Benteler starts work on advanced manufacturing plant in Morocco, boosting job creation and integrating Industry 4.0 technologies The Benteler Group has launched construction of a smart automotive plant in Morocco’s Kenitra Free Zone, aiming to strengthen its global footprint, boost local employment and embed digital manufacturing technologies. Ilkhan Ozsevim
How Arno Güllering wants DRÄXLMAIER Group to harness shopfloor visualisation and genAI in production and maintenance The tier-1 supplier has established a highly connected production and logistics network, with a strong emphasis on data visualisation and a roadmap for AI. But to stay competitive and resilient, COO Arno Güllering wants to ensure both plants and HQ have a mindset ready to embrace change. Christopher Ludwig
5G networking: How JLR is building smarter factories As manufacturing operations become more data-driven, traditional network technologies are struggling to keep up. Steve Mason, JLR’s Advanced Digital Technologies Manager for Global Industrial Operations speaks to AMS about the integration of 5G networks into factory environments. Nick Holt
Digital twins: Boosting productivity in automotive manufacturing The digital transformation of production operations is continuing at pace and while there is still much more potential to be realised, the focus is now firmly on digital tools making a practical contribution. Nick Holt
Digital twin technology is bridging the physical and digital worlds in automotive manufacturing OEMs and Tier suppliers are actively deploying digital twin solutions to enhance their manufacturing capabilities. This article explores the latest trends, ongoing developments, key challenges, and critical steps in deploying digital twins in the automotive industry. Nick Holt
Audi is transforming vehicle production with AI-powered image processing, eliminating errors and setting new standards for quality control and smart factory innovation Artificial intelligence is accelerating transformation in automotive production. Audi’s Industrial Computer Vision is proving how AI-driven image processing enhances quality control, minimises defects and paves the way for scalable smart factory innovation. Ronja Schmiedchen
AI: Enhancing predictive maintenance in production lines Unplanned downtime is costly and something that the automotive industry has been working hard to reduce through predictive maintenance strategies. AI now offers a significant step forward in real-time monitoring and data gathering and analysis. Nick Holt
How OEMs such as BMW, Toyota and Ford are harnessing data-driven decision making drive sustainability in automotive manufacturing Leading automotive OEMs and tier-suppliers are deploying cutting-edge data tools to transform their operations. This article explores how they are using AI and big data to enhance resource efficiency, reduce emissions, and pave the way for a greener future in manufacturing. Ilkhan Ozsevim
BMW’s San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico is driving global sustainability with solar power, water reuse, and AI-driven carbon reduction BMW’s San Luis Potosí facility in Mexico exemplifies sustainability in action. From solar energy to water recycling and AI-driven efficiency, the plant demonstrates how local, effective green innovation can reshape automotive production on a global scale. Following a site visit, AMS delves into the facility’s world-leading sustainability intiatives. Ilkhan Ozsevim reports. Ilkhan Ozsevim
How AI is transforming automotive manufacturing: A deep dive into key technologies, optimisations and efficiency gains Automotive production is undergoing a seismic transformation with Artificial Intelligence driving unprecedented innovation. From predictive maintenance to autonomous robotics and generative design, here’s how AI is enhancing precision, adaptability and efficiency. Anushka Dixit
VW Wolfsburg plant kicks-off Tayron production with precision and digital innovation The VW main plant is once again producing four different models. After the Seat Tarraco is phased out, the VW Tayron is taking its place. Read how the start-up worked here. Timo Gilgen
Skoda’s Andreas Dick on driving flexible manufacturing, digitisation and the role of AI in transforming automotive production for future competitiveness Two measures are at the top of Skoda’s new production boss, Andreas Dick’s, to-do list: digitalisation and flexibility. In the interview, he also reveals what impact the weak demand for electric cars has on his area of responsibility. Yannick Tiedemann
Automotive OEMs and suppliers look to continued development of smart factories and the deployment of digital tools to optimise production operations The concept of the smart factory offers highly efficient, optimised production operations. Ford, ZF and PPG reveal how they are working to realise this potential. AMS
Smart manufacturing: Data, AI, and digital transformation The process of digitalising manufacturing operations continues to change rapidly with new software and hardware developments and the growing application of artificial intelligence, but challenges remain in optimising these opportunities. Nick Holt
Stellantis turns to AI tools and fast deployment to cut production costs and launch times Stellantis chief manufacturing officer Arnaud Deboeuf reveals technologies across automation, factory planning and lineside logistics that reduce transition costs and time to market. Nick Holt Christopher Ludwig
Rockwell Automation appoints Emmanuel Guilhamon as sustainability leader Emmanuel Guilhamon brings extensive experience in sales, strategy, and renewable energy to drive Rockwell Automation’s sustainability initiatives, helping manufacturers achieve their ESG goals. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Antolin, Gestamp and Fersa using AI to improve production operations Autoparts from Spain, a collaborative digital project among automotive suppliers that provides intelligence on the automotive equipment and components industry, reports that the radical transformation of the industry supported by artificial intelligence (AI), is providing opportunities for tier suppliers, with benefits already registered by members Antolin, Fersa Bearings and Gestamp. Marcus Williams
How Mercedes-Benz and Seat are transforming their plants Michael Bauer, regional head of production at Mercedes-Benz and Jose Arreche, plant manager at Seat emphasised the importance of data and digitalisation in the transformation of their plants at the Automobil Produktion Kongress 2024, but stressed the evolving role that people will play in production. Timo Gilgen
Renault unveils ambitious Re-Industry transformation roadmap to reshape its production infrastructure for elevated industrial agility and enhanced sustainability commitment Renault Group’s Re-Industry plan involves a comprehensive transformation of its industrial foundation, leveraging digital technologies, AI and agile practices to achieve significant cost reductions, improve efficiency and meet sustainability goals. The Industrial Metaverse and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies are central to this strategic vision. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Qualcomm’s collaborations with leading automakers to reshape automotive manufacturing Partnerships with BMW, Mercedes, JLR and Mahindra revolve around automotive digital advancements and driving industry transformation. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Audi’s ‘Edge Cloud 4 Production’ ecosystem launches into serial production Edge Cloud 4 Production (EC4P) is an IT-based production system that leverages both Edge and Cloud technology to digitise the automotive production landscape. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Audi uses AI for quality control of spot welds Audi is using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve its quality control in spot welds in car body construction. Megan Kelly
Seat: Digital tools, shopfloor innovations and multi-brand manufacturing After stints at Volkswagen in Portugal and Spain, Markus Haupt has returned to his professional roots in Barcelona. As the board member in charge of production and logistics, he now has the fortunes of Seat’s manufacturing operations in his hands. Here, he talks about the special aspects of the Iberian Peninsula, good ideas from the shop floor, and the logistical challenges of the recent past Pascal Nagel
Smart Factory Special Edition - Automobil Produktion Read about the latest developments in digital twins, predictive maintenance and Industry 4.0 featuring SEAT’s Markus Haupt, Audi and more from AMS sister publication Automobil Produktion in this special edition for the Hannover Messe AMS
Building on the edge of the virtual and physical worlds As Audi aims to bring its local production cloud to plants, head of manufacturing engineering Jörg Spindler sees opportunities to scale digital control systems, digital twins and virtual reality. Christopher Ludwig
Tools for progress: real-time tracking and monitoring in Audi’s toolmaking The carmaker’s Toolmaking 4.0 system is bringing greater visibility of suppliers and potential disruption of machines and operations at tool shops, with high productivity gains. Christopher Ludwig
After baptism of fire, BMW plant has room to grow in Mexico Under Harald Gottsche, plant director and CEO of the OEM’s San Luis Potosi facility, BMW has launched new models during the pandemic, navigated supply disruptions, integrated new technology and maintained staff levels – and it’s ready to integrate more production to serve global markets. Christopher Ludwig Peter Murphy
Škoda sets sights on 70% EV mix by 2030, more climate-neutral plants in Czech Republic Skoda production chief and VW Group veteran Michael Oeljeklaus sets out the Czech brand’s route map to more EVs and more efficiency in this exclusive interview. Pascal Nagel
Škoda trials 5G communications in lab, anticipating roll-out to manage factories The Czech automaker is trialling the use of 5G communications as a low-latency solution to drive factory digital twins and automate some intra-plant logistics Mike Farish
BMW Digitalisation – Virtual becomes a reality By the early part of next year BMW aims to have doubled its production facilities around the world – not physically, but instead virtually in the digital environment Mike Farish
Watch: Connected factories, predictable futures This AMS livestream explores how Ford, Fraunhofer IPA and other OEMs are advancing smart factories to optimise assembly lines, improve quality and reduce errors, leveraging connected data for digital twins and AI-driven manufacturing planning. AMS
Porsche: Inside the Macan paintshop During our recent AMS Livestream on developing and operating more sustainable, flexible paintshops, Henning Steinborn, head of paintshop and Klaus Koberg, who is head of paintshop Maintenance, both from Porsche’s Leipzig plant, offered some insights into how the premium vehicle maker has developed its paint operations Nick Holt
Every production challenge has a cloud solution at ZF Chief digital officer René Deist tells the AMS Evolution Summit how the global tier one supplier is using the cloud to transform manufacturing and better leverage data analytics and artificial intelligence AMS
Watch: Shopfloor revolution – how data, software and AI are rebooting production OEMs and suppliers are transforming vehicle production through data and connectivity as much as hardware, with new artificial intelligence opportunities emerging. Watch this AMS Livestream Hour to hear about the standards, systems and applications underpinning these changes, with insight from robotics experts at VDMA, AI robotics firm Symbio and Fraunhofer IPA. AMS
Porsche production: moving faster around the bend Porsche’s top manufacturing executive, Albrecht Reimold, explains the carmaker’s progress towards sustainable, connected manufacturing, and why he thinks the automotive industry needs to talk less and act more when comes to solving production problems Pascal Nagel Yannick Tiedemann
Volkswagen’s plan to digitise its global production network Volkswagen is looking to completely overhaul its manufacturing capacity through a strategy of digitalisation across the North American region. Using artificial intelligence, cobots, and integrated in-house cloud systems, the company is laying the basis for its planned total upgrade of the entire global supply network. Jason Dunn
AI, apps, and automation: How Volkswagen aims to transform North American manufacturing with digital drive Digitalisation is the word of the day when it comes to streamlining the production process and making data more transparent. While cars themselves have rapidly developed and become more advanced, the manufacturing process is now following suit. Jason Dunn
A production transformation that will last 20 years at Volkswagen Christian Vollmer at Volkswagen discusses how virtual tools have helped production move during the pandemic, why cross-plant collaboration has accelerated and VW’s evolving manufacturing strategies to ramp up EV production. Pascal Nagel Yannick Tiedemann
Making shopfloor management an asset in the smart factory No matter how comprehensive the digitalisation and automation, the human factor still drives the modern smart factory. And yet, the intersection of man and machine, the shopfloor management, needs a rethink to become an asset in the data driven production line. Report by Chris Löwer Chris Löwer
AI and automation in automotive production need people and quality data to succeed In the automotive industry’s relentless quest for efficiency, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) may seem like silver bullets, and panellists at the recent AMS livestream hour agreed that these rapidly improving technologies can indeed bring enormous benefits. However, the road to successful automation is one with a fair few obstacles. Illya Verpraet
The human side of artificial intelligence The robots are coming, and we should all be welcoming them, according to BMW, which has a plan to introduce AI to its factories, starting from grassroots initiatives. Report by Illya Verpraet Illya Verpraet
Audi mobile maintenance app keeps Ingolstadt in the know Maintenance teams at the Ingolstadt factory have a new app on test, developed an inhouse to provide live updates from across the assembly process direct to their smartphones Mike Farish
Building Volkswagen’s Industrial Cloud Volkswagen Group’s landmark project with Amazon Web Services will help to connect all its global factories, and eventually the spply chain as well. At the core of the project is a drive to establish a standard software stack that will transform the way production IT is developed and implemented across Volkswagen locations. Christopher Ludwig
A proactive approach Predictive maintenance offers big gains in production efficiency. Mike Farish looks at some examples of how these systems have been developed and applied Mike Farish
Digitalised energy saving Vehicle production has become increasingly digitalised, with a variety of different tools helping workers on production lines. These tools can also help reduce energy usage. Michael Nash provides an insight Michael Nash
On a twinning streak Creating a digital twin of manufacturing operations can deliver development and efficiency benefits. Mike Farish reports Mike Farish
Collective thinking Michael Nash and Closer collaboration between product development and production teams could lead to significant improvements in vehicle manufacturing processes. Ford Otosan holds a unique position. Michael Nash reports
Forging a future in Factory 56 New car manufacturing facilities will need to be highly flexible as the trends of vehicle electrification and autonomous driving continue to evolve. Mercedes-Benz futuristic ‘Factory 56’ paves a new path. By Christopher Ludwig and Michael Nash Michael Nash Christopher Ludwig
