Bentley Handcrafted LuxuryWord下载.docx

Bentley Handcrafted LuxuryWord下载.docx

《Bentley Handcrafted LuxuryWord下载.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Bentley Handcrafted LuxuryWord下载.docx（16页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

Putonyoursafetyglassesandpreparetobeimpressed,asyouenterthestate-of-the-artBodyAssemblyHallatCrewe.Thisisanenvironmentinwhichcriticaltolerancesrule,whereprecisiontoolingandskilledoperatorscombinetoachievedizzylevelsofdimensionalaccuracyandintegrity.Wheregapsarerequiredbetweensteelpanels,forexample,theyareuniform,setatexactly3.5mm.

Four-axismeasuringmachineschecknofewerthan2,500measuringpoints.Andtheachievementofjoinsbetweenbodypanelsthatarealmostinvisibleistheresultofabandoningstandard"

hotweld"

technology,whichcancausedistortionofpanelsattheweldpoints.InsteadCrewehasadoptedplasma-brazing"

coldweld"

technology,whichleavesapristinefinishreadyforpainting.

Behindorangesafetycurtains,theplasma-weldingteamscanbeseenatworkonthemajorbodyassemblies.Elsewhereinthehall,suspendedcomputer-controlledgunsareusedtoassemblebodysectionsmountedonjigs.Thesehand-heldtoolsallowaccuratepositioningofthe6,500spotweldsrequiredtooptimisetorsionalrigidityoneachmonocoquesteelbodyshell.Noothermanufacturergoesinforspot-weldingonthisscale.

Thevisitorwillnoticethatalthoughtherearefanstoblowanyfumesawayfromthewelders,theyraiseonlythelightestbreeze.ThatistoavoidblowingdustaroundtheBodyAssemblyHallwhich,likeeveryotherareaatCrewe,isconspicuouslyclean.

Everythinghereisdonebyhand,fromattachingthe240individualcopperandothermetalstudsusedinthefloorpantoholdthewiringloomsandcarpetinginplace,toapplyingthesealantwhichwilllaterbebakedintheoven.Between540and560componentsareusedtoconstructeachbody.Bythetimeeachoneleavestheassemblyhall,itwillincorporatesome3mofMIGwire,1.5mofbrazing,andabout200nuts.

Acomputer-controlledHemmingpressisanimportantadditiontotheBodyAssemblyHall.Thiscandoin12minuteswhatwouldoncehavetakenaday.Loadedandoperatedbyafour-manteam,itpressesouterskinsontohingedcomponents-doors,bootsandbonnets-atupto100tonnes.Theskinsaregluedratherthanwelded,tobesetinanovennohotterthanahairdrier.Twohundredandten"

closures"

canbecompletedeachweekbytheteam.

Twiceayear,acompletebodyisbuiltintheBodyAssemblyHallonlytobetakenapartagain.Thisisdrastictesting,butonaneverydaybasis,oneinfivecomponentsischisel-checkedforstructuralefficiency.

"

Thereisaveryhealthy,competitiveatmosphereinthebodyshop,"

saysTeamLeaderColinMorrey,whohasbeenwiththecompanysince1974.Alookatthewallchartswhichplottheprogressofeachteam-memberintermsofmulti-taskingabilityunderlinesthis.Therearesome13teams,eachcontainingtentoadozenskilledandsemi-skilledworkers.

Thecompanybelievesinthevaluesofexperiencecombinedwiththoroughon-goingtraining-andloyalty.Colin,likemanyothersatCrewe,followedhisfatherhere,andhisfatherbeforehim.

Manyoftheguyshadworkedintheoldmachineshop,butwhentheymovedinhere,fewofthemhadeverweldedbefore,"

hesays."

Atfirstitwaslikedoingajigsawpuzzlewithoutthelid,buttheylearnt-everythinghastobedoneinanexactsequence.Theyhadsixmonthsoftraining,workedonpracticecarsandwenttoseehowitwasdoneelsewhere."

Now,withbuildratesrising,morepeoplearebeingtakenon.

Ittakesaboutthreeweekstoturnthose540-oddcomponentsintoacomplete,inspectedbodyshellreadytogoontothenextstage.Workingasingleeight-hourshift,theteamscurrentlysend35bodiesontheirwaytothepaintshopeachweek.Andaseachbodygoesonitsway,itisalreadyearmarkedforoneparticularcustomer...

MASTERYATTHEWHEEL

∙Chauffeursandprofessionalowner-driversareexpectedtoundergoaweek-longcourseattheBentleyMotorsSchoolofInstruction

∙Shortercoursesareavailableforownerswhowishtogetthemostfromtheirvehicles

∙OwnerAppreciationcourseisbasedaroundcustomer'

svehicleandcanbetailoredtoindividualrequirements

∙Coursesavailableincludeinstructioninroadcraftanddrivingtechniques,tuitioninskidcontrol,high-speedhandlingandadvancedcarcontrol

DrivingaBentleyisunlikedrivinganyothercar,asadriverrealisesthemomenthisfeettouchthepedalsandheturnsthekey.

Athoroughbredcaralsorequiresspecialcareandattention,whichiswhyevenexperiencedchauffeursandprofessionalowner-driversareexpectedtoundergoaweek-longcoursetofamiliarisethemselveswitheveryaspectofthevehicles,andinparticulartheirdrivingcharacteristics.ThisiswhereBentleyMotorsSchoolofInstructioncomesin.

Forcustomerswhowishtogetthemostoutofdrivingwhatareineveryrespectdrivers'

cars,anumberofshorter