Our man Alex went to Lincoln, Nebraska to the Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing (KMM) to get a behind-the-scenes look!
Did you know? Kawasaki builds a lot of its vehicles right here in the United States. The company built its highly automated plant in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1974. Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. (KMM) is a subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. KMM produces all-terrain vehicles, utility vehicles, personal watercraft, recreation utility vehicles, and passenger rail cars:
Yep, passenger rail cars. I had no idea either.
There is a lot to this factory, and a lot of it has to do with its diverse working environment. Not just the workforce per-say, but the actual facility itself. One of the funniest moments of Alex’s tour happens just past the 2-minute mark. These automated carts, that follow an orange line on the factory floor, have a sense of whimsy. As they move along, they belt out a tune that comes right out of a 1980’s video game console. This type of automation isn’t exactly new, but it works.
A bunch of these little guys are seen zipping around the factory floor, but it’s not fully automated. Alex finds several workers wrenching on a variety of complex components. That includes engines and transmissions – among others. There were a few glitches during Alex’s visit, including workers stopping the production line, but it all gets sorted out in fairly short order.
I have to admit that we appreciated the access and Kawasaki’s transparency in offering some insight about their manufacturing processes.
One final point: we think it would behove the plant to update their woefully outdated website – when they have a chance.
in this video, Alex takes us to to Lincoln, Nebraska to the Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing (KMM). We get a ton of cool behind-the-scenes looks at how the company builds these machines, so check it out!
