Photo courtesy Kelley Blue Book
The 2017 Acura NSX has an impressive engineering pedigree, with twin
turbos and 3 electric motors assisting the longitudinally mounted V6 in
achieving 573 horsepower and 476 lb.-ft. of torque. This power is
transferred to the ground with maximum efficiency and traction thanks to
its Sport Hybrid SH-AWD drivetrain. As with the original NSX, aluminum
has been utilized in the vehicle structure, although significant changes
to the vehicle’s construction were made for the new car. We’ve already
driven the new NSX on the track at the company’s Tochigi R&D facility, but now we’ve also had a close-up look at the NSX’s production process.
Photo courtesy Honda North America
One of the biggest updates Acura made is a switch from the aluminum
monocoque used in the original NSX to a multi-material space frame in
the 2017 NSX. A space frame chassis was selected due to its weight
advantages, unmatched chassis rigidity and the added dynamic torsional
rigidity it offers. The new NSX is designed to maximize the connection
between driver inputs and vehicle response. In fact, the 2017 NSX mounts
both its front and rear suspension systems directly to the space frame,
without any subframes, a departure from most production vehicles. This
direct connection of chassis to suspension will help ensure
immediate steering response and exceptional feel through the wheel.
Photo courtesy Honda North America
To effectively meet the high demands of NSX production Acura built a
new facility called the Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC). This
facility is designed to assemble low-volume, high-performance specialty
vehicles and is located near the Honda of America Manufacturing facility
in Marysville, Ohio.
Photo courtesy Honda North America
PMC is the global production center for the NSX and, true to its
name, the plant houses all aspects of building the NSX, from welding the
space frame together to paint application, vehicle assembly and final
quality testing.
Photo courtesy Honda North America
The NSX is the world’s first vehicle to use ablation casting in an
automotive application. Ablation casting is a technique used to
sand-cast aluminum components, allowing for their rapid cooling by
spraying them with water jets. The water jets ablate, or quickly erode,
the water-soluble sand-casting mold to quickly and effectively quench
the part, adding strength and hardness to the aluminum. The ablation
cast parts are then welded directly to key points on the space frame
structure underpinning the NSX.
Photo courtesy Kelley Blue Book
There are six nodes on the frame of the NSX that use these ablation
cast parts. These nodes are unique in their design requirements, as they
need to be both rigid enough to act as suspension mounting points as
well as ductile (deformable) enough to absorb energy,
enhancing passenger safety during crash impacts.
Photo courtesy Honda North America
The NSX’s multi-material space frame is constructed in the PMC’s weld
area. It consists primarily of aluminum and contains 860 robotically
applied Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welds using more than 34 meters of MIG
wire to complete the frame. The robotic welding ensures consistency and
precision, and is repeatable weld after weld. Skilled human weld
technicians inspect each component after the robots complete their work
to ensure the highest levels of quality.
Photo courtesy Honda North America
As with the original NSX outward visibility was a design priority.
The new NSX’s A-Pillars were developed with that in mind. They are
constructed of ultra-high-strength steel with a complex shape, and they
are crafted using a new forming and tempering process. The steel is
heated, shaped in 3 dimensions and quickly quenched by water jets to
achieve additional strength. The end result is a supremely strong and
thin A-Pillar that measures 3.5 inches by 1 inch and offers a less
obstructed view than even the original NSX.
Photo courtesy Kelley Blue Book
After the space frame has been fully welded it is inspected in the
PMC’s Quality Confirmation Center. This glass-walled room is located in
the center of the plant where technicians use highly sophisticated
measuring equipment to ensure the space frame has been manufactured to
precise tolerances. The equipment used in this inspection process can
measure tolerances down to 50 microns; thinner than the width of a human
hair.
Photo courtesy Kelley Blue Book
This combination of attention to detail and innovative production
process are key reasons why the space frame requires no post-weld
machining to bring dimensional tolerances back into specification before
assembly. Body mounting points line up exactly where they are supposed
to right off the bat, which is not the case for many of the NSX’s
competitors.
Photo courtesy Honda North America
Before additional components can be added to the space frame an
anti-corrosion electro-coating is applied using a 50 minute baking
process to help protect the space frame against the elements. Acura uses
a zirconium pre-treatment to etch the metal before it is coated.
Zirconium etching is a first for Acura, and helps eliminate more than 90
percent of the heavy metal waste that results from using zinc phosphate
to do the same job. Post electro-coating, the NSX space frame is seam
sealed to ensure the body structure is free of leaks.
Photo courtesy Honda North America
Next
comes the assembly phase, when the NSX’s interior and engine are
installed. The NSX’s Sport Hybrid Super All-Wheel Drive power plant
consists of a dry-sump, 75-degree 3.5 liter DOHC V6, an electric motor
and a 9-speed dual clutch transmission that drives the rear wheels. Two
additional electric motors power the front wheels independently, adding
power and torque vectoring in a setup Acura calls the Twin Motor Unit
(TMU). The whole system produces 573 horsepower, 500 from the gasoline
engine and 73 from the electric motors.
Photo courtesy Honda North America
The NSX’s engine is produced at Honda’s Anna Engine Plant located
near the PMC. The 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 is hand built by master
engine builders who spend over six hours assembling each unit. The
engine contains 547 bolts, all of them hand started before being machine
driven and then manually torqued to their final specification.
Photo courtesy Honda North America
After assembly is complete each engine is balanced and bench-tested,
running the equivalent of 150 driven miles to ensure proper brake-in.
This means the NSX can be driven aggressively as soon as the customer
takes delivery.
Photo courtesy Kelley Blue Book
Painted body panels are the last items to be fitted to the chassis.
This minimizes the opportunity for body panels to get scratched or
damaged during assembly. Acura’s paint process for the NSX is unique in
that paint is mixed in small batches, each batch containing enough to
paint just two cars at a time. Customers that choose to have their NSX
in Valencia Red Pearl and Nouvelle Blue Pearl will also be treated to
PPG’s Andaro paint technology. This paint offers high levels of color
saturation and is specially designed to increase contrast between the
curved and angled body surfaces. This type of paint has historically
been used on concept and show vehicles, but PPG has increased
its durability to satisfy real-world requirements.
Photo courtesy Kelley Blue Book
Synthesis seems to be a running theme for the new NSX. Power and
handling benefit from a combination of proven engine knowledge working
in concert with high performance hybrid electric motors. The man and
machine production methodology Acura has implemented at PMC
further allows the car to benefit from the best that tactile human feel
and robotic precision have to offer. The PMC will begin serial
production of the NSX in late April, with vehicles reaching customers
shortly thereafter.
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