ANNA, Ohio—Honda’s Anna Engine Plant has modified a bit of since I closing visited. As we wound our well past the four-cylinder manufacturing line, the green-painted scaffolding and overhead gantries gave approach to a extra open expanse of the cavernous constructing. Conveyor belts had been changed by means of little robots that transfer pallets round, and shiny LED lighting fixtures light up the yellow-painted partitions. In the midst of all of it is a chain of huge 6,000-ton presses, newly put in to solid the battery packs of Honda’s subsequent US-made electrical automobiles.
A bit greater than an hour out of doors of Columbus, the Anna Engine Plant began constructing engines for the Goldwing motorbike, one thing that will had been of deep pastime to me and all of the different schoolchildren who have been obsessive about what appeared like the sector’s maximum over the top two-wheeler.
That was once 40 years in the past, and within the intervening years, the manufacturing unit has expanded to surround 2.8 million sq. ft (260,000 m2), the place 3,000 folks construct four- and six-cylinder engines for the Hondas and Acuras folks force right here in the USA. Ars was once closing there in 2020, again then as it was once hand-building the twin-turbo V6 engines for the Acura NSX, which was once assembled simply down the street.
Probably the most six large die casting machines is within the background.
Jonathan Gitlin
Probably the most six large die casting machines is within the background.
Jonathan Gitlin
Robots do lots of the dealing with.
Jonathan Gitlin
Robots do lots of the dealing with.
Jonathan Gitlin
Right here, the 2 halves of the case are welded in combination.
Jonathan Gitlin
Right here, the 2 halves of the case are welded in combination.
Jonathan Gitlin
Robots do lots of the dealing with.
Jonathan Gitlin
Right here, the 2 halves of the case are welded in combination.
Jonathan Gitlin
The massive castings for the battery packs are the other of hand-crafted—human arms do not come shut whilst the more than a few robots do their factor.
The huge presses each and every make one part of the battery case, and the scale of the entrance part may also be modified to make medium-size and big EV battery packs. As soon as each halves are solid and the portions are applicable, robots end the surfaces which are anticipated to the touch different parts, with minimum use of a lubricant that Honda says has reduce power use considerably.
