The only one of its kind in the automotive industry, Chrysler Headquarters has everything necessary to conceive, build, evaluate and market a vehicle housed in one massive building in Auburn Hills, Mich. The 5.4-million-square-foot facility even has a pilot production plant where new Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge, Ram and SRT models are assembled for the first time. Before this facility was built, Chrysler employees routinely traveled to nearly 20 locations in the Detroit area to complete projects, making productivity dependent upon a lack of traffic jams on local highways. Today, employees go from vehicle design to development to production under one roof – in less time than ever.
Second in size in the United States only to the Pentagon, more than 11,000 Chrysler employees and suppliers work within the sprawling campus and have 15,541 parking spaces to choose from. The open layout of the Technology Center accommodates product teams, where professionals from every department collaborate to develop segment-defining vehicles. Communication among designers, engineers, technicians, safety specialists, finance experts, purchasers and suppliers to create unparalleled synergies can be attributed to the building’s innovation and design.
The ultimate competitive advantage the Chrysler Technology Center provides is proven in the 170,000-square-foot Pilot Plant. Productivity is redefined having an on-site Pilot Plant where new model prototypes are first produced and manufacturing equipment is tested. The Pilot Plant is a short walk from the product teams, so engineers can actually see the results of their efforts roll off the assembly line, sometimes, just feet from their desks. In fact, fully trimmed, street-capable test vehicles can be assembled well before volume production begins. As a result, potential problems with manufacturing processes and equipment are identified and eliminated long before tooling is installed in a plant. At the same time, production teams from Chrysler assembly plants come to the Pilot Plant for extensive training in the manufacturing processes they will follow when they build a new model. All of this improves quality, enhances worker safety and dramatically reduces the time it takes to bring a product to market.
Chrysler’s working environment fosters speed, efficiency and quality, and is demonstrated by these examples:
- Designers can consult with engineering and manufacturing personnel earlier in the creative process, so they receive faster feedback about the feasibility of their ideas and designs.
- Procurement and supply specialists work closely with mechanical engineers and suppliers to identify the fewest number of components that meet the stringent requirements of trucks, minivans, SUVs, and cars of every size and style.
- Mathematicians, physicists, ergonomics professionals, and manufacturing specialists work together using 3-D, computer-generated human models that precisely replicate the ways workers bend and reach on the assembly line.
Chrysler’s Tech Center Science Labs, a comprehensive set of test facilities unrivaled in the automotive industry contribute to the quality and safety of Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, SRT and Jeep vehicles. The Science Labs provide a level of scientific precision that cannot be achieved in open-road evaluations.
Cars and trucks are tested under a variety of conditions which, like simulated weather, can be precisely controlled and repeated. Technicians in the company’s state-of-the-art Emissions Laboratory, for example, conduct environmental tests to ensure all vehicles meet or exceed tailpipe emission regulations.
Also in the arsenal of the Tech Center’s Science labs is the $37.5-million Aero-Acoustic Wind Tunnel facility, arguably the best tool in the auto industry for analyzing the aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics of new vehicle designs. This is important because reducing air drag significantly improves fuel economy and minimizing air noise contributes to a more comfortable ride and less driver distraction.
The Headquarters Complex also is home to a 70,000-square-foot education center, a conference center, three dining rooms, one food court, a health clinic, fire department, two sundry shops, two hair salons and nursing mothers’ rooms. An extensive skylight system infuses the building with natural light and nature trails wind through the wooded grounds. The campus also includes a 1.8-mile evaluation road, additional office space, the Quality Engineering Center and the Walter P. Chrysler Museum.
