VIDEO: Before you weld a Volt, you have to stamp out the bodies
by Sam Abuelsamid on Aug 2nd 2009 at 6:59PM 
Volt body panels being stamped - Click above to watch the videos after the jump
The other day we pointed you at a video produced by General Motors that is part of a series on the building of the pre-production Chevy Volt prototypes. That video showed the IVER (integration vehicle engineering release) bodies being assembled, welded and painted in the body shop at the pre-production operations center in Warren, Michigan. However, before you can weld and paint, you have take sheets of steel and stamp them into the right shapes. It turns out that there were other videos that came ahead the body shop video that we missed.
In the stamping video, you can see how the engineers go from the mathematical models of the parts to machining the prototype dies. Unlike the production dies, these prototypes are not as tough and are only useful for producing a limited number of parts. Because the steel springs back somewhat after it comes out of the press, the dies don't have the same shape as the final part. As a result, there is often some trial and error in creating the dies.
Once the final die shape is determined, it is scanned and the data is sent to the production tool and die shop. All this to make us a Volt. Check out the videos after the jump.
[Source: General Motors]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
ShaunneyCakes 7:17PM (8/02/2009)
Very interesting stuff. Thanks for posting. This is a part of the process which some often forget about.
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alexacoon 9:42PM (8/02/2009)
Seems like an awful amount of trouble for an end result that so very conservative. I suppose thats a good idea knowing it could have been truly hideous..
I thought the Opel Ampera was far more interesting considering it was the same vehicle.
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ShaunneyCakes 8:09AM (8/03/2009)
It is not about being "interesting." It is about making something that most people will buy. The Aptera is "interesting" but it is also extremely hideous and will never sell more then 20-40,000 a year. It may never even be more than a niche product for californians. The Volt is designed to be the simple sedan most Americans want. A vehicle does not succeed by being weird looking, the Prius did not succeed because of its looks, despite what Honda/Toyota may claim, it succeeded because of it's MPG rating.
Epyx 8:44AM (8/03/2009)
SK,
He is not referring to the Euro version on the Volt as being more interesting looking. Which is strange considering it is 98% the same design. The front end is slightly different and it has different badges.
It is typical human nature to prefer the version that can not be had. With the roles reversed the Euro version would still be the preferred version.
augustus 3:42PM (8/05/2009)
I agree I can't stand the front end of the Volt. The Ampera looked better, I liked the futuristic look. Lets be honest folks the Volt is a futuristic car (the interior knows this) so make it look like a futuristic car instead of a fat Prius. This is a chance to reinvent the image of the company and it is sad to see a Volt share the same grill as a Chevy Malibu.
I also like the front end of the Insight so maybe I am weird.
Dave 10:33PM (8/02/2009)
I still think its silly to give the Volt a completely different body than the Cruze.
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ufgrat 11:46PM (8/02/2009)
Well, that addition 400 lb T shaped battery pack bolted into the middle of the car changes all sorts of things-- then of course, aerodynamics, suspension, etc., have to be modified to keep up.
Now, the interesting question to my mind is could GM take a Volt chassis, replace the battery pack with a structural component, enlarge the gas tank, put a regular high efficiency FWD drivetrain in the front, and have a 45+ mpg 4 door sedan for cheap?
Then again, I think GM needs a compact to mid-sized sports coupe with rear suicide doors and a slick manual transmission, so what do I know?
Nateb123 11:13PM (8/02/2009)
Does no one else find this positively mind-numbing to watch? I barely got through one of these things and it's not even 2 minutes long!
GM, fire the ad agency responsible for this crap. First it has cheesy, ridiculous techno music. Is this an engineering video or a Swedish rave party? Then there's the most passionless blathering from people who are reading off scripts. Even the employees think this is ridiculous which is why you never see them while they talk. It would be 103 seconds of apathetic stares and loathsome glances at the man who wrote their atrocious scripts. Finally, and clearly the worst part of all: Volt-age? How clever, it's a word all by itself but also refers to the Age of the Volt. 3rd graders could come up with this level of wordplay and likely have since the word voltage came into common usage.
Here, I'll do it too. There ads are garb-age.
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Nick 2:15AM (8/03/2009)
@Nateb123
What a fuming pile of c... that you just laid; these aren't literally ads, these are web only feature videos that only people interested in the Volt will view. It's refreshing to see a car company tell the story behind a car this way! It's awesome to get this type of insights!
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Gerald 5:12AM (8/03/2009)
As much as I love those videos, the "techno music" really is ridiculous.
Please, whoever makes those videos, please turn the music volume way down for the next videos. Nobody's watching this for the music, you know...
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Tim 9:26AM (8/03/2009)
With all the Billions "we've" invested, the Volt had BETTER be a great car!
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augustus 3:44PM (8/05/2009)
I didn't invest jack s**t in GM. My money was taken from me and my daughter will help me pay it back to our nation's creditors.
Tim 3:53PM (8/05/2009)
Don't talk like that here. This is a socialist-progressive website and ANY common sense talk about REAL economics other than the fact that Obama unicorns fart unlimited free money will NOT be tolerated here.
Talking like that will get you called all sorts of names by manic rose-colored glasses wearing "progressives". Dive in, but the water is VERY cold for anyone with more than half a brain or who did NOT fry themselves on acid during the 60 flower power era.
Welcome to autobloggreen! Where the hearts are between the ears instead of gray matter.
Anti-Tim 2:48PM (8/06/2009)
*****Warning**** Troll Alert! Tiny Tim the Troll comments should be (and can be) easily ignored. Tim is a mildly retarded, ill-informed Libertarian (though that is an insult to Liberarians) who suffers from serious delusions. Timmy thinks that the volume of his posts (over 22,000) since 2006 will make up for his lack of anything useful and relavent to say. You may simply insert any of the following as substitutions for Tiny Tim's comments:
- Me think free market good
- Me think Progressive NeoCons/Democrat/Socialist/Progressive/Liberal bad
- Me think government bad
- Me like unicorns farting money
Tim 2:52PM (8/06/2009)
Anti-Tim LOVES free speech… as long as it’s his own.
(typical Progressive-fascist)
pathitic
Anti-Tim 2:56PM (8/06/2009)
Did I mention pathetic? (spelled correctly)
Tim 2:59PM (8/06/2009)
Anti-Tim LOVES free speech… as long as it’s his own.
(typical pathetic Progressive-fascist who believes what’s yours is mine and if you disagree, want freedom or don’t need a “big brother”, you’re a “troll”)
Sieg Heil Progressives!!
To the retard fascist-Progressives… this is fair, this is good.
len simpson 9:47AM (8/03/2009)
The vids suck, the job would be heavenly.
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jpm 3:41PM (8/03/2009)
OMG I fall all warm and fuzzy. NOT. I hope Government Motors goes bankrupt.
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alexdonegan 3:30AM (8/04/2009)
You "fall all warm and fuzzy"? If you hate something and want to whine about it, at least learn how to spell.