From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Visit to the Opel works in Russelsheim, noting production methods and plant conditions.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 142\3\ scan0249 | |
| Date | 24th June 1937 guessed | |
| OPEL. On 8th of June we visited the Opel works at Russelsheim. We were allowed less than two hours in the factory so that we saw comparatively little of it. The Opel concern is of course to all intents and purposes controlled by General Motors who own the majority of the shares and have installed American executives in many of the departments. The bodywork and chassis for all models marketed are produced here and we saw the body erection department which includes the making up of the frame-cum-body construction used. Spot welding is used almost exclusively for this with occasional local gas welds where it was not possible to spot weld. They had one or two flash welding machines which were used to butt weld the two body side panels to the back panel, the weld being quite four feet in length. The welding and body building jigs were very elaborate and ensured complete accuracy of production with the minimum of human skill. We were also shewn the complete assembly lines which were arranged on the usual modern American lines. The plant employs, we were told, over 20,000 hands working in three 8 hour shifts, and our impression was that the men were working harder in this factory than in any other plant we visited. The buildings were comparatively new and very well planned, notable for the general cleanliness and lack of apparent supervision. They must have a very large press shop to produce the enormous number of pressings used, but time would not allow us to see it. | ||