Honda of Canada Mfg (HCM) has started production of the redesigned 6th generation 2023 CR-V.
HCM is the global lead factory for CR-V built in Canada since 2012. Production is also about to begin at the Indiana Automobile Plant (IAP) and the East Liberty Automobile Plant (ELP) in Ohio.
Production of the hybrid version will begin in Canada in October, followed by the IAP and ELP.
Honda said it would increase hybrid production to half of CR-V sales. This is an important step in the company’s overall electrification strategy.
Clement D’Souza, SVP of HCM, said:
The 2023 CR-V will have two 1.5-liter turbocharged trim levels, EX and EX-L, while the Sport and Sport Touring trims will be hybrid electric.
Ho Chi Minh City Line 1 served as the main North American plant for the start of production of the redesigned 2022 Civic a year ago.
For the first time, HCM adopted the ‘Perfect Body’ fixture, using a data-driven process to achieve optimal fit and finish faster. An approach first taken at ELP for the 2017 CR-V, this full-size body mockup is milled from his single piece of steel with the highest dimensional accuracy, and the interior his Helps mature the fit of parts and components. tailgate. Time is of the essence during the prototyping stage, and previously teams had to take prototypes apart to diagnose fit and finish issues. A perfect fixture allows the team to quickly apply countermeasures to the main assembly line.
The latest CR-V adopts the largest bonnet (bonnet) in the history of the plant. Production engineers worked with developers to increase the thickness of the steel plates and adjust the frame design to increase rigidity and allow the stamping and welding department to handle it.
Automakers are also “dramatically” increasing the use of high-performance structural adhesives to increase body stiffness and newly applying acoustic spray foam to body structures to improve cabin quietness.
While the Indiana and East Liberty plants have applied these materials to other new Honda vehicles, including the Civic, HCM’s Line 2 is the first to employ these processes, adding new equipment and worker training. I had to.
If the R&D team is in Japan, manufacturing of the CR-V’s early prototypes would normally take place there, but travel restrictions were imposed because development took place in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Because North American production engineers were unable to travel to Japan, prototype builds were moved to HCM for cross-site collaboration using digital tools. This resulted in design and process changes that made it easier for Canadian and US workers to build his CR-V with quality.