The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

F2 â€" Oakville Beaver CONGRATULATIONS ‘%‘“ L' to ‘Ag » & » â€"@Â¥85" us 4 % * * * ® 4 # 7 A c ’ ,M"""‘t"', P % *v} “' l’ is A% .‘ A% & ...AND THE ; L2 %\f (A Wtmeloc t C« /. WISHES YOU PULL TIME : CAE gou y t ALL THE NIGHT SHIFT ! o qh o WptIW y sest. too‘ A LOOK BACK ON FOUR DECADES OF AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTION IN OAKVILLE, ONTARIO NJO YEARS COF ©UALTN Y SEKVICE I COAKVIL 1E .. FROM YOUR FR AJ 5770 HURONTARIO STREET MISSISSAUGA (416) 890â€"1990 Vednesday, June DPY 40 FROM ALL OF US AT OAKâ€"LAND 190 OAKVILLE â€" 1953 ~ 1993 ENDS rOoR Producing quality vehicles is team effort Husak and others helped set the course the plant is travelling today: a well oiled, teamâ€"oriented road that has the plant running smoothly and focused on producing quality vehicles for the customer, not political inâ€"house squabâ€" bling that was hampering production in both the assembly and truck plants. If Husak comes across like chief engineer Scott of the old Star Trek series, it‘s because he is like that characâ€" ter â€" blunt, noâ€"nonsense, selfâ€"motivated, and straightâ€"shooting. But then, who else would you expect in the shoes belonging to the manager of the massive Ford Oakville Assembly Plant, which operates in a 3.5 million sq. ft. building and bangs out 960 cars daily, or one each minute? Technological advances were made in vehicle design and assembly; robotics were introduced to keep production on competitive levels. In short, the Oakville Ford Plant went through a facelift of sorts. Today, it can boast a healthy ecoâ€" nomic base even in the midst of this slow economic recovery. (Continued from page 1) 1953 4â€"door Ford sedan â€" rolled off the plant‘s production line to cheers and applause. Much of the change is due to Assembly Plant manager Ray Husak, who came to the OAP 10 years ago and built on the fine work by predecessor Bill Asselin to incur positive changes in workerâ€"management relations. ‘"When I came here, neither plant had the ability to build up volume," says Husak, 55. "‘We could not build a schedâ€" ule because we had labor disturbances." Though he is loathe to take even the timest amount of credit, colleagues say that Husak played an influential role in shaping the plant‘s current course. "Ray has provided the forum to let people grow at their best," says body area manager Sharad Kamdar. "He proâ€" vided the forum to build things." In 199 salarics, as million, c 1980 The company also works hard to relations, to the point where employees‘ performances are rated daily and the effort fed back to them so that every worker has an accurate and knowledgeâ€" able assessment of their accomplishâ€" ments. "Basically, our relationship has improved with our increased capacity to listen," says Husak. Husak points to the fact that the averâ€" 92, it provided total wages, and fringe benefits of $120.9â€" compared to $61.3â€"million in # | guality age employment levels at the plant have only slightly fluctuated through the ecoâ€" nomic rollercoaster of the past decade. And since that first car in May, 1953, the plant has manufactured more than 6306 .866 vehicles. In 1992, the plant was utilizing 2,415 workers; whereas in 1980, it had 2,563. Currently, the OAP employs 2,600 hourly wage workers and 320 salaried personnel. Currently, the Oakville Assembly Plant produces vehicles on an 11.5â€"mile long assembly line through an interestâ€" ing mix of format. It takes 30 hours for a car to go through the plant from bare bones to finished product, and it is a fasâ€" Braces and brackets are spot welded to give added strength and to assist as fastening supports for other components. The next step is metal finishing. Certain joints in the body are filled with solder which is ground down to blend with the steel forming smooth surfaces. Car doors and the deck lid are then accurateâ€" ly fitted. Painting the vehicles then follows. A chemically applied phosphate coating prepares the body for painting. The joints are sealed against dust and water; a protective prime coat is applied and sanded smooth to provide a good surâ€" First, stock and supplies are brought in By rail and truck parts and materials from hundreds of suppliers arrive at the Oakville plant. Stamped steel body parts, engines, transmissions, and thousands of other pieces are fed into the assembly system. The first step in car assembly is to build the body. In separate, but simultaâ€" neous operations, floor and side panels are assembled in massive presses and bodv side fixtures. The body then takes shape in holding apparatus called "bucks", which couple the parts for welding. The Corporation Of The Town Of Oakville Ford Oakville Assembly Plant manager Ray Husak in honour of 40 years as a valued corporate citizen and community partner. Ford of Canada We salute Then comes final assembly. This is where hundreds of operations are perâ€" formed on the trim lines. Here, the body receives its upholstered interior, metal moldings, door handles, electrical comâ€" ponents, heaters, and windows. Chassis lines are used to complete a myriad of operations including building up power trains, tires, brakes, and exhaust systems. Completed powertrains are lifted or "decked" into cars by what are called "moonbuggies". The final procedure is the Water Test. This is where the finished vehicle underâ€" goes a lengthy drenching that rivals a tropical rainstorm. Husak is the first to tell you that being assembly plant manager at Ford Oakville was the furthest thing from his mind when he began his career with Ford Detroit 29 years ago. "I‘ve always believed if you do well with what you‘ve got, the rest will take care of itself." Inside, the driver checks for the smallest trace of a leak and tests windâ€" shield wipers and lights. After final inspection, the finished car leaves the assembly plant to be transported to its new oOwner. Then, he was a science major fresh from Boston University who started off in the automaker‘s industrial design and quality control departments. Looking back, Husak says his idea of success might have changed, but it never waivers. Holding such a philosophy marries him to the goals of the company he works for. For Ford, the idea is to produce a quality vehicle that meets customer satâ€" isfaction. Husak expresses it a little difâ€" ferently. The body receives multiple coats of long lasting enamel. Next, the body moves to an oven where the paint is baked to a hard, bright lustre. face for the finish paint