Archive for August, 2010
Sakichi Toyoda – Amazing Japanese Inventor and Founder of Toyota
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010Sakichi Toyoda is a national hero to Japan and was a great industrial entrepreneur. He is referred to as the King of Japanese Inventors and the Japanese Thomas Edison. He was born in Kosai, Shizuoka in 1867 and died in 1930. Toyoda founded many inventions including the automatic power loom which he implemented using the principle of autonomous automation, Jidoka. Jidoka means that the machine stops itself when a problem occurs instead of having human intervention. This principle later became part of the Toyota Production System.
The story of Sakichi Toyoda is studed by every Japanese school child. Even as late as 1985 he was listed as one of the ten most important inventors in Japanese history. The textile company he founded eventually gave birth to Toyota Motor Corporation. In a study of Japan technological advances it was noted that from the seventeenth to the twenty-first century Japanese researchers were skilled and original inventors, but had a weakness in commercializing the ideas. An exception to this observation is of course, Toyoda Loom Works. Sakichi Toyoda developed ideas and his son Kiichiro put into place large scale research and extensive prototype and mill testing to refine his father’s inventions.
There were three quantum leaps in technological advances by the Toyoda Loom Works which were a narrow loom, iron broad loom and the automatic loom invention. Continuous technological leaps were required to sustain the development process. Each leap in technology required upgraded equipment and engineering know how as well as sufficient capital resources.
This amazing technology development by Toyoda brings to light some phenomena not well known. Toyoda’s relationship with the general trading company Mitsui Bussan was strained periodically as the entrepreneurial company demanded an individual development path. Mitsui Bussan provided critical access to finance and markets.
There was a strong rivalry between the first and second companies that Sakichi Toyoda founded, the Toyoda Loom Works and Toyoda Automatic Loom Works. Toyoda sustained relationships of mutual support with key technologists.
Toyoda played a leading role in the introduction of the American system of interchangeable parts into Japanese manufacturing. This was essential to the commercial success of mechanical inventions and eventually let to the Toyota cars of today. Industrial researched was organized and played a leading role early at Toyoda. Their efforts to develop new textile technology prompted competition and promoted the development of human and technical resources that rivals sought to mobilize. However Toyoda’s strategy and structure led to the domination of these rivals.
The Toyota Production System
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
The Toyota Production System is a well known system developed by Toyota that encompasses its management philosophy and practices. This system is a precursor of the lean manufacturing system. The Toyota Production System was developed by Taiichi Ohno, Shigeo Shingo and Eiji Toyoda between 1948 and 1975. The system was originally called Just In Time Production and it drew on the work of W. Edwards Deming and Henry Ford.
The main objectives of the Toyota Production System are to design out overburden and inconsistency and eliminate waste. A process is designed the is capable of delivering the required results smoothly by designing out inconsistencies. The process must be as flexible as necessary without stress since this generates waste. The tactical improvements of waste reduction and elimination of inconsistencies are valuable.
Seven kinds of waste are addressed by the Toyota Production System: over production, motion of the operator or machine, waiting of the operator or machine, conveyance, processing, inventory of raw material and correction such as reworking and scrap. The removal of waste has dominated the thinking of many when they look at the effects of the system, because it is the most familiar of the three objectives to implement. Many times the system is implemented to remove inconsistencies and overburdens without specially focusing on waste, but yet waste is driving out of the process due to the two other objectives.
The Toyota Production System is the most responsible for having made Toyota the company it is today. Toyota did not receive its inspiration in the concept by visiting the Ford production line, but by visiting a supermarket. A delegation from Toyota visited the United States in the 1950s and toured several Ford plants but found the methods not very effective. They found the large amounts of inventory on the site, uneven work in the factory on most days and large amount of rework at the end of the process to be inefficient.
The group was inspired when they visited a local Piggly Wiggly supermarket and saw how the grocery store only reordered and restocked goods when they had been purchased by customers. Toyota applied this inspiration by reducing the amount of inventory to only a level that their employees would need for small amount of time, then reorder. This was the precursor of the Just In Time inventory system in use today at Iowa City Toyota.
Low inventory is key, but an important element of the system is to work intelligently and eliminate waste so that inventory is no longer needed. Many American businesses, unlike Minot car dealerships, set out to attack high inventory levels based on the success of the Toyota system, without understanding the underlying philosophy and led to their failure.
A History of Yoshisuke Aikawa – Founder of Nissan
Monday, August 30th, 2010
Yoshisuke Aikawa was the founder and first president of Nissan zaibatsu. He was born in 1880 in what is now part of Yamaguchi city. Aikawa graduated from Tokyo Imperial University in engineering and went to work for Shibaura Saisakusho the forerunner of Toshiba. He made a trip to the United States where he researched malleable cast iron. When he returned to Japan he established the Tobata Foundry in 1909 which is known now as the Hitachi Metals company.
In 1928 Yoshisuke Aikawa became the president of Kuhara Mining Company, now the Nippon Mining & Metals Company. He created a holding company called Nihon Sangyo or Nissan for short. In the stock market boom following 1931, Aikawa bought majority shareholdings in over a hundred subsidiary companies of Nissan to create the Nissan Konzerne. This group included some of the most technologically advanced companies in Japan at that time.
In 1937 he moved to Manchukuo and eventually moved the headquarters of Nissan to Manchukuo where it became part of the Manchurian Industrial Development Company. As president and chairman, he guided all industrial efforts in Manchukuo and received bank loans from American steel industrialists to support the Manchukuo economy.
Yoshisuke Aikawa was not in agreement with the political views of the Imperial Japanese Army and predicted that Nazi Germany would be defeated if a general war broke out. He also supported the Fugu Plan to settle Jewish refugees in Manchukuo. Forced by the Kwantung Army, Aikawa resigned as chairman in 1942 and moved back to Japan. After the surrender of Japan, Yoshisuke Aikawa was arrested by the American occupation authorities and imprisoned in the Sugamao Prison for twenty months as a Class A war crimes suspect. He was freed but during this time the Nissan zaibatsu had been dissolved.
After he was released, Yoshisuke Aikawa played a key role in the post war economic reconstruction of Japan and purchased a commercial bank to organize loans to small companies. The zaibatsu was reformed into Nichiyo-kai, Nissan Group which gave rise to many Nissan dealerships around the world.
Nissan Motors was a small side business for Nissan Group compared to the core real estate business. During the real estate crash of the 1990s the Nissan Group shed the majority of its real estate gave Nissan Motors more independence especially after Renault SA bought a 39% stake. The turnaround of Nissan can be attributed to the CEO Carlos Ghosn who was installed in 1999. He detached Nissan Motors from the Nissan keiretsu connections and debt.
Yoshisuke Aikawa died in 1967 of gall bladder inflammation and is buried in Tama Cemetery outside Tokyo.
Understanding Autocheck Vehicle History Reports
Monday, August 30th, 2010
When you go to buy a used car such as one from a Sandstone car dealer, you should really get a vehicle history report on the car. This will tell you about the title of the car and if it’s been in wrecks. This is a guide on understanding those reports from AutoCheck.
If your AutoCheck score is low, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad vehicle. The same with high AutoCheck scores. AutoCheck takes into account the age, mileage and other factors associated with that year, make, model of car. You should always compare the score with the score range to get a better idea of the vehicle’s rating. A luxury auto will have a higher score than a compact auto of the same year and mileage. An example of always checking the score range is a Lamborghini Gallardo with a salvage title and half of the vehicle left after a fire. It got a score of 90 because that’s the lowest score that car make/model/year could get. So a score of 5 may be great if the score range for the car is 0 to 5.
If two vehicles have close scores, will the higher score be the better one to buy? Not necessarily. If the cars are of similar model, year and class then check the mileage, car use, repossession, lease history and emissions testing. The score doesn’t check to see if it’s a rare car, collector car or have a cult following in one part of the country such as Iowa City Chevrolet.
If you see on the report “accident or damage reported” don’t automatically cross the car off your list. Even if the Bismarck used car bumped another car it will get this flag on the report. If there is no traffic ticket listed or case number for the incident, then it wasn’t anything major. Any insurance claim, even for a cracked windshield, will show up under the “accident or damage reported” section. So take this section with a grain of salt or more.
Having the report say that the car has a loan or lien record found does not mean the car has a loan or lien currently. It means that at one point in time that was the case. There will be no number of car owners if the car is over 13 years old.
Parts Suppliers Rewrite Contracts;
Thursday, August 26th, 2010
A number of automotive parts suppliers have rewritten their contracts in order to reduce costs. Steep jumps in steel prices have increased the cost of many parts as the demand for steel increases throughout the world. Be sure to check Volkswagen Specials for discounts on VW models. The increase in steel prices may result in an increase in vehicle prices as well, however parts suppliers that supplier parts to vehicles sold at dealerships such as Cincinnati Ford Dealer businesses are doing everything they can to avoid increases in prices. The consumer may be hit with increased prices if the parts are increased in price permanently as the result of the latest price increases.
Greenfield Ford Dealers sell models which are priced very fairly, but other dealerships in the future might have to adjust prices for increases in steel costs if the price of steel keeps going up. Some parts suppliers however are exposed to price swings and as a result prices on some models may end up changing. About 55 to 60 percent of parts suppliers have contract terms that prevent against price surges in the cost of steel, however for another 40 to 45 percent of suppliers they do not have these terms and may be exposed to changes in prices.
One analyst said that, “Suppliers have done a great deal to protect themselves from materials price increases since when we last conducted this survey.” But, with the exposure to increases in prices, suppliers have to negotiate better with steel providers. Refusal to ship parts was once a common bargaining tactic used by parts suppliers, but it is now becoming less common. A quarter of suppliers said that they would consider stopping their parts shipments. The halting of price shipments would force their clients such as automakers to increase their prices, and as a result the end cost of the vehicle would increase. However, many suppliers are not going to do this. More can be read on Auto News.
Compact SUV Decisions.
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
One of the fastest growing classes in the auto industry is the crossover and small SUV class. You can get some great deals on one of these functional, cute, and versatile vehicles at Greensboro used car loans or another dealership near you. Some of the more popular contenders include the Honda CR-V, the Toyota Rav4, the VW Tiguan, the Chevrolet Equinox, and the GMC Terrain. Plus, if you purchase one of these from Toyota Quick Lube Los Angeles, a lot of times the dealer will offer maintenance incentives for their respective brand or some kind of loyalty program that makes owning one of these models reasonable and affordable.
So what are some things you need to consider before dropping $25,000 or so on a new vehicle? Well, the Terrain from GMC Pittsburgh can be a bit pricier than some of these other models, but the list of standard features is also pretty long when compared to the competition. If you have already made the decision you don’t want to spend too much on an SUV, you need to then decide what you will be using your SUV for. Do you plan on carrying cargo or passengers on a frequent basis? Most offer great cargo options, but some offer more legroom or reclining backseats.
Next you will want to look at how safe these models are. If you are carrying children in car seats, you will want to try out the car seat in the back seat to make sure it fits easily and properly. And just because the space measurements are the same among some models, you really need to test them out first hand to make sure it is comfortable for your specific body type. Lastly, you will want to test drive every type of small SUV you are interested in. Don’t believe the dealer when he tells you the Equinox and the Terrain are identical; if they really were, then why would GM ultimately produce the same car with two names?
2010′s Most Fuel Efficient Trucks.
Thursday, August 19th, 2010
The Ford Focus has been known as a great bargain for some time now, and now the 2010 Ford Ranger is the most fuel efficient truck for the 2010 model year! Mercedes-Benz Shreveport won’t have a spot in the fuel efficiency truck race, but their luxurious cars sure are nice. Americans are becoming more and more fuel conscious and green in their habits. Ford is even putting a V6 engine in their Ford F-150 full size truck, something they haven’t done in years. But with their immediate competitors offering V6 engines in the full size models forced Ford to change their ways to stay competitive. Interestingly enough, the top two most fuel efficient trucks are compact trucks, but third place was a tie with a hybrid model! AZ Volkswagen Dealers have made many of the vehicles in their line up more green by offering them in a hybrid or clean burning diesel engine option. Hopefully the truck market will follow suit and we will see an increasing amount of hybrid trucks on the market.
The 2.3 liter four cylinder 2010 Ford Ranger will get you 22 mpg around town and an impressive 27 mpg on the highway. If you opt to get the V6 Ford Ranger, than your fuel economy drops significantly to resemble that of a V8 Ford F-150. The 2010 Ford F-150 gets about 15 mpg in the city and only 21 mpg on the highway. Second place on the list goes to the Toyota Tacoma, which gives drivers 20 mpg in town and 26 mpg on the highway. But, the Toyota starts a few thousand dollars cheaper than the Ford Ranger.
Third place was a tie among two GM models; Chevy Silverado Hybrid and GMC Sierra Hybrid. Both trucks give drivers 21 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. However, the hybrid models start about $12,000 more than the regular gasoline engine models, ouch!
Mazda to Recall 500,000 Models Worldwide!
Thursday, August 19th, 2010
Mazda will recall nearly half a million vehicles throughout the world for a power steering defect. Winston Jeep Dealer businesses sell Jeep models which have excellent power steering and rollover protection in their later models. The recall is the largest ever for Mazda and it has filed applications with various local authorities to recall 215,000 models in the United States and over 10,000 in China. Check out VW Deals for models which are high quality and do not have power steering problems. The recalls affect the Axela and the Premacy vehicle models which is known as the Mazda 3 and the Mazda 5 in the United States. The models affected were manufactured between 2007 and 2008. Dodge Jeep CT models were not affected by the defect.
In the Mazda 3 and 5 vehicle models, the sudden loss of power steering was reported and is a potential problem. The loss of power steering does not result in the total loss of vehicle control, however it may make a vehicle more difficult to control. Loss of power steering can make maneuvering during emergencies more difficult and it may result in more crashes as well.
So far there have been three accidents related to the defect but there have been no fatalities. Mazda offered the recall in order to avoid future problems and accidents. Mazda has been successful at staying out of recall news for quite some time, but now the company will join the likes of Toyota and GM as automakers that have issued massive recalls for 2010. Toyota’s recalls have dealt with more potentially severe issues including braking issues and fires.
Mazda will replace affected vehicles which have a problem with their steering pump. Rust could break loose from a high pressure pipe in the steering mechanism which would result in the shutting down of the steering pump. Mazda has known about the problem for some time but has now issued a recall for the affected models.
When You Should Get A Car Warranty;
Friday, August 13th, 2010
There are a number of excellent quality used vehicle models, but sometimes you can’t be sure. Models purchased at Cincinnati Used Cars may have the features and the price that you want, but in many cases you will want to purchase an extended warranty on these vehicle models. Although you can have your vehicle inspected by a mechanic, in some cases there are parts that will wear and tear faster on used models, and you can get your vehicle serviced at Richmond Collision Center in the case that it has body damage or other damage in an accident.
Be sure to browse the best models at your local VW Arizona Dealer and other local dealerships to find those models which have been well maintained throughout the years. You will want to buy a warranty on vehicles which have higher mileage but are still in good condition. Vehicles with anywhere from 30,000 to 60,000 miles on them can greatly benefit from an extended warranty. In some cases, they may check out alright by a mechanic, but after 20,000-50,000 more miles they may require a powertrain or transmission fix.
If you purchased a car warranty from a reliable warranty seller, you will not have to worry about this. If a vehicle that you buy used is still under warranty, you will be in good shape for a while, but you should find out how much longer you have on the warranty. Many models found at car rental facilities are still under warranty as many of these companies tend to discard older vehicles as soon as they get outdated. You might consider buying a vehicle from one of these facilities as they tend to take very good car of their cars. If you are buying from a private seller you might also want to consider getting a warranty.