The production of the Alfa P3 at a glance
After three years of development, the Alfa P3 is finally in production. During the production start-up, we repeatedly encountered shortcomings, which we have successively eliminated.
Engine cover closure
Since the bonnet latch on the right side of the model collided with the exhaust pipe, this one, which was originally identical to the others, had to be extended. Otherwise it would have been too small to unhook it by hand. But the extended cap looked strangely long. More than 300 model cars have already been completed and the delivery date for air freight has been set. What to do? Keep the long hook or shorten it? This was a dilemma for the team. Although we consulted our marketing and sales colleagues, the unanimous answer was that we would not disassemble already assembled model cars again. The fastener was to be reworked and shortened as a running change in ongoing production. After careful consideration, the team finally decided to disassemble over 300 already finished model cars once again and install shorter closures. To ensure that the delivery date was met, the employees worked around the clock and even worked overtime on Sundays.
Radiator cap
Another problem was that during the production process it was discovered that the radiator caps were falling off. This was a quality problem that required special attention. The reason for the falling off was found in the glue used; if too little glue was used, there was a risk that the lid would fall off. To ensure quality, the team decided to switch to laser spot welding instead of glue to eliminate this risk.
300 models reworked
At the start of production, the team was not very familiar with this process and the production volume was correspondingly low. In the interests of high quality, more than 300 model cars that had already been completed were also reworked, which also represented a financial outlay for the manufactory and its employees. However, quality is always our top priority. The photo shows over 300 finished models that were lying on the table and had to be reworked. The extra costs hurt, but now we are satisfied with the quality of what comes out of the manufactory.