Versatility, Efficiency, Reliability, and Flexibility
Some of the key objectives Oshkosh Truck established when they decided to automate their heavy-duty truck assembly operation in early 1980s included versatility, effciency, reliability and flexibility. Not only were they able to achieve these goals, but they continue to reduce production costs and improve productivity with an assembly line that has proven to be model adaptable.

Oshkosh Truck’s manufacturing philosophy trademark is, “Flexible, Integrated Manufacturing” systems. Its proprietary shop tech 0/00 system delivers real-time parts list, work instructions, and engineering drawings to each of 50 workstations on an in-floor towline system, installed by SI Systems (a Paragon Technologies brand). Originally installed in 1982, this system has been expanded and modified several times to accommodate not only expanded capacity but a much broader mix of both military and large vehicles, weighing up to 70,000 lbs., for commercial markets.
Using state-of-the-art controls, touch screens, and bar codes scanners, assembly personnel can access more than 160,000 engineering assembly drawings, covering all the vehicles in the Oshkosh lineup. Quality control information is delivered from 10 different inspection points and available to all stations through shop tech to provide immediate quality feedback and facilitate any needed corrective action. Oshkosh Truck’s integrated production towline system is inherently flexible and designed to quickly accommodate changes easily and without shutdowns due to the addition of new models, model variants, engine substitutions, discontinuations, and production volume shifts.

The major challenge to the final system design was to be able to develop a highly flexible system, one that would transport industrial and military vehicles of varying sizes and weights through a series of manual assembly stations that provide ergonomic four-side access. The solution formulated by SI was a 1,932 foot long system, moving at a creeping speed of 9 inches per minute through 50 workstations. The vehicle is transported on two dollies that support the front and rear axles, from the point they start the assembly process until it reaches final assembly. Oshkosh Truck achieved such beneficial ROI, increased productivity over 30 percent, and improved process quality through the implementation of the final assembly line that it later purchased towline systems from SI for their axle frame assembly and engine/transmission assembly operations. Oshkosh Truck found reliability for their assembly line with time-proven towline technology. Added to this was their in-house developed Flexible Integrated Manufacturing production system and rigorous associate training, and the result was an advanced and versatile assembly system in use for over 20 years and counting.