Triumph Factory tour.

[spitfire]

Went on a tour of the Triumph factory on Wednesday, thought you might like to know what went on. Even non bike types would find the tour interesting!

The main factory (Factory 2) is a large modern steel framed building that has been extended twice since opening, entering reception you are greeted with a lime green speed triple mounted on a beam overhead, I think the bike was the millionth or something and is going to be auctioned for charity. Dotted around the assorted display cabinets was a Scrambler, red Daytona 675 and a rocket.

We went into a meeting room and were given a presentation of the company and the model range, Main points, viz:

John Bloor who is a property develop who bought the old factory site in the early 1980’s from which he acquired the name.
Set up shop in Factory 1 (down the road from factory 2) developed 2 engines that made for the beginning of a modular range.
Sold their first bikes in the early 1990’s in the first year they sold 2000.
Bloor owns the company lock stock and 3 cylinder barrel, funded it all himself so the banks have never had a look in. All profits are ploughed back into the company.
Last year they sold 34000 bikes
80% are exported
They have 1000 staff with 600 in the UK.
There are 3 factories, factory 1 and 2 in Hinckley and another site owned by Triumph in Singapore where they make frames.
Capacity will be steadily increased over the years up to around 70k where that is probably the ceiling for a niche player.

As for the Factory:

On site there is a machine shop, they do not forge or cast parts but get these from other suppliers. They are however considering bringing it in house for the future.
40% of the parts are made in house, apparently the highest percentage for any bike maker.
Not all parts are UK made, the frames are made in Singapore, some castings in Spain and Germany and the suspension and brake parts come from the normal Jap suppliers.
There are 2 production lines; one has been modified to build the Rocket.
Bikes are not made in batches, they are made as the orders come in, so you will see a Bonneville then a Daytona then a Sprint ST, etc etc. This apparently makes the work more interesting and keeps production flexible.

First we visited the warehouse, all the parts are stored here and picked for the production for that week and placed into trolleys, these trolleys are then sent out to the production line. The finished bikes in crates are also stored here. Next we were shown the machine shop, all the engine parts such as the cranks, cam shafts, blocks are prepared here. Next was the engine assembly, cranks were fitted into the crank case, gearbox assembled, pistons added then the block bolted down, this is done with a DC torque wrench. A DC torque wrench is electronically controlled wrench that is computer controlled and calibrated, each engine has a job sheet that includes a bar code, scanning the bar code sets the correct torque for the engine being assembled.

Once assembled the engines are filled with oil and turned over, once checked they are ready for fitting.

Each bike order will also have a job card, this card follows the bike through the assembly and contains a list of all the parts requires etc, there is also another bar code which can be (again) scanned to give the assembly equipment the correct settings for that bike. Engines are assembled to frames then forks are added and so on until the bike is complete except the plastics. The bikes are then inspected to check that all parts are added, all bolts are correctly torqued, no damage etc. The coolant is then vacuum added to the bike, this is done by creating a vacuum and then the coolant is pumped in from the other end. A similar process is done with the brake fluid.

Next the plastics are fitted and the engine is filled with old and a small amount of petrol is added. The bike is then put on a dyno and the engine is run up and the power output checked. The output has to be within a specified tolerance. Next the bikes are given a final inspection and sent for packing.

Some interesting points:

Staff can have their bikes in any Triumph colour they like, for example I saw 3 custom Daytona 675’s one in white, one in green and one in black.
If a staff member owns a Triumph they can park it outside reception, if not their bike has to remain away from the building in the car park !
I asked “are Triumph planning any new models?” the answer was “yes” but was told no more!
Our guide categorically told us there would be no replacement for the Daytona 955, he swore that on his son’s life, which either means he is a bad farther or they really are not making one despite what MCN said.

Over all I was very impressed with how clean, tidy and well run the factory was, I have been in a few manufacturing sites in my time and none were like this! If you can I recommend you go for a look.

Cheers

[Keen]

the reception is cool isnt it.

I applied for a marketing job at triumph last week, so at the first interview after the talk and the aptitude tests they took us on the tour, I was impressed as well. I went back this thursday because I got through to a second interview, but alas, they need someone to start now and I don't finish my degree til the summer. Completely Gutted.

Good tour though
____________________
"he who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man"- Dr. Johnson

[jay12329]

How do you get on a tour?
J

[Chriss]

I got one by asking my dealer.
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TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[spitfire]

[Black Knight]

Sounds fun

[spitfire]