Gear Production
Issue link: http://gear.epubxp.com/i/155418
F E AT U R E Input clutch assembly at the Chrysler Indiana Transmission Plant. manufacturing presence in this region to build the most fuel-effcient transmission in the industry." He's talking about a nine-speed. "As you know, this is the sole region where we manufacture transmissions, and—including all of the nearby facilities—it will be the largest transmission installation in the world. "One of the reasons for today's event is to celebrate the start of production of an eight-speed automatic transmission here at Kokomo Transmission. And to expand operations, I am pleased to announce that we are investing $212 million for equipment Middle carrier installation at Chrysler ITP II. and tooling here at Kokomo Transmission and at the nearby Kokomo Casting Plant and Indiana Transmission Plant I, which will create more than 400 additional jobs. In addition to our investment in existing facilities, we are also spending $162 million to establish a new production site in Tipton County, creating 850 new jobs." That's about 19 miles south of Kokomo. 10—GEAR Production Supplement "Once complete in 2014, the new plant will build our new nine-speed automatic transmission, which will be installed frst in our Jeep Liberty successor, a key product that will debut later this year." That product is the Jeep Cherokee. Marchionne continued, "Until then, our Indiana Transmission Plant I will build this transmission. "The Tipton plant will be located in a building originally constructed several years ago to house a transmission plant to be operated by Getrag, and then was slated to house a solar panel maker. In each case, plans were scuttled before the facility was ever opened." Who could have imagined that Chrysler would be, in this case, trumping Getrag and a photovoltaic company? Arguably, it says something about the company's commitment to transmission expertise and execution. "So altogether, we are investing a total $374 million and adding 1,250 jobs to this area. When these plans are completed, Chrysler's employment in the area will total more than 7,000 people." Two of those 7,000 are Brian Wade and Rick Warns. Wade is product engineer—Gears & Splines, Kokomo Transmission Plant. Warns is technical specialist, Indiana Transmission Plants I and II. Funny thing. While Wade opens up with the observation: "The frst key to making a good gear is starting with a good gear blank." And while Warns says that one of the greatest challenges of producing good gears is getting good, trained people ("You can have the ability to make a very accurate gear, but when you're trying to make it in high volumes, training of the workforce is very important. We have to be accurate to micron levels. A really big challenge for us is to get our workforce up to speed to operate all of the equipment. It's not just a matter of walking up to a machine and pushing a button."), before too long there is a reference to the author of Horologium Oscillatorium, a treatise published in 1673 by mathematician Christian Huygens. Seriously. Wade points out that Warns had done some research on the subject of gears, which brought him to Huygens' work, which apparently was used by American inventor George B. Grant, who patented a spur hobbing machine in 1889. And as Wade notes,