The wind tunnel is in operation twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. To achieve this, the staff works in shifts, while a technical process known as ADM (Advanced Digital Manufacturing) means that parts can be cast in resin in just a few hours.

Validation of the finished product. Thanks to constantly- improving working methods and the modernization of the software used by the engineering staff, design errors are becoming a thing of the past. Even though there is no substitute for road and track testing, real-world experience is more often used to validate the initial simulations than for tracking operational defects. Whether it's a matter of assembly or reliability, it is much easier today to physically create the product. "Today, rather than physically carrying out the entire series of tests, which requires lots of time and is a strain on the budget, we can rely on our simulation tools," explained Patrick Janot, Quality Manager for the Clio range. "Now the creation of the first car is just a formality."

"This brings us back to our original statement", continued Andre Laine. "Creating a problem-free product right off the bat and delivering it at the deadline specified in the schedule - that's what quality is all about. A project is a process that has to be organized: each stage must be achieved on time, and the results have to meet the original expectations." Patrick Janot confirmed: "If a problem arises during or after production, it's because the specifications were not perfect". Such a situation would indicate a diversification that the project designers had not anticipated.

If the slightest problem is detected after the end of the production line, the vehicle is put to one side. It is reworked by experts, and then entirely re-checked in order to be validated. Such an operation costs a great deal of time and money. Today, nearly 95% of Renault's mass production vehicles pass these tests without any problem. This is not by chance: "Every corrective action put in place prior to the launch of mass production is used to create an even more precise set of specifications for the next vehicle", continued Patrick Janot. "In the end, a corrective loop becomes a preventive one." This crucial responsiveness can come into play at any moment, from the design phase to the production phase.


Production

"At our level, quality means being able to assemble 1,350 vehicles each day (thus the Clio III at the Flins plant), all with the exact same level of finish. All of the progress that we have made in recent years means increased quality for the customer at the end of the line. And that's not all. Every new model comes with modified and improved production techniques. These techniques are meant to improve the vehicle assembly process, but also take into account the working conditions of the men and women in charge of each task and time spent producing the vehicle. A modern plant is a bit like a symphony orchestra with singers and musicians where, every few minutes, instead of a performance, a car rolls off the line." - Frederic Leleu, Industrial Project Manager


Development and maintenance: better anticipating the desires of the customer

In both F1 and mass production, the product does not remain frozen from the beginning to the end of its lifecycle. Development is an integral part of the project's support programme: following an ongoing dialogue, the goal of reworking is to make the product meet the customer's desires. This is true in both F1 and mass production.

Thus, in a half-season the Renault F1 test team carried out more than 30,000 kilometres of tests in fourteen sessions throughout Europe. The single-seater is adapted to the individual features of each track, and is the object of constant improvements. "Every major body element on the R26 has been changed since the first race: front and rear wings, diffuser, etc.", noted Bob Bell, Technical Director (Chassis). "If the two cars were placed side by side, you would immediately see the difference. Mechanically speaking, we have concentrated on improving the vehicle's reliability. We have improved the rigidity here, reduced the weight there, and so on. From a mechanical point of view, the biggest changes take place during the off-season."

previous page | go to page 11