Roco manufacturing video

That was pretty neat, thanks for the link to the video.  I liked how some the models had moving parts like the pantographs, passenger car door, and that one that looked like a steel coil car.  I wonder if those features are standard on all equipment.

Another thing I found interesting is that the majority of the manufacturing process was performed by women.  Now I'm not trying to sound sexist, it's just a thing I noticed in the video.  The only male (besides the man with the children) was the guy doing the CAD stuff.  Do they pay a woman less than they would pay a man to assemble these models?  I hope that's not the case since it would say a lot about the Roco company.  Maybe women have better manual dexterity than men, so this job is perfect for them, who knows?

I've sometimes wondered if we can classify assembly workers as model railroaders.  Sure it's their job, but it seems like they possess some pretty good modeling skills that are better than some I've seen.  Anyway, thanks for the video link.

There are several reasons for having women work at these jobs. Having been a plant manager for model manufacturing, I can assure you they are not sexist. Women in general have smaller fingers, so they can handle small parts more easily. They also do not get frustrated as easily when encountering problems. They work more neatly, so for instance when pulling parts from a molding machine, you don't end up with a big tangled mess.Lastly, they are much better at doing the same task over and over. The major disadvantage is they love to chat, so if you work with them the endless chatter can get on your nerves (don't ask me how I know this).

Now that's what I call some "separately applied details!"

And proof positive that molds are now made by robots and lasers, NOT highly paid craftsman. I do wonder how much $$$ was sitting on those mold storage racks!

Well, I'll be the sexist one and state that some of those women were rather attractive. Then I thought further and wondered - ignoring the fact that they're in Central Europe, and also the fact that I don't speak German or Polish - that if you were dating one of those ladies, would they be so sick and tired of working on model trains all day to loath your hobby when they came home?  

loathar

Now that's what I call some "separately applied details!"

And proof positive that molds are now made by robots and lasers, NOT highly paid craftsman. I do wonder how much $$$ was sitting on those mold storage racks!

Great video.  The amount of automation in the mold making and painting is impressive.  Lot of investment there.  But details really do take hand assembly.  Those two factors explain why finer models cost so much.  

Did you catch the jig for assembling the steam locomotives.  I have a Bowser kit on the shelf - one of those jigs would be handy!   

It is something to think how molds were created back in the old days before CAD and computerized NC machines.  And those old molds are still used today in some cases.  That was craftsmanship. 

George V.  

I did not see any robots and lasers making molds in that video. I saw a quick sped up clip of a milling machine (CNC) cutting a part. It was probably sped up at least 10x and I saw a laser doing some engraving work. The part you saw being machined has to have a cavity that it fits into to form the part. That cavity will be burned out with an electrode made to the shape of the part. Once that is burned out it has to be polished without altering the shape of the part. This is where the  skill come in. This is all done by hand with small motor tools and polishing sticks and a lot of tedious labor. Any small scratch that is not taken out will be reflectes in the finished part.

As to how much money was sititng on those shelves?...millions. A rough estimate is that each mold block you see there is in the $30,000 to $60,000 range. Some may be less if they are small uncomplicated parts and a couple might be more. (we have a mold at work that cost over $100,000 to have made) If I think about it, I will try to find some pictures I have at work of some of our molds in a disassembled state. It will amaze you when you see all of the parts that go just into the ejector pin assembly plate not to mention the oil cooling and heating passages in one of these.

georgev

Did you catch the jig for assembling the steam locomotives.  I have a Bowser kit on the shelf - one of those jigs would be handy!   

I was thinking the same thing, George. Having a jig that you could rotate to any position would be a great help when lining up the rods and spacers as she is doing in the video. That could really cut down on the cursing. [:I]

Roco sets a very high manufacturing standard, so those molds must be worth a mint. I know what goes in to relatively simple toy molds; the cost of molds for such precision parts must be astronomical. As Pike-62 said, it's like designing an engine block.

As far as the women assemblers are concerned, that is pretty standard in the industry. Women have smaller hands, and tend to have better manual dexterity than men. All of the assemblers in our China plant were women.

This Swiss steamer was given to me about ten years ago. I was amazed at the level of detail, especially back then. It's driven by the tender, but this is no pancake motor. The tender is all Zamac and built like a brick, with a smooth, quiet drive. It's only drawback is the large European flanges, which they appear to be still using, except now they are chemically blackened.

Your engine looks mighty fine, Nelson.  I enjoyed the video...I can't imagine the expense of designing, tooling, and then commencing the manufacture of a single model...it is scary.

About women...in general, and in addition to having better manual dexterity, the female of our species has measurably better visual acuity.  Their eyes have all the spherical and zone errors that men have on their cornea, but the difference is in the extent to which their pupils dilate.  Girls have a greater capacity to dilate their irises, which in turn means a greater cross-section to the light-passage aperture and thus to the light incident on the fovea at the back of the eye.  It means a couple of things...they see more detail and more of it in less light.  The wider diameter iris permits a higher resolution, meaning women can perceive as two distinct objects items very close together, so close that a man might think they are just a misshaped or larger whole.  Think of two tiny black period dots on a white page. They might be physically located so that only 0.1 mm of white page is between them.  If a man were to stand approximately 6' away from those dots, he might see only a larger oblong short line segment.  A woman standing beside him might see a bit of light between the dots, and an 8 year-old girl would see them distinctly as dots.  Small wonder child labour is used in the third world for assembly of small items.

-Crandell

 Informative video, even  with mute turned on; thanks for the link.

jsoderq

There are several reasons for having women work at these jobs. Having been a plant manager for model manufacturing, I can assure you they are not sexist. Women in general have smaller fingers, so they can handle small parts more easily. They also do not get frustrated as easily when encountering problems. They work more neatly, so for instance when pulling parts from a molding machine, you don't end up with a big tangled mess.Lastly, they are much better at doing the same task over and over. The major disadvantage is they love to chat, so if you work with them the endless chatter can get on your nerves (don't ask me how I know this).

I totally agree with all your assesments in regards to women workers, even the chatty part.  There has been many a time when I ask my girlfriend to handle a small detail part, or run a magnet wire somewhere I can't quite place, etc..

selector

About women...in general, and in addition to having better manual dexterity, the female of our species has measurably better visual acuity.  Their eyes have all the spherical and zone errors that men have on their cornea, but the difference is in the extent to which their pupils dilate.  Girls have a greater capacity to dilate their irises, which in turn means a greater cross-section to the light-passage aperture and thus to the light incident on the fovea at the back of the eye.  It means a couple of things...they see more detail and more of it in less light.  The wider diameter iris permits a higher resolution, meaning women can perceive as two distinct objects items very close together, so close that a man might think they are just a misshaped or larger whole.

If this is true Crandell, then why do they inevitably coo over the most ridiculous looking toy train, yet completely ignore a scale masterpiece?

It is too in-your-face....it overwhelms them...I guess.  I haven't asked. They act the same around loud racing motors.  Steamers have high-pitched turbo-generators, hissing and leaking steam, and when they do the double toot and open the cylinder co.cks to move off, I think women will startle more than men.  They are more reactive.

Steamers are a guy thing.  Oohh ohh ooooh!!

-Crandell

I am modelrailroader from Europe and very familiar with ROCO, I have more than 20 locomotives of them, the rest is Fleischmann nad one is Trix. ROCO is very quality manufacturer, some of my models run from 1981 without any problems. Details are very accurate. Moving pantographs, doors etc. is not standard to all equipment. You can move all pantographs by hand, of course. These moving pantographs and doors are new feature, DCC controlled. This is a new set, and costs a fortune!

I just wanted to add that during my first visit in USA May last year I bought an F7 (NYC freight) loco from Athearn Genesis and 18 freight cars (Proto 2000) and I am very pleased by their quality, altough plastic parts on cars is very brittle and breaks like glass. ROCO on the other hand, uses different plastics that is much harder to brake.  But, USA models are very exotic here and I like colorful train that I have. I am waiting for another loco, BLI 4-8-4 ATSF, she will be a great attraction here with steam and sound! The only problem is that american models run on relatively big radius, compared to that in Europe. But, I will also buy one Cab Forward, I can not miss that after standing in front of one in Sacramento Railroad Museum: Amazing dimensions!

Well, that is all...for my first post here.

Now that this topic is up here again, I took the time to try and translate what they say in that video. I hope, my English is not too bad to be comprehensible. If it isn't, you will find some of the above questions are answered (though none about women...) and are also backing the previous post.

However, keep in mind, it is a promotional video and I have only tried to translate it to the best of my abilities.

Aaaaand – action!

For some, it is an ordinary means of transportation, for others a dream of iron and steel. More than 170 years after its first run, railroads are still as fascinating as they have always been. Many who as children wanted to become an engine driver, today live their dreams as model railroaders and pursue their hobby burning with perfectionism.

Reality is the prototype for model railroaders. Most members of the large fan community consider the impressive steam engines as the uncurable virus. The fascination of technology, the love for details, the many interwoven fields of knowledge – this is what constitutes this attractive hobby. The common passion of all model railroaders are true to detail rendering, exact true to scale compliance to proportions and technological innovations. Enthusiastic, yet discriminating to the smallest detail – this is how model railroaders can be characterized.

Despite their long tradition, model railroads are no less up to date than they were. The many aspects, like creativity and ingenuity, fine motor skills and technical knowledge, make building and playing with model railroads the ideal hobby to connect generations. Thus, it is no wonder that many model railroaders spend their spare time fiddling in attics and basements to bring perfection to small trains and scale miniature landscapes. Railway enthusiasts take their hobby as serious as the schedule of the small trains. Here, you will see how the detailed Roco miniature engines are developed as historical steam locos, strong electrical locomotives, diesel locos and modern super trains.

Every new Roco model starts as a thick packet of sheets. From original diagrams, books and photos the components of the prototype are modeled with the help of modern CAD systems, precisely observing the exact scale. A virtual three-dimensional model with all details is the basis for every new Roco locomotive. Toolmaking consists of precise engineering-to-order and assemble-to-order with high-speed molding cutters, lasers and other high-tech devices. But even high-precision manufacturing technology needs artisan manufacture. In almost affectionate handcraft the tools are reworked until the best result achievable for the subsequent production is reached. More than 6000 tools have already been produced in over 40 years of our company history and are of priceless value today. This multitude represents the high expertise and the extensive know-how of Roco.

Every minute injection molded parts with connected detail parts are produced here. The injection molding machines cough up a total of more than 20 million of these plastic parts per year. A number of factors, such as resources, material and production processes, determine the quality and how prototypical the model will be. Many small details that characterize a Roco loco could never be achieved with cast metal.

The heart of every Roco locomotive is its motor. Production here is domínated by manual labor. It takes many hands until some twenty components like rotor, coils and collectors become a whirring motor: mounting, isolating, lagging, soldering, painting, balancing, installing bearings and repeated testing and checking. To eliminate even the slightest unbalance that would be visible and hearable when running the locomotive, all motors are balanced and extensively tested in the final inspection. Although the small power machines all look virtually the same at first glance, no Roco motor is like another. From different basic forms, several dozen variants are derived for Roco locomotives and switching machines. More than one hundred different versions of pantographs, each of which consists of about ten parts, need to be assembled and connected so that the complete construction remains flexible.

We demand a great deal. This principle also holds true for our technological innovations. With new digital functions we meet the ambitions of model railroaders. In addition to numerous other digital and sound functions, pantographs can now be raised and lowered and doors of coaches can be opened and closed by digital command control. Our latest study in innovation is the reality of the model railroading of tomorrow. Accompanied with original sounds, the telescoping-hood car set brings even more motion and more playing fun to the model railroad.

TEE – train without frontiers: teakwood in the dining car and restrained decor on the walls combined with air-conditioning and airplane ambience for train travellers in then still unfamiliar open seating cars. When introduced, the TEE trains embodied in style and equipment an example of the dawn of a new era. For their 50th anniversary, Roco erected a monument worthy of this icon of European train history. The shells are first primed in a paint-spray line and after that are painted manually with a proper prototypical coating. Usually more than one pass of painting is needed: most models receive two to four paintings until sides and front, roof and bottom fit exactly. Finally, there is a painstaking quality control to guarantee that the hue is correct, the contours are crisp no stains are visible.

Every Roco model is printed with the prototypical logos, engine or car numbers and lettering. Printing the surfaces is demanding, because many models have a pronounced structure. In order to neatly print on these corrugated structures, edges and angles, Roco uses a high-tech printing method. With soft silicone pads the printing machines stamp up to sixteen different items in one pass onto the shell. Here again, greatest importance is attached to a flawless quality. Only when it is guaranteed that the printing is perfect in color, crispness and placement, the shells are allowed to leave the print shop and continue to the assembly.

Here, everything is different. Assembling Roco locomotives is challenging manual work. Subtle fingers, the ability to concentrate and keen eyes are needed for this kind of work. In every workplace, we find a multitude of delicate and minute parts. With tweezers and a calm hand cables and add-on parts are attached, pre-assembled pantographs installed, door handles mounted and windows inserted. At the same time, the inner life is produced from motor, gears and electronics. Its wedding with the shell finalizes the assembly before every model is examined carefully by a strict quality control.

Still a little more complicated is the assembly of steam engines. The driving gear with control, connecting and coupling rods consists of up to twenty parts: millimeter thin formed wires, stamped out metal parts and tiny injection molded components. Here also, our staff work with high concentration and precision. The locomotives are finally tested on the bare test track: Driving forward, driving backward. For the different variants also all digital functions such as light and sound are tested. One last time, every single Roco locomotive is carefully inspected before they leave safely packed for their destinations: the hobby stores and further on to model railroads all over the world.

All model railroaders have one thing in common: Enthusiasm and passion for the hobby of model railroading. It is the diversity that makes this hobby so attractive. With the Roco Report, we offer an interesting magazine to the friends of model railroading. Its readers share the enthusiasm for the Roco model railroad and its prototype. The magazine conveys the fun of model railroads and offers valuable practical tips and tricks. And when you are getting serious about having fun, it has happened: model railroading fever is getting a grip. It is a fever that turns some into enthusiastic modellers of prototypes, others into passionate collectors, both of them with plenty of love for the Roco brand.

Cut!

From my one and only Roco model, I can only confirm that they do a good job.

Cheers,
Harry

 Thanks for the excellent translation, Harry.  Your English is excellent, and that was quite a project you undertook. I didn't expect anyone to tranlsate the entire narration.

Thanks for your feedback. So far, I couldn't contribute much to this excellent forum, so I thought I might try to at least give some input. And then, of course, it was a good opportunity to practice a bit of English.

Cheers,
Harry