AUBURN HILLS, MI-DaimlerChrysler's Brampton, ON, Canada, facility is marking a new phase in its existence.

The facility is producing the 2005 Dodge Magnum. The facility changed from building a front-wheel drive vehicle to building one with rear-wheel drive. This required major transformations at the facility, and various initiatives were implemented to enhance production quality, increase manufacturing flexibility and improve productivity.

"Approximately 80 percent of the Brampton facility was overhauled. We viewed this project as a complete makeover-building a new plant environment within existing walls rather than a facelift or typical model changeover," says Tom LaSorta, executive vice president of manufacturing for DaimlerChrysler.

The transformation took about 6 weeks. During that time, construction crews expanded the trim, chassis and final assembly areas by approximately 25,000 square feet. Seventeen miles of conveyor lines were reconfigured, and the entire body shop was rebuilt.