Today’s company visit was probably my favorite yet. Not only did we get to see the vintage cars in the Škoda museum, but we also got the chance to see actual cars coming off of the production line. We were not permitted to take pictures of this process, but just trust me on this one…it was cool. My favorite aspect of the manufacturing process was definitely the panel pressing machine. The purpose of this machine was to take in sheets of metal and hydraulically press them against what is known as a “tool” to make a specific car panel such as the hood or the exterior of a door. This tool is essentially a mold of the desired part. There are tools for each and every panel of a Škoda car, and they are typically constructed of very hard steel such that the action of pressing the sheet of metal against the tool does not wear it down too much.
During our visit, we also learned a lot about Škoda’s rally and motorsport branches. While I did say that the panel pressing machine was my favorite part of the manufacturing process, I would say seeing this specialized branch of Škoda was my favorite part of the trip overall. This is because I was able to witness specialized employees of this branch working on cars not designed for average use, but for winning races. It was also very impressive to see the “skeleton” and engine of the Škoda in the lobby of the motorsport branch. I have always been interested in what exactly makes an engine work, and seeing both the cross-section of a Škoda engine and of a car along with the description and commentary from a technician proved to be a very valuable experience.
Swanson School of Engineering 