Recently a group of Mosslands Year 11 Product Design students visited the Toyota engine factory in Deeside on a STEM educational visit. Here they were given an overview of Toyota’s manufacturing principles (clean, green and lean) as well as a fantastic tour of the factory.

After being kitted out in safety helmets, goggles, high visibility vests and radio headsets, they had the opportunity to see molten aluminium at 660 degrees being poured into the high and low pressure moulds that make the major parts of an engine.  They experienced “life on the line” as they watched the assembly teams working to exacting times (to the second) to finish their part in the production process.

The factory, which opened in 1992, manufactures 3 types of the ZR engine for the Toyota Auris and Aventis as well as a super-charged engine that gets fitted into the Lotus Elise! On a good day they can make in the region of 900 engines whilst working to the highest production and quality controls measures.

Toyota has the highest standards in health and safety and a very stringent, no landfill, policy which sees them recycle and reuse all of their waste produce. They even recycle the sand they use to make the engine moulds and recover every last minute piece of aluminium that they can find in the factory.

Toyota’s world famous production system (TPS) and their philosophy of continuous improvement both contain elements which can be embraced by our students and deliver real benefits to them. We hope to see our students utilising some of these new found skills in the near future!