Nissan Cuts Development Time
By Michelle Krebs August 7, 2007
Nissan claims it is using a new product development process that puts vehicles into production faster and with higher quality.
The process, call V-3P, was detailed by Bob Sump,
vice president of component engineering of Nissanâs technical center in Farmington Hills, Mich., at the Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars Tuesday in Traverse City, Michigan.
The process was used on the redesigned Infiniti G35, the G37 Coupe and the upcoming Nissan Skyline. When used to develop the small and relatively simple Nissan Note and Wingroad, vehicles sold in Japan but not the U.S., design to production took a scant 10.5 months, about half the time of the past.
The process involves computer tools for design and manufacturing that allows more up-front development before the design freeze, the time the development clock starts ticking, Sump said. The new process cuts the number of production trials, prototype vehicles and design changes. It also reduces tooling changes and testing.
LEAVE A COMMENT