Siemens supports Volkswagen in developing digital electric vehicle production

Date:2020-04-20 21:42:36

• Siemens automation technology supports Volkswagen in the production of its first new-generation electric vehicles • Together with Volkswagen, Siemens sets standards for the future Volkswagen electric vehicle series • Volkswagen plans to increase the automation level of its body shop and final assembly line to 89% and 28% respectively. Siemens will provide support to Volkswagen's electric vehicle production plant in Zwickau. The company has already provided products and systems for two production lines at the plant and helped develop an automation standard that can be used for mass production of multiple different models. "We need to improve the automation level of the production process while reducing complexity. As our long-term partner and one of the enterprises in industrial automation and digitization, Siemens possesses the necessary expertise in this field for industry applications, which is why we chose to cooperate with Siemens," said Thomas Zembok, head of factory automation and digital production at Volkswagen.
   It is expected that by 2025, the annual production volume of electric vehicles under the Volkswagen brand will reach up to 1.5 million units. To achieve this level of mass production, its Zwickau factory will be converted to produce electric vehicles and extensively digitized by the end of 2020. The electric vehicles under the Volkswagen brand are based on the MEB platform (Modular Electric Drive Matrix), which includes a battery and two axles. Depending on the design, one or both axles will be driven by electricity. The production factories for MEB platform models use the sixth-generation VASS (Volkswagen Audi Seat Skoda) standard, which includes automation solutions for hardware, software, and visualization, as well as materials for application training and skill enhancement.
   "Leveraging the VASS standard, we have provided a modular system for stable production and achieved mass production of different vehicle models based on the same production line. At the same time, we are creating a unified foundation for the further digitization of the production process," said Thomas Zembok of Volkswagen.
   Currently, the first production line for the body shop and final assembly has been put into use and started mass production. The second production line is currently under implementation and is scheduled to be operational in the autumn of 2020. Both production lines utilize Siemens technology, including TIA Portal, Simatic controllers, HMI panels, and industrial computers. This will increase the automation level of the final assembly line from 17% to 28%, and the automation level of the body shop from 85% to 89%. With the use of equipment such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs), the logistics sector will also be further seamlessly integrated into the entire value chain. The Zwickau factory plans to start manufacturing six models based on the MEB platform for the group's three brands in 2021. The ID.3 is the first new-generation electric vehicle to roll off the production line since November.
   Bernd Mangler, Senior Vice President of the Automotive Industry Solutions Division at Siemens Digital Industries, stated, "The advantage of the VASS standard is that Volkswagen can adjust its scale according to the corresponding production plans of other factories." He emphasized, "The new VASS standard is a crucial step in the further digitization of Volkswagen's production, offering numerous benefits such as unified control of production machine operating parameters and seamless communication between machines, ultimately leading to improved productivity and production efficiency."