance at any critical point, it's a fail. There have been no fails to date.”
WoW just WoW !!!! ~ Joe Z
05-10-11, 11:58 AM
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- “We also do a 567-point body-uniformity check with a coordinate measuring machine,” Miyata continues. This test involves inserting the carbon-fiber skeleton in this enclosed, see-through enclave, then running the measuring machine over the vehicle frame along a track; the device takes in data with a gentle brush.
- Meanwhile, the vehicle's body panels undergo painting; larger areas are painted by robot, while more intricate ones are made by hand. Kei Sano, who works on the body-painting team, tells us that if even a miniscule defect is found, the paint process is scrutinized and corrected (plus the part may be stripped and repainted). “As for colors, the most popular is white,” says Sano. “Me? I like Yellow Mica the best.”
- Here, Osamu Kaieda of the paint logistics team (right) moves smaller components through the paint area and prepares pieces for painting. Sanding, which is part of carbon-fiber surface prep, is done by hand, says Kaieda, because it takes a craftsman's delicate touch to apply the right amount of pressure to the material. “You need a deep understanding of the material,” he explains.
- Speaking of components, it takes only one working day for the team to convert all 10,000 of them into a finished LFA. It's a tight operation, but it's certainly not mass production. The best analogy is that of an extremely efficient, high-tech body shop, one filled with hands-on craftsmen.
- Two cases in point: On the left, a member of the engine-fitting team personally inspects mechanical components, while on the right, an interior cabin piece gets a polish (notice how it's resting on a soft, no scratch platform specifically designed for this particular item).
- One of the pleasures of visiting the LFA Works: mechanical components laid bare. Out of nowhere, one of the V10s will start up with a rasping growl that instantly drops to a deep, animalistic rumble. You can feel it through the soles of your shoes. Then a quality checker squeezes the throttle, the engine note soars, and you could easily confuse this place for a speedway pit lane.
- Meanwhile, the carbon fiber body shell has moved further along its componentry journey...
- ...where it eventually receives its painted body panels, wheels, and remaining interior pieces.
- Kenichi Nomoto, the logistics team leader—a title that means that nothing is achieved at the LFA Works without his knowledge—constantly reminds the assembly staff not to rush. “If one part is defective, the entire process stops,” he says. “And if a part is late, we work overtime to keep to our output of one car per day.”
- The last step inside the facility: post-assembly inspections, an elaborate affair conducted in a closed off room with a lighting arrangement designed specifically for the LFA. Here, the specialists check for secure fitting and perfect alignment of each car's exterior components. If there's 1/100th of a millimeter difference in, say, a panel gap from one side to the other, it's adjusted to perfection.
- After passing inspections, each LFA is turned over to test driver Nobuaki Amano, who has, without a doubt, one of the coolest jobs in the world: conduct LFA performance checks at the LFA Works' test track. With each vehicle, he focuses on seven key areas at speeds up to 125 mph: controllability, driving feel, sound, brake performance, power, noise and vibration, and the function of parts.
- From there, the vehicle leaves its birthplace and heads for distant shores—the driveway of one of the world's 500 lucky LFA owners. However, those LFAs, and the LFA Works, also mean good things for the rest of the world's Lexus owners: what's being learned at the LFA Works is heading straight into the great Lexus bank of knowledge—which means even lighter, stronger, and more efficient cars for tomorrow.
Truly some great information and story put together by Lexus Magazine.!!
Joe Z
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