The Windsor Assembly Plant will shut down from February 16 to May 25, in order to have $2-billion worth of renovations done.
In the meantime, Plant Manager Mike Brieda says skilled trades workers will be involved in the process of re-tooling installations, and will receive training on how to operate the new equipment.
"Due to the scope of the project, there will be approximately 50 construction vendors involved, with over 1,500 contractors working," explains Brieda. "There's a location across from the plant called 'Trailer City.' That's a location where there are approximately 35 trailers to support the contractor construction activities and planning."
Brieda says 80% of the processes on the assembly line will be changing, as new conveyors and robots are brought in.
In the body shop, 15 new systems are being installed, while five are being re-tooled. That'll see 1,300 robots come into the plant -- 800 of which are brand new.
A new metrology centre is also being constructed, while a new oven and a few more robots will be installed on the paint line.
These changes are all necessary in order for Chrysler's new line of minivan to be built in Windsor.
