The Big Auto Plant

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Starring: William VanDerKloot
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Type: DVD
Studio: Little Mammoth Media
Release Date: 2003-10-01
THE BIG AUTO PLANT is a live-action adventure that takes kids around the world -- from the design studios and engine plant in Stuttgart, Germany to the ultra-modern assembly plant in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama -- to see how a Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUV is designed and built. The video shows how the car is created from a sheet of paper all the way through the engineering and assembly process. There is even a special animated section on how an engine works! Other parts of the program show the wind tunnel, the crash tests, and even a wild ride on the outdoor test track.

The video was filmed digitally on-location in Germany and the USA. It shows the fascinating story of how a modern automobile is designed and built. Children can see how hundreds of people on two different continents work together to create a new car. The program is designed for kids from 3-10, but adults can enjoy it along with their kids.

An Educational Adventure
After a recent family trip and an auto plant tour at TMMK (Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky) in Georgetown, KY, we were excited to learn more about the auto making process and see an example of another auto manufacturer. This DVD was certainly educational, and unlike the live tour (while that was awesome and highly recommended), we can re-play the DVD time and again.

In this DVD, you will see how the Mercedes M Class is built from concept to final product. Start out in beautiful Stuttgart, Germany, home of the Mercedes Design center. Meet a designer and see how the vehicles start out hand-drawn on paper, then molded into clay, painted and finished to look like a real car. See how the model is tested for aerodynamics in a wind tunnel and further molded for optimum gas efficiency.

Then get an inside tour of the vehicle assembly plant in Tuscaloosa, AL. Not only do you learn about the entire assembly process, but you will see the importance of teamwork, quality control and learn important business concepts such as Just In Time delivery.

In the assembly line see:

* Robots in action, stamping out parts, moving and handling parts
* The welding process
* Painting process
* Workers performing quality checks
* How doors, hoods, all internal components including wiring, airbags, speakers, window glass and more are assembled.
* See how the Chassis and Body are assembled, including the engine

A detailed overview with on-screen graphics explaining the various components of an engine and how it operates is included. You will also see how the engines themselves are assembled at the Engine Assembly plant in Germany.

Quality control and Safety are mentioned throughout the DVD and a section dealing with crash tests is included so that children can learn more about the importance of safety and how the engineers use crash tests and dummies to protect people in the event of an accident.

Further safety and quality checks are demonstrated with an interesting look at on-road and off-road testing, including braking on water, driving through rough terrain and even through a pond. Finally, see how the vehicles are loaded onto car transporters and shipped to dealerships.

The Big Adventure Series is a big hit!
I have found the Big Adventure Series movies to be well made, educational and great for keeping the attention of children ages 3 to 7. The Big Auto Plant is a movie that shows how the Mercedes M class series is made from start to finish. Though it may sound like it would not keep the interest of a child, the narration of the Big Series movies and the way they are made works like magic. I am a big fan of these movies and so are the kids I work with.

Big Auto Plant
The Big Auto Plant is an excellent video for those interested in how current vehicles are designed and produced. I was looking for something to use as an introductory training tool for a medium sized manufacturing firm and thought I might at least find small segments that could be used for an adult audience. I was pleasantly surprised that even though it was intended for an audience between ages 3-10, it is still quite informative for adults as well.