Detroit Diesel Redford Plant

GM produced this 1-cyl. 71 Series Genset, producing 20 hp, from 1938 to 1942.

Cast-iron cylinder liners await installation.

Plant assembles heavy-duty turbochargers and machines connecting rods.

Turbocharger assembly process.

Worker inspects welded joint between turbocharger rotor and shaft.

Turbocharger production began in 2014.

Lower rotor shaft has been machined.

Automated guided vehicles, programmed with Siemens PLM software, pull heavy duty in plant.

Transmission production, highly automated, began in 2015.

Quality auditor Lisa Heraghty discusses lightweight technologies in new final-drive gearset.

Upper roof on right used to align with lower roof at left. The 400,000-sq.-ft. roof was raised hydraulically, 1 ft. per hour, over the course of 14 hours in 2006 -- while production was undisturbed below.

Pistons and connecting rods are prepped for final assembly.

CNC machining of block.

Tool changed in CNC machine for drilling of block.

Offal from block machining is collected for recycling.

Six-cyl. blocks ready for final engine assembly.

Worker uses gantry to position block on assembly line.

Detroit Diesel touts world-class manufacturing efficiency.

Plant celebrated as American manufacturing success story.

Worker positions crankshaft within block for final assembly.

Caps put in place to secure crankshaft in block.

Worker uses torque gun to lock crankshaft in place.

Worker manually rotates crankshaft.

Skylights were included in plant renovations.

Every engine coming off assembly line is tested on dyno for 16 minutes of continuous running.

Liquids drained from engines before shipping to customers.

Every finished engine has customer.

Detroit Diesel expected to build more than 75,000 heavy-duty engines this year.

Detroit Diesel expected to build more than 75,000 heavy-duty engines this year.