Info on New Bowling Green Plant Size

[Skank]

Yesterday I got on Google Earth and calculated the square footage of the original roof (942,160 sq. ft) and the new buildings roof (802,380 sq. ft.) using the Google Earth Ruler Line Measure function. It is reasonably accurate. The Bowling Green Corvette Plant information page has always indicated that the square footage of the old plant as 950,000 sq. ft. That aligns very closely with the 942,160 sq. ft. above since there are a few elevated second story office areas in the old building to make up the other 8,000 sq. ft. Gallagher-Kaiser Construction Co. of Troy, Michigan was the General Contractor on the new addition of the Plant. They have indicated a 897,000 sq. ft. on their website(see link below). Check out the photo spread of the new plant interior on the link below. Clearly they have not indicated the subterranean lower levels under the main area of the new addition or also the second level of the above grade line structure. There are 2 upper levels clearly shown on the photos during construction(see photos from Corvette Blogger article below). The lower sub grade level appears to be at least 30 feet deep. I did talk to Kai Spande at the Laguna Seca IMSA race a few months ago and he validated that there were up to 4 levels in the new building but 3 levels in some of it. Using my estimates from the roof calculations it seems plausible that the new addition realistically is at least 2 million sq ft of all 4 levels combined and not the 897,000 that is indicated on their stats. That in effect is a tripling of the square footage of the entire plant. I'll bet that GM didn't want to draw attention to the actual real square footage to the public especially us Corvette geeks. I've talked to Gallagher Kaiser as well as another sub-contractor on the job named Walbridge Construction Co. The Walbridge person I talked to indicated 4 levels as well. He even mentioned the new hill that was created by the excess soil from the lower level excavation of the new building. Sure enough, while viewing Google Earth you can see there is a new huge 50-60 foot high mound of soil that shows near the plant.

https://www.corvetteblogger.com/2017...ssembly-plant/

http://www.gkcorp.com/project-portfo...te-paint-shop/

http://www.walbridge.com/market/automotive/

[Keagan-Z06]

Maybe the C8 is underground like the FGT was.

[Mobius]

It's been quite some time since I visited the BG plant, but since I plan on a museum pick-up for the C8 I'd also like to tour the new plant before-hand.

I do wonder though about the size of the 3-4 floors in the new structure...

I assume that vehicle painting, assembly and normal post-assembly QC testing will all occur on the ground floor. Lower level(s) would be used for facilities and infrastructure (heating/cooling/plumbing/electrical etc.) and possibly temporary component storage prior to assembly. Upper levels would be used for office space presumably, but I don't see a large need for office space relative to the needs of the assembly line and infrastructure requirements...

It seems like they've got a lot of space available... more than I can see as needed for a manufacturing facility... ?

[John]

Thank you Skank! The inside of the Piant shop has been off limits except to specialized invitees since it was completed. We know some of what is taking up additional space within it, but as of yet, not all for what is going on inside.

For example we know that whereas the old paint shop has two, 40’ baking ovens for the parts after being painted, the new ovens are 120 feet long and there are three of them. The advantage of the inter length to the ovens is that the temperatures inside have been reduced by roughly 100 degreees, from 270 to0 170. This is critical for getting a better quality paint job and having less body panelwaviness.

Body panels, made of SMC, are a composition of many things, including resins and glues, fillers, and now only 20% glass fibers. Resins and glues outgas and deform under high heat (ever leave a plastic spatula in a frying pan ten seconds too long), so as Kai Spande noted, going to much lower paint curing temperatures, will result in straighter body panels.

[George]

It's been quite some time since I visited the BG plant, but since I plan on a museum pick-up for the C8 I'd also like to tour the new plant before-hand.

I do wonder though about the size of the 3-4 floors in the new structure...

I assume that vehicle painting, assembly and normal post-assembly QC testing will all occur on the ground floor. Lower level(s) would be used for facilities and infrastructure (heating/cooling/plumbing/electrical etc.) and possibly temporary component storage prior to assembly. Upper levels would be used for office space presumably, but I don't see a large need for office space relative to the needs of the assembly line and infrastructure requirements...

It seems like they've got a lot of space available... more than I can see as needed for a manufacturing facility... ?

Unless it is needed for both C7 and C8 models...while leaving space for other future plans that are under consideration. Some type of SUV perhaps?? One thing is for sure; GM is doing a wonderful job of keeping information contained within.

[John]

Some of those who have been given tours of the new paint shop have confirmed what I personally believe, tht while the new paint shop is a monster, there is no room for an additional assembly line within it. Here are some pictures from the above contractor, showing how vast the new inside spaces are within the plant.

[John]

A presentation by Kai Spande, BGA Plant Manager, taking us on a video tour of the the paint shop’s operation:

The part of the following video talking about more panel assembly/delivery starts at 15:00 minutes, with the footage of the new paint shop in operation after that.

We remember that prior to the paint shop, many fork lifts towing carts loaded with racks of same color body panels on each one. The amount of traffic within the plant to get all the body panels from the old paint shop, for the average of 175 new Corvette done every day at that time, was on the order of one fork lift towing one “trailer rack” about every four or five minutes. To reduce damage from moving the panels that way, and to reduce fork lift traffic — and thus increase plant safety, the new paint shop uses a vertically-integrated, conveyor system to move the panels. Coupled with this, when the plant was down for 13 weeks last fall (the complete gutting and rebuilding the old plant), old and new conveyor lines were either re-built, moved, consolidated, or re-organized, including many line conveyor lines being installed within the new paint shop and then tied into existing, within the assembly line, miles of mostly-overhead, conveyer lines

In summary, not only are getting much better painted panels, but the efficiency of painted-panel-movement within the plant is many times greater. Lastly, as the painted panels are being installed onto the car as it nears the end of the main shop’s single assembly line, instead of previously when they were installed about 1/3 of the way through the assembly process, with their earlier have greater chances of them damaged by others, tools, forklifts, etc., is now much less.

[John]

Maybe the C8 is underground like the FGT was.

Interesting question. However, an insider has said, “no.”

However, that sure does not mean that there is not a humongous area below ground, as shown in the below CorvetteBlgoger/NCM photo. Maybe where the paint scrubbers are? Mechanical equipment?

[Skank]

Using the Google Earth Ruler Line Measurement function the Concrete foundation is 460 feet wide by 1,000 feet long for a total square footage of 460,000 square feet per level. The photo of the foundation above clearly shows the approximately 30 foot high foundation wall allowing 2 tall lower levels for a total of 4 levels. There is an additional 2 levels at 342,380 square feet per level at the rest of the new addition.

[Frenzy36]

Great now I'm going to have nightmares with those robotic arms coming through my walls. lol That was very interesting. I will definitely like to do a plant tour when available to do so.

[C8-wannabe]

It's gonna be HUGE!!!

[John]

GM is being so secretive that we do not even know when BGA is going to resume tours. We know sometime, but when???

[jagamajajaran]

There is only one assembly line in the plant. The paint shop is actually just that. There's really nothing "underground" going on here. By the way, I'm the one that did the 2017 sketch of the total plant foot print.

As for when plant tours will resume, it will be after the ME is revealed, which is only logical...

1) Engine Build Experience was recently discontinued which creates a 100% clean environment with no outside exposure.
2) Capture fleet MEs have reportedly been built on the line since that time.
3) NCM Staff members have not been allowed in the plant and have no idea when plant tours will resume.

If you follow the logic, once the ME is revealed, NCM Staff will be allowed into the plant to work on tour specifics. When tour details are worked out, we'll hear when tours will begin. This should all be accomplished well in advance of the NCM's 25th Anniversary and Corvette Caravan in August, 2019.