Mercedes-Benz has made a tenfold increase in the use of robot technology to built its latest M-Class, from 80 to 800 in its Alabama, USA production plant.
This is part of an effort to bring the quality rating for the new SUV from well below the industry average of 118 defects per 100 vehicles.
M-B has also worked closely with suppliers -- responsible for 74 percent of the value of the new vehicle -- to ensure that parts quality is vastly improved.
As part of the strategy to bring back M-B quality to its former perception, every supplier was required to present a written documents outlining in detail their plans for improvement. Brian Byrne.
