How The Alfa Romeo Giulia Is Made

The Alfa Romeo Giulia. Since its release in 2016, this luxury newcomer has become one of the most acclaimed sports sedans on the market today. Between its fast acceleration, incredible handling, and overall comfortable ride, the Giulia easily stands out amongst the wide array of options in its class. It's at Alfa Romeo's historic plant in Cassino, Italy where this driving machine comes to life. The Cassino plant has a production capacity of up to 1,000 cars per day. Since opening in 1972, it has produced over 7 million vehicles. The building process begins in the plant's press shop. Here, the car's body panels are formed through the use of both hot and cold press metal stamping. A combination of weight, pressure, and intense heat are applied to flat sheets of metal, and temperatures inside the hot metal press can reach as high as 950 degrees Celsius. Next stop is the plant's body shop. It's the most highly automated area of the plant, featuring almost 1,300 robots. Alfa Romeo takes advantage of new technologies to construct the Giulia's body, the lightest in its class. Laser brazing is used in place of conventional welding to seamlessly attach the car's aluminum doors, while fully automated self-piercing riveting joins steel and aluminum components. A special gluing process is then used to attach the carbon fiber roof found on the car's Quadrifoglio performance model. In the plant's paint shop, the car's body is dipped and turned in an anti-corrosion chemical treatment pad that optimizes bonding to metal surfaces. Sealant is applied robotically to make the vehicle waterproof and airtight. Primer, a base coat, and glossy clear coat finish are then applied to the body. Each car then receives final paint inspections from shop employees. The plastics shop is where all plastic components to the car are formed. This includes front and rear bumpers, dashboard shells, tunnel consoles, fuel tanks, and more. These plastic components are constructed through a combination of thermoforming, molding, blowing, and painting. In the plant's assembly shop, the final product comes together. This area features mostly human performed processes. Here, the car's chassis, engine, and gearbox are attached to the body shell. All glass and plastic components are added to the vehicle as well. After some final weather testing and time on the dynamometer, the entire process ends with a brief test drive to ensure everything in the car is in working order.