[MerF]

Taken from:
http://www.chevrolet.com/camaro/insi...y/?id=cid00013

Coolest part (IMO) highlighted below.

Development Journal -- Convertible Body Building

I have just returned from Japan where I attended one of the key events for the Camaro Convertible program — the commencement of the construction of the IVER body structure.

Before I go on, perhaps a few words on what an IVER vehicle is and why it is important to the program. In essence, an IVER is a fully representative prototype vehicle. The abbreviation IVER stands for "Integration Vehicle Engineering Release." So the end vehicle is the culmination of the computational and hardware development of all the vehicle subsystems. It's also the only time we will prototype a whole vehicle in the real world.

What do we use an IVER vehicle for? Well, it performs many functions in all areas of the business, including engineering, manufacturing, quality, marketing, etc. Its significance to the program is paramount; however, as in the case of quality, manufacturing, and engineering, the focus shifts from the virtual world to the physical world. It is also the time when the program shifts from development to validation. So the design of the program is now essentially complete, and our focus shifts to the execution and validation of the product into a really great car.

The wizards in Japan.

This is a rather unique situation for General Motors. For the most part, our prototype bodies are constructed using our internal expertise. However, this is not the case in Australia, because the size and throughput of our prototype body shop there was found to be inefficient for this type of project. As a consequence, in recent years we have contracted a specialist prototype body construction company from Hiroshima, Japan, — and they are very good at what they do.

Body shops are traditionally large, loud, and dirty with smoke and welding sparks flying in all directions and workers with dirty faces wielding massive machines. Production body shops also feature large numbers of robots weaving in and out of the pressed panels, performing the same welding tasks hundreds of times per day.

In contrast, the Japanese prototype shop is a clean environment that is a fusion of old and new processes. There are a disproportionate number of computer screens to the actual trade workers. There are very few robots, and the tradesmen (some would call them craftsmen) are all clad in white cotton uniforms, regardless if they are sitting at a computer or hand working the metal parts on the shop floor. There are still some very large presses; I saw one that was a 1,500-tonner. That's the biggest hammer you are likely to come across, but there are also some very precise machining centers and laser cutters. Perhaps the biggest contrast is the fact that the managing director of the company is also the head tradesman and, if there is a big problem, he is to be found down on the shop floor with a hammer or a file, providing the solutions. He wears the same white uniform as everyone else.

In the short time I was in Japan, there was one particular situation I saw that gave me great pride and, indeed, I believe augers particularly well for the Camaro project. A group of Japanese craftsmen in white cotton gloves with blue fluorescent lamps were pouring over some recently pressed Camaro hoods. They had treated the metal surface with a light oil film, and they were marking any slight imperfections with a blue pen as they positioned their eyes right down to the surface of the metal. They also had the GM design engineer and the manufacturing quality engineer right there with them as they discussed small changes to the design of the die to make sure the parts would be perfectly repeatable in production. This meticulous hands-on approach is exactly what will make the difference later in the program. I loved it!

Finally, Hiroshima.

Perhaps one of the most famous cities in the world. I don't feel the need to make any great comment on what the city is like, other than these final three words: fabulous, fascinating and eerie.

— Andrew D. Holmes