Webasto Building Second MIC Hardtop Plant in Eastern Michigan

[bdub2you]

It appears that Webasto will continue being the MIC hardtop supplier for the Bronco going forward and is building a second manufacturing facility to be able to build more MIC hardtops, which tells me they never had the capacity in the first place to actually meet the demand.

https://fordauthority.com/2021/08/2...lier-will-build-second-plant-to-boost-output/

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[MN_OuterBanks]

It appears that Webasto will continue being the MIC hardtop supplier for the Bronco going forward and is building a second manufacturing facility to be able to build more MIC hardtops, which tells me they never had the capacity in the first place to actually meet the demand.

https://fordauthority.com/2021/08/2...lier-will-build-second-plant-to-boost-output/

Great! They can build twice as many shitty tops!

 

[Contact]

Great! They can build twice as many shitty tops!

Was it the manufacturer or the designer or a little of both that botched things up?

 

[rtaylor]

Was it the manufacturer or the designer or a little of both that botched things up?

Both Ford (design/spec/qual) and Webasto (manufacture). There will probably be a book written eventually to explain the full cautionary tale.

 

[ReimundKrohn]

It appears that Webasto will continue being the MIC hardtop supplier for the Bronco going forward and is building a second manufacturing facility to be able to build more MIC hardtops, which tells me they never had the capacity in the first place to actually meet the demand.

https://fordauthority.com/2021/08/2...lier-will-build-second-plant-to-boost-output/

If there is one thing I know for sure, it is that you cannot build a plant of any size in North America within a calendar year. Webasto already cut corners building Plymouth (mowing down the forest on the acreage they bought - and the government sued their asses for it). I reckon this time, they will be watching out to make sure they properly navigate all the red tape.

 

[joeramirez]

This goes to show that Ford did in fact have a bad design on the mic top and webasto was not completely to blame.

 

[604Bronco]

This goes to show that Ford did in fact have a bad design on the mic top and webasto was not completely to blame.

Probably accurate. But by hiring a third party to make these tops, it gives Ford an easier way to lay blame elsewhere.

 

[da_jokker]

This goes to show that Ford did in fact have a bad design on the mic top and webasto was not completely to blame.

I don't know how this all works, but I would think you design something on paper (Ford), then someone else actually builds you a prototype to prove your design works (webasto- germany apparently), but then later, can't mass produce it and doesn't tell you until it's overdue.(Webasto-USA)

So sure, Ford may have had a flawed design, but wasn't it Webasto's job to point that out early instead of showing Ford it could be done (just not in mass)?

 

[Bronco21fan]

It appears that Webasto will continue being the MIC hardtop supplier for the Bronco going forward and is building a second manufacturing facility to be able to build more MIC hardtops, which tells me they never had the capacity in the first place to actually meet the demand.

https://fordauthority.com/2021/08/2...lier-will-build-second-plant-to-boost-output/

Sounds like webasto wasent totally to
Blame ford had a part in this shit show up as well

 

[rugbysecondrow]

Maybe I missed a thread about design failure, but it seems most of the errors are of poor build and quality. Separating seams, inconsistent exteriors, scratching and damage.

It could be both build quality and design quality, but it appears that build quality is the problem.

 

[vrtical]

The Ford molds and process did not have enough margin for any variation during production, the specs where just too tight hence the QC issues on edges and material thickness. Maybe there were corners that were cut by Webasto during manufatcting, but the fact there is now a V 2.0 tells me otherwise.

 

[KnoxGnater]

I don't know how this all works, but I would think you design something on paper (Ford), then someone else actually builds you a prototype to prove your design works (webasto- germany apparently), but then later, can't mass produce it and doesn't tell you until it's overdue.(Webasto-USA)

So sure, Ford may have had a flawed design, but wasn't it Webasto's job to point that out early instead of showing Ford it could be done (just not in mass)?

This is the closest to root cause any of us Arm Chair experts have come close too. A big disconnect between the hand made in Germany prototypes for the dog and pony vendor shows and what they were able to make en masse at high throughput rates. Somebody in the middle dropped the ball to save their annual bonus and now here we are. The production level folks were probably raising flags, but those flags didn't go far enough up the chain until all hell broke loose. Classic CYA/Corporate B.S.

Every big company with a new product launch has some level of this, it comes with a FOAK (first of a kind) product launch, from toothpaste to space ships. The key is how the company manages the problems as they pop up. This situation could be worse, but could be better too.

Us poor saps just want our broncos!

 

[da_jokker]

This is the closest to root cause any of us Arm Chair experts have come close too. A big disconnect between the hand made in Germany prototypes for the dog and pony vendor shows and what they were able to make en masse at high throughput rates. Somebody in the middle dropped the ball to save their annual bonus and now here we are. The production level folks were probably raising flags, but those flags didn't go far enough up the chain until all hell broke loose. Classic CYA/Corporate B.S.

Every big company with a new product launch has some level of this, it comes with a FOAK (first of a kind) product launch, from toothpaste to space ships. The key is how the company manages the problems as they pop up. This situation could be worse, but could be better too.

Us poor saps just want our broncos!

Yeah, I'm always amazed on how many upper management want to be surrounded by "yes" folks. People are literally brainwashed into only saying positive things in meetings, and anyone that points out the negative gets on the shit list or worse.

many times in my career, where I was in a lead position, I expected my staff to find at least some sort of flaw in every plan (because there's always something). If nobody could come up with a problem, it was time to find new staff

The goal wasn't to not do it, simply know what we were getting into because Yes folks are worthless. (Well At least when talking business decisions)

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