Infiniti’s Tochigi plant has been producing Infiniti vehicles since the brand was launched in 1989. With the launch of the new Infiniti Q60, the company heralds the start of a new chapter in the plant’s history with the production of the Q60 sports coupe.
To meet the requirements of the new Q60, the company have made a series of upgrades to the production line, and introduces innovative manufacturing processes.
One major enhancement to the Tochigi facility is a new dedicated paint booth, which has been installed solely to allow production of Q60’s new “Dynamic Sandstone Red” paint finish. The glossy, deep red finish requires a new painting set-up, using a combination of machinery and manual processes developed by Infiniti’s most senior coating experts.
The new paint booth enables workers in the Tochigi paint shop to more finely control paint thickness and quality, and the newly-developed “Dynamic Sandstone Red” paint process is the result of testing several hundred variations of paint formulations and application methods.
The production of the Q60 consist of Tochigi’s 216 highly-skilled Takumi (master craftsmen), picked from the plant’s 4,500-strong workforce. Infiniti’s Takumi not only possess a particularly high level of technical knowledge; they are specially-trained in premium vehicle manufacturing, and have been chosen for their deep understanding of the brand and its core values. True to the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen – that of continuous improvement – these master craftsmen has to undergo constant and intensive training to learn new techniques and skills. They work across every section of the Q60’s production line, including stamping, body shop, paint, assembly and quality assurance.
On top of that, a further 6 Meister Takumi are selected – those with the highest understanding of premium car production and the desires and expectations of Infiniti’s customers. Overseeing every aspect of Infiniti production at Tochigi, Meister Takumi ensure the manufacturing processes at the plant are fully attuned with the unique blend of attributes that differentiate Infiniti’s products.
