The BMW brand image revolves around quality. There were some hiccups on this front in the US market a few years ago, but recently the company has been back on track, particularly with the cars coming out of the company’s new plant in Mexico. What has been the secret of this success? A key element appears to be something called “cubing”.
Why Does BMW Use Cubing? Cubing is a manufacturing process used by some automakers to ensure the quality of their vehicles. It involves milling a full-size car body from solid aluminum, which serves as a highly accurate benchmark for optimizing and qualifying assembly parts and in functional analysis of add-on parts. Deviations can be found even down to tenths of a millimeter.
In BMW’s case, its suppliers send sample parts to be tested against the aluminum body of a new model, before full production begins (or when there is an update). The parts will then be installed into that body and checked for fit and finish. A 3D scanner is used during this process to precisely measure alignment with the body (with offsets calculated for paint thickness where necessary).
If a part is out of tolerance, BMW works with the supplier to correct the issue. Cubing is used for testing the fit of interior and exterior components, such as trim pieces or lights. It can verify the alignment of body panels and ensure the vehicle’s overall shape with these attached matches the design.
On a mechanical level, the functionality of moving parts can be assessed. .
