The name "Transparent Factory" stands for the development of an entirely new production concept in the German metropolis on the Elbe River, Dresden; it was created especially for the production of the Phaeton. The goal of this production site: to implement a world-leading level of quality in car making.
Individual components are delivered to the plant from other Volkswagen plants and external suppliers via a separate logistics centre outside of the city. Two zero-emissions logistics trains powered by electric motors (CarGoTrams) shuttle between this delivery and warehousing terminal at Dresden's "Freight Transportation Centre" and the "Transparent Factory". The 60 metre long logistics trains make use of the city's public streetcar system for the 18 minute long trip.
The logistics trains were specially developed by a German machine factory for their intended use in Dresden. They deliver prefabricated components to the subterranean logistics level of the "Transparent Factory" just in time. Components of the luxury saloon arrive as sequenced deliveries immediately before assembly. From the logistics level, individual parts and preassembled modules (e.g. seats and instrument panel) are transported in automatically guided boxes – a "driverless transport system" (DTS) accompanying the entire assembly process - to the "floor-mounted conveyor". The advantage: Parts are no longer stored on shelving alongside the production line, and this eliminates unnecessary paths.
Yet, the DTS accomplishes even more. An example is the "marriage" of chassis, drivetrain and body: Chassis components are fully assembled, and the transmission, engine and exhaust system are installed on the lower level of the "Transparent Factory". The DTS automatically takes this stately assembly of technology to the second floor in a transparent elevator to what is known as Cycle 34. That is where the module is joined to the body on the floor-mounted conveyor.
The only aspect common to both the floor-mounted conveyor and conventional conveyor belts lies in their cycle control of assembly steps; this refers to the distribution of production into stations such as the "marriage" (mounting of the engine). The surface of the floor-mounted conveyor consists entirely of light-coloured maple-clad elements on which the vehicles are securely mounted and conveyed; but the vehicles can be rotated and moved up or down on elevating platforms. The overall situation resembles a Formula-1 workshop more than an assembly line with its parquet flooring and well-organised sorting of assembly parts in "part boxes".
Since the vehicles in the "Transparent Factory" are assembled on three vertical levels, an "electric overhead conveyor" (EOC) is used; this conveyor transports the cars through airy heights to other vertical floors and to special assembly cycles such as fueling: Here the entire car "hovers" in from above, is lowered by hydraulics to working height and is simultaneously swivelled 90 degrees.
Subdivision of the production process into precise assembly cycles, the markedly well-organised and clean production situation, optimally trained production workers and continual production controls by "quality control loop points", Volkswagen actually does achieve a world's top level of production quality.
Quality assurance dominates throughout the production process. Just two examples here: The seats are checked by a 3D measurement machine so that uniform ergonomic properties can always be ensured. The second example relates to the wood trim used in the interior: All interior woods are inspected and selected by specialists so that each car gets individually matched and fault-free grained wood that is press-laminated with up to 30 different material layers.
The individual production cycles were adapted to the people working in production. Take the example of the "Manipulator": This is a machine helper that can be navigated by a roller system; workers use it to align large parts such as entire instrument panels for installation in the body, easier than before and with millimetre precision.
Toward the end of the production process, the cars are transported via electric overhead conveyor from the top floor of the "Transparent Factory in Dresden" to the middle level where they are once again placed on the floor-mounted conveyor. Now the process of final assembly begins. This is followed by further quality checks, a test drive on the factory's test track and water spraying in a leak checking unit. As soon as all of these checks have been passed, the luxury class Volkswagens are released to Sales on the lower level for worldwide delivery or directly to customers who are picking up their cars in person in the Event area.
Notes:
All features, data and prices contained in this press packet apply to models offered in Germany. They may differ in other countries. All information is subject to change and correction.
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