Toyota Truck Factory Production In U.S. (Tacoma and Tundra).
The Toyota truck factory manufactures both the Tacoma and Tundra pickup trucks at its Texas Motor Manufacturing (TMMTX) facility in San Antonio, Texas. The plant is 4.2 million square feet and employs over 7,200 people. It is the only plant in the world that manufactures the Tundra.
The production process for both trucks begins in the stamping shop, where large sheets of steel are stamped into different body parts. The parts are then welded together in the weld shop, where over 400 robots are used. The trucks then move to the paint shop, where they are painted in a variety of colors.
After the trucks are painted, they move to the assembly line, where they are fitted with their engines, transmissions, and other components. The trucks are then tested and inspected before being shipped to dealerships.
The TMMTX plant is a state-of-the-art facility that uses the latest technology to produce high-quality trucks. The plant is also highly efficient, producing a new Tacoma or Tundra every 60 seconds.
In 2022, the TMMTX plant produced over 250,000 trucks. This represents a significant increase from the plant’s initial production capacity of 150,000 trucks per year. The plant’s production capacity is expected to continue to grow in the coming years to meet the demand for Toyota trucks in the United States.
Here are some additional details about the production process for the Tacoma and Tundra at the TMMTX plant:
- The stamping shop uses over 1,000 different dies to stamp the body parts for the trucks.
- The weld shop uses over 400 robots to weld the body parts together.
- The paint shop uses a water-based paint system that is environmentally friendly.
- The assembly line is highly automated, with robots performing many of the tasks.
- The trucks are tested on a variety of road surfaces to ensure their quality.
Toyota and Lean Manufacturing Quotes
- “Many people think that Lean is about cutting heads, reducing the work force or cutting inventory. Lean is really a growth strategy. It is about gaining market share and being prepared to enter in or create new markets.” ~Ernie Smith
- “The Toyota style is not to create results by working hard. It is a system that says there is no limit to people’s creativity. People don’t go to Toyota to ‘work’ they go there to ‘think’.” ~Taiichi Ohno
- “To be competitive, we have to look for every opportunity to improve efficiencies and productivity while increasing quality. Lean manufacturing principles have improved every aspect of our processes.” ~Cynthia Fanning
- “If a company isn’t continuously improving then it is slowly dying.” ~Dave Waters
- “Many good American companies have respect for individuals, and practice Kaizen and other TPS {Toyota Production System} tools. But what is important is having all of the elements together as a system. It must be practiced every day in a very consistent manner–not in spurts–in a concrete way on the shop floor.” ~Fujio Cho
