The H2: moving beyond limits organizational & otherwise - Engineer - General Motors' Hummer H2 development

Automotive Design & Production, July, 2002 by Gary S. Vasilash

One interesting aspect of the H2 plant is that it is exceedingly flexible. Although some people equate "flexibility" and "robotics," there are actually very few robots in the plant. Of the 3,100 welds that are put on an H2, just 40% of them are put on with robots. Most are put on by the men and women of UAW Local 5 who wield ergonomically tethered spot welding guns. People are far more flexible than robots. So if the job can be done safely (safety is a paramount concern within GMS), then people can flexibly accomplish the tasks.

Although the H2 can certainly provide the kind of transportation that is de rigueur for people going to, say, art museums, this is not a vehicle with a facade of durability. It is a serious, heavy-duty piece of equipment that combines comfort with capability.