April 12, 2024 – Cadillac Products Automotive in Rogers City took 12 students from Rogers City High School on a tour of their plant Friday afternoon.
Entering the doors of a plant many of the students have driven by countless times in their lives, they were given a brief overview of what goes on in the plant, as well as some safety reminders before moving to the plant floor. The first stop was a look at some classic cars, parts of which were made at Cadillac Products.
After a few minutes of learning about the types of products they were going to see made, students were taken throughout the plant to a variety of machines.
One of the first stops was the large plastic bubble area, where recycling of material takes place. A large bubble of plastic is blown 5 stories into the air, where it is then cut and turned into a roll of material. Students were able to look up and see the bubble, watching it get rolled into material that could be used to make parts in other areas of the plant. Students watched a variety of parts being made as they learned about how the process continues to develop over time. Robots and rotary tables have greatly increased the amount of material that can be made in a short amount of time.
Watching the plastic being made into sheets which are then turned into the door sheets that protect automobiles from dirt, water and noise was a highlight for many of the students. They were also able to see how excess material after the part was made was put back into the process, to be recycled into sheets that could be used to make more parts. Students observed as the robots move the material from a sheet of plastic into a formed part, complete with adhesive while employees counted the parts and inspected them for quality throughout the plant. Students also were able to learn about how the first rotary table with robots came about, and how the process has continued to improve and develop, including numbers on how production was increased.