Nissan Begins $1.2 Billion Intelligent Factory Initiative to Upgrade Its Factories

Nissan unveils its plan to upgrade several of its auto-manufacturing facilities in Japan and the United States. The main objective of its Intelligent Factory Initiative is to introduce new equipment at these factories for seven years. The company has stated that it commits $1.2bn that it plans on spending on upgrades. Every year that accumulates to $170,000,000 million every 12 months if spending is divided evenly. The desired outcome for this investment is so Nissan can make its vehicle production processes more efficient and less polluting. According to Executive Vice President Hideyuki Sakamoto, the new equipment will be rolled out in all major plants in Japan and the U.S. by the end of this year and well into 2022 and so on.

Upgrading Factories for Future Machinery

Some of the factories on the receiving list for the upgrades are the Oppama and Kyushu plants in Japan and the Canton and Smyrna plants in the United States. Nissan plans to introduce new automated systems that install electric and gasoline powertrains in its factories. They are also capable of accurately measuring the dimensions of vehicles and making micro-adjustments to ensure greater assembly accuracy. The upgrade package also includes new sensors that Nissan plans on installing in the factories that warn of any problems in the manufacturing process.  

Improving Workflow and Training

All factories also have specialized cameras that transmit live streams to the control room. If there is an issue that presents itself on the premises, engineers with camera headsets and tablets are dispatched immediately to resolve the problem. According to Nissan, it estimates this system reduces equipment recovery time by 30%. In addition, the company is also supplying its factory workers with mixed reality headsets for training purposes, including additional automation for production lines and new production facilities for electric vehicles like the 2021 Nissan Ariya EV Crossover that is scheduled to go into production later this year. 

Reducing Carbon Emissions

Going green is essential to Nissan as the company plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 41 percent by 2030. Nissan intends to accomplish this by deriving electricity from renewable energy resources and utilizing onsite fuel cell systems that use green energy. The company’s Intelligent Factory Initiative is a step in the right direction because Nissan is upgrading its factories and preparing for fully automated electric vehicle production.     

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Image Source: Nissan