Watch the 2024 Jeep Gladiator Come to Life at the Toledo Plant
This clip shows the entire assembly process of the 2024 Jeep Gladiator, which is completed by a perfect symphony of man and machine.
It may seem somewhat difficult to believe, but the Jeep Gladiator has now been around long enough to receive a refresh after it debuted for the 2020 model year. Granted, it isn’t exactly a comprehensive refresh – the 2024 Jeep Gladiator has received an updated grille, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, some new wheel designs, Anvil exterior paint as an option, the addition of the Mojave X and Rubicon X trims, and the deletion of the previously-available diesel. Otherwise, it’s business as usual, as we can see in this cool new video from FRAME.
Here, we get to take a virtual tour of the Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio, where the 2024 Jeep Gladiator is built, as well as its SUV counterpart, the Wrangler. As is typical with body-on-frame models, this process starts with the frame, which is critical to the off-road-focused pickup’s success, and assembly is completed by a combination of humans and, in this case, Kuka robots, which handle things like welding and riveting duties.
People do step in for various other tasks, however, including performing quality inspections for various items like the hinge pins and other joined parts. Workers along the assembly line remove excess body sealant from areas that robots may not be able to reach, all before their mechanical counterparts apply paint to those panels. After that process is complete, workers inspect the paint quality in a special tunnel filled with bright lighting as well, then give it a good polish.
Humans also apply the Jeep logo to the fenders using a special tool, as well as any smaller logos. From there, those same workers install things like wiring, sensors, and other electronic goodies, while robots assist with heavier items like the fully assembled dash. With the windshield in place, the Gladiator bodies are then mated to the frame and powertrain by giant robotic assemblies, and once that process is complete, workers begin installing the rest of the interior components, along with various other pieces like the fender flares.
With the entire vehicle now looking, well, like a vehicle, it isn’t quite time for the 2024 Jeep Gladiator to head to dealers – rather, workers perform quality checks to ensure that each unit is good to go. Overall, it’s a pretty fascinating process to watch in its entirety – and this clip even contains some bonus footage of the electrified Wrangler 4xe as well – making for a great way to spend 17 minutes or so of one’s spare time.
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