Media

AChiever guidance systems production at AC Milwaukee plant
1959

Media

Milwaukee plant operations
1957

Uploaded by Ronald W. Cox

Delphi-Electronics & Safety Milwaukee Teams Bid Farewell to the End of an Era

With a company history of more than 60 years as part of the fabric of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Oak Creek plants that had served as manufacturing sites for Delphi were completely shuttered at the end of 2008. The closing marked the end of a long and proud era for the men and women who worked there, one that ranged from providing the electronics that controlled airplane and automobile systems to developing and manufacturing military armament used around the world to helping put men on the moon.

Since opening in September 1948 in a six-story plant on Milwaukee’s northeast side, the Milwaukee operations of Delco Electronics and finally Delphi Electronics & Safety (E&S) had a leading role in the field of precision inertial guidance systems and components as well as automotive emission and engine computer control components. The last product made at the site was an automotive component that rolled off a Delphi-E&S line September 5, 2008.

Thor missile

For years, the plant played a key role in research, development and production of electro-mechanical devices for military use and space exploration. Its history began in the northeast Milwaukee site with 25 people manufacturing bomb sights, fire control equipment and other avionics products for the U.S. Air Force. In 1957, operations moved to the new Oak Creek facility beginning with the guidance system for the Thor missile, the first operational ballistic missile in the arsenal of the United States. In 1965, the Milwaukee Operations were separated from General Motors’ AC Spark Plug organization and became known as AC Electronics Division of GM. In 1970, the division merged with Delco Radio, headquartered in Kokomo, Indiana, and became known as Delco Electronics Division, a forerunner of today’s Delphi Electronics & Safety.

Through the years, the inertial measurement and guidance systems found wide application in ballistic and air breathing missiles as well as manned aircraft and marine vehicles. AC’s research and development activities were headquartered at the Milwaukee Operations and, along with facilities in Los Angeles and Boston; they were recognized as a major source of basic design, engineering and systems management.

The sites were an integral part of the success of the United States’ Manned Space Program. AC navigation-guidance systems were used by NASA to steer the Apollo spacecrafts in earth and lunar orbits, lunar landings and return flights to a predetermined point on earth. Delco’s Lunar Roving Vehicle first traveled the surface of the moon in 1971 as part of the Apollo 15 mission, allowing the astronauts to cover a far larger area than had the astronauts on all prior lunar landing missions. Atomic submarines and bomber aircraft, along with Thor, Mace, and Titan missiles, used oscilloscopes, gyroscopes, bombing and/or navigation systems provided by the Oak Creek plant.

In August 1973, the Oak Creek plant began producing emission control devices, i.e. catalytic converter systems, and automotive safety-related electronics in response to the Clean Air Act of 1970. The giant plant built smog eaters as a new industry was born of environmental concerns and the fight for clean air. At one time, the plant was the world’s largest user of stainless steel. Original customers included General Motors, American Motors and Opel. The units were briefcase-sized catalytic converters weighing about 30 pounds and went into the exhaust system between the manifold and the muffler.

The north plant included a five-story press bay with 20 1,200-1,600 ton presses that squeezed rather than pounded steel to produce a high-quality “tin can.” The final product consisted of a leak proof stainless steel container with a catalyst bead cylinder which allowed exhaust to circulate through it. In April 1990, the plant was chosen by GM’s AC Rochester unit as the site to build the 100 millionth catalytic converter that the division had produced worldwide. The plant assembled a multitude of converters over the ensuing years with the final products being the GMT900 and MC2 converters for the Powertrain Division; catalytic converter production ceased in Oak Creek in February 2008 after a long and successful journey.

The GM computer command control system was designed for maximum serviceability

In 1977, GM selected the south plant to build the Electronic Control Module (ECM) for their Computer Command Control system; more than 2,000,000 ECMs were produced in just three years. This was the beginning of a new age for the plants. Milwaukee’s rich history included truck body computers, powertrain engine controllers, transmission control modules and key fobs. Products were used in cars, small and full-sized trucks, sport utility vehicles, school buses, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, gas and diesel engines and military Hummers. Customers included GM, Isuzu and Toyota. Products included body control modules, components that monitor and control many of the features and functions of a car or truck that the driver and passengers interface with on a regular basis. Typical features/functions controlled by these units include reminders and warning chimes, interior and exterior lighting, lock/unlock, security theft deterrent, accessory power, power steering, programming and diagnostics. These controllers are the most complex controller in a vehicle and they interface with virtually every other controller and sensor in a vehicle. Engine control modules monitor and control all engine functions. Transmission control modules monitor and control all transmission functions.

Powertrain control modules integrate these two to monitor and control all engine and transmission functions. The plant continued to manufacture numerous products with the final programs including Tech 2000, Body/Security and Toyota ’09 ECMs. The site was identified as a closing plant by Delphi Corporation on March 31, 2006. Work was transitioned from Oak Creek to Kokomo, Indiana; Reynosa, Mexico; and Shanghai, China, plants. The first products exited the plant in October 2007. After decades of being an essential part of what is now Delphi, the Oak Creek team brought operations to a close when the last Toyota part passed final audit at 8:35 a.m. on September 5, 2008. With the wind-down of the facility finished at the end of December 2008, Delphi put the 85-acre site up for sale. The journey that took Milwaukee products to the moon and back, and all around the world, is now complete.

Sources

Delco Systems Operations Retiree's Newsletter. Volume 14, Issue 4. May, 2009. </div>

Tag Cloud

English