Visitors’ Book
Volkswagen Visitors’ Services Wolfsburg
Contents
Who makes
a Golf a Golf?
The people.
Their passion.
The plant.
We build cars for people. We are constantly reinventing them – that’s what
we call the art of engineering. When
we design, develop, and produce new
cars, we are looking for new answers:
How will we drive tomorrow? How can
we become even more sustainable,
even more intelligent, even better? We
aim for perfection in our products and
production so that we can continue to
combine mobility and great driving with
quality in future.
Navigation
Contents
Map of the plant
Europe’s favorite car is produced at the Wolfsburg
plant. At the different stations along our tour,
you will find out how it is made. Under the heading “Talking about ...”, you can find out more
about what happens behind the scenes.
Visitors’ Services
Press shop
1
2
Talking about: Design and tool making
Body shop
Kästorf
Talking about: Maintenance
Power station
Alt Wolfsburg
Paint shop
North Gate
5
Gate to R+D
South East Gate
3
Talking about: Hands-on quality assurance
workshop
Nordstrasse
7
4
Assembly line
5
Talking about: Vocational training
Weststrasse
4
Sandkamp
6
Mittelstrasse
2
Sandkamp Gate
Test rigs
Talking about: The Ehra- Lessien testing site
East Gate
3
Südstrasse
Tower block
8
Gate 6
1
Gate 17
Power station
AutoStadt
Logistics
7
Talking about: The digital factory
Think Blue. Factory.
Wolfsburg
6
8
“How is a car made?”
Hassan Bedzoro and
Torsten Cramm have
the answer to this
fascinating question!
1.1
1.2
1.3
Start
Visitors’ Services
Tour guide:
Thursday, 2.30 p.m., Gate 17: “Welcome to Volks-
site where seat covers were once sewn. Hassan
Torsten Cramm
wagen AG in Wolfsburg,” says the tour guide from
Bedzoro shows his visitors the film of the Golf
Born:
Visitors’ Services. “My name is Torsten Cramm
being produced. It presents facts in an enter-
1973 in Brunswick
and I’m looking forward to showing you round
taining way: more than 550,000 people work for
Training:
the factory today.” The group consists of univer-
Volkswagen around the world. The Group has
Automotive
sity graduates who will be starting their career at
over 50,000 employees in Wolfsburg. The Golf,
mechanic,
Volkswagen. They are particularly interested in
Touran and Tiguan are made here. Production of
interpreter
seeing the Golf being produced. The 39-year-old
the Golf Plus will continue until the end of 2013
Languages:
tour guide gives each guest a warm welcome. He
before being replaced by its successor in 2014.
German, English,
takes them across the road and up some stairs to
Every working day, some 3,800 new vehicles leave
French
watch a film that shows how ideas are developed
the plant on their way to customers. “Do you offer
Hobbies:
from conception to production.
vocational training?” an interested visitor asks.
“We signed 666 vocational training agreements
Traveling,
motorsports
For 13 years now, Torsten Cramm has been taking
Dream:
VIPs and specialist groups on a journey through
from mechatronics technicians to industrial clerks
To drive a
the world of future Volkswagens. Like most of his
and even cooks,” Bedzoro replies.
Lamborghini
18 colleagues at Visitors’ Services, the trained me-
Gallardo LP570-4
chanic started off in production and knows his way
Torsten Cramm is showing the young academics
Superleggera
around. He is also fluent in two foreign languages.
around the plant. “The birthplace of Europe’s
last year in 24 trades and professions ranging
largest car maker is very special,” he explains. The
Hassan Bedzoro greets a group of tourists to
inspiration for technological innovation comes
Volkswagen’s Autostadt: “Ladies and gentlemen,
from Group Research in Wolfsburg, while the
on behalf of Volkswagen, I would like to welcome
plant’s design center determines the appearance
you to Wolfsburg, home to the Volkswagen Group.”
and form of future Volkswagens. “That’s all going
He introduces himself, making sure that every-
on in the background while we make our way
one can hear him. Then the 43-year-old explains
through production,” Torsten Cramm says, steer-
what brought him to the Company: “Before I came
ing his visitors towards the production halls. The
to Volkswagen, I spent eight years presenting the
tour lasts an hour and 20 minutes. By the time it
Bentley brand to an international audience.
is over, they will have covered seven kilometers
Bentley is one of twelve brands that belong to this
without having even left the halls.
global company.” The group has now reached the
plant itself. A visitors’ center now stands on the
1.4
“What we want
to convey to our
visitors is how
dynamically Volkswagen and all of
its employees are
constantly evolving.
Come and visit us
again soon!” says
Marion Just, Head
of Volkswagen
Visitors’ Services
in Wolfsburg.
Start
1.5
Visitors’ Services
Volkswagen Group (worldwide/as of Dec. 2012)
Wolfsburg plant (as of Dec. 2012)
Brands:
Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi,
SEAT, Sģ KODA, Bentley, Bugatti,
Capacity:
Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati,
VW employees: approx. 50,000
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles,
Plant area:
6.57 square kilometers
Golf, Golf Plus, Tiguan, Touran
Scania, MAN
Hall space:
1.9 square kilometers
Production:
approx. 37,700 vehicles daily
Road network:
75 kilometers
Employees:
approx. 550,000
Rail network:
70 kilometers
Sites:
100
Tour guide:
He takes a seat behind the steering wheel. The
malleability. 600 parts are assembled and end
Hassan Bedzoro
open-topped train allows its passengers to expe-
up looking like one.” Hassan Bedzoro welcomes
Born:
rience the tour with all their senses. It follows the
guests in German, English and his native language
1969 in Mombasa,
same route as the innumerable logistics vehicles
Swahili. He was born in Kenya and has a soft
Kenya
that deliver material for installation exactly when
spot for history. He is always happy to show vis-
Training:
it is needed. “You can see that some operations
itors traces of the Company’s past.
Hotel clerk,
are done by hand, while just next door, wheels are
guest relations
assembled fully automatically by robots. During
Now he takes his guests up to the gallery over-
manager
the whole process, the car body never stays still,”
looking the body shop. “Ladies and gentlemen,
Languages:
Swahili, English,
says Cramm as they watch the assembly line.
“This fluid transition is truly innovative.” The tour
here you can see one of our robot ballet performances,” he says. That is what they have come to
German
continues – passing close by machines, robots and
see. Enthralled, they watch the new Golf platform
Hobbies:
staff.
being made. “Did you know that the Golf is a car
Volleyball,
1.6
approx. 3.800 vehicles daily:
for individualists?” Bedzoro asks. “I don’t think
traveling
Since 1948, more than seven million guests have
that any two identical cars leave the plant in one
Dream:
visited the plant. Every year, 200,000 visitors
year.” Customers can choose between almost
To travel the world
come to experience production at close quarters,
endless variants with different colors, engine types
in a VW Amarok
including 40,000 trade visitors and Company
and fittings, he explains.
19 women and
men work as tour
guests from around the globe. Most of them come
After the tour, Torsten Cramm and Hassan Bedzoro
guides at Visitors’
stadt. Volkswagen’s experienced employees from
field the visitors’ questions. A short break and they
Services in Wolfs-
Visitors’ Services regularly talk to their colleagues
are both off again: the next guests, from Holland
burg. In eight
in the different production areas to ensure that
and the USA, are waiting to see for themselves how
languages, they
they are always up to date on new developments.
value has been defined here in Wolfsburg for over
explain to people
They tailor their tours individually to each group
60 years.
from all over the
to collect their new vehicle or to visit the Auto-
of visitors in terms of content, language and age
world how a car
group, and each guide has developed his or her
is made – up close
own topical tours.
and on site.
Torsten Cramm, for example, has specialized in
logistics and the body shop: “I find steel a fascinating material, with its blend of solidity and
Heat and gentle giants
mold the steel plate into perfect shape. Every
day, we direct several
tons through our press
shop.
2.1
2.2
2.3
Station
Press shop
Before it is put to
use for the first
time, each tool has
to be tested in this
tryout press to see
what it is capable
of. It is only put into
operation when it
creates perfect
body parts.
Deep drum beats echo through the halls – press
Here in press shop I, shells for side panels, doors,
strokes blend into the steady rhythm of produc-
lids and hoods that already suggest the car’s final
tion. Every day, 2,600 metric tons of sheet steel
shape are produced by cold forming. Heavy-duty
are shaped in the world’s largest press shop; more
trucks carry the blanks to their next port of call,
than 420,000 body parts are formed here. The
where the two-dimensional blanks are given their
facility covering an area of 78,000 square meters
final, three-dimensional shape. A gentle giant
is in a constant process of renewal. The focus is
is waiting for the blanks on line 500: the large-
equally on effectiveness and sustainability.
capacity vacuum press is 80 meters long and can
achieve a maximum force of 7,700 metric tons of
Just in time, rail cars arrive on the lower level of
pressure (77,000 kN). To absorb vibrations, the
the press shop loaded with steel coils – sheet steel
press is installed on reinforced concrete foun-
on rolls, each weighing between five and 30 tons.
dations extending 25 meters into the ground. In
The dimensions of the coils depend on the size of
addition, the six press strokes are time-staggered.
the final parts. The precious material is used sparingly; cut-offs and scraps are fully recycled. The
Tools each comprising a punch and a die grad-
steel plate is between 0.6 and 2.5 millimeters thick,
ually give the blanks their final form. One such
depending on whether the body part will fulfill
behemoth weighing up to 50 tons stands behind
optical or safety requirements in the vehicle.
each of the six gates on the press line. Blank
holders hold the part in place. The part is shaped
A ceiling-mounted crane lifts each giant coil and
in a deep-drawing process by driving the ram
transports it to the cutting unit for blanks. Just like
down with full force. This is where the designers’
a roll of household aluminum foil, the coil is un-
ideas are brought to fruition. The line that gives
rolled and straightened out. Quality is important,
the new Golf its dynamic appearance, for example,
even at this early stage in the process. This is why
can be seen on the tool at this stage. Compared
the cutting unit is fully enclosed to prevent dust
to the tremendous force exerted by the giant press,
from contaminating the sheet metal blanks. With
the parts are carried from one stage to the next
a force of 800 metric tons (8,000 kN), the tool cuts
extremely gently: vacuum cups driven by com-
out up to two blanks in a single stroke. The geom-
pressed air lift the metal carefully and move it to
etry of the blanks is selected to minimize off-cuts.
the next tool. Each part is inspected visually for
flaws by staff. They also take samples and compare
them exactly with the original plans to make sure
that the dimensions and appearance are right.
2.4
Station
2.5
Press shop
Even small changes can have a major impact:
EȌciency increase since 2010
by installing a more eȗcient electronic transfer
By 2014: 9.6%
system within the press lines and using modern disc
Target for 2018: 25%
2.6
lasers for cutting body parts, Volkswagen saves
9,970 megawatt hours per year.
The production method used for each part
required, the investment will pay off. The B-pillar,
depends on its size and function in the future car.
which used to comprise five sheets that had to be
Parts that give the Golf its structure and ensure
produced and then welded together, is now just
optimum crash performance are hot formed
one ultra-high-strength part. This reduces the raw
in press shop II. They include side members, side
materials required, the cost of production and the
reinforcements, the B-pillar between the seats,
weight of the parts. Drivers of the new Golf will not
and the A-pillar at the passengers’ knee height.
only notice the advantages in the case of a crash,
but permanently due to its low energy consump-
The material – a steel alloy with manganese and
tion.
boron – is up to 1.85 mm thick and comes in sheet
form. It is slowly heated to 950 degrees in a gas-
Following inspection, the body parts from press
fired oven. A robot removes the red-hot metal and
shop I and II are stowed in special containers
stroke by stroke inserts it into the pressing tool,
and transported to the warehouse, where they are
where the body parts are shaped in one operation.
stored for further processing at one of the Group’s
At the same time, water flows through the tool,
other plants – or at the body shop next door.
cooling the parts quickly to 180 degrees. To prevent
the steel from corroding in the heat, it is additionally coated with an ultrathin layer of an aluminum and silicon alloy that will last longer than the
car’s entire life cycle. Hot-formed body parts do
not require a zinc coating.
This process of heating and rapidly cooling the
metal causes the atoms to be rearranged in a new
structure. As a result, these body parts are much
stronger than cold-formed parts. However, their
greater strength also means that they can only
be cut and punched using laser cutting machines.
As the new Golf goes into production, Volkswagen
is introducing hot forming in its own production
processes. Despite the increased amount of energy
The compound
progressive press
unrolls steel from
a coil, straightens
it out, molds it into
shape in several
operations and
then separates the
finished body part –
just one tool for an
entire process.
2.7
Talking about:
Design and
tool making
How does a sketch on paper become a body of
the same emphasis is back – but as an edge incor-
steel? And what makes a Golf look like a Golf? Time
porated within the steel shell itself, starting from
after time, it is the Golf itself that inspires the
the fender and running all the way around the
next generation of Golfs. 48 months before serial
side. And it even extends as far as the head and tail
production, previous generations of the Golf are
lights. It lends character and draws the eye down
lined up in the hall while competitive teams of
closer to the road. “It has attitude,” say the de-
designers pitch ideas to one another. From the first
signers with real satisfaction. They want to take the
stroke of the pencil, they know they can rely on the
sleek, agile vehicle to the road as it is.
2.8
innovative strength of all departments working
side-by-side on the development and subsequent
But as everyone knows, paper, pixels and plasti-
It takes a life-size
production of the vehicle. That is the only reason
cine have different physical properties to steel. Is
plasticine model
they would dare draw such clear lines with the
it even possible to fold the steel coating like that?
before the designers
narrowest of edges in the outer shell of the car.
Volkswagen toolmakers initially look for virtual
can be sure all the
answers to this question. Their task is to make the
lines, proportions
Legal requirements play a key role in develop-
edge as sharp as possible without letting the metal
and transitions are
ment, as do in-house strategies. The Modular
tear. Using a deep-drawing process, rolls of sheet
exactly right.
Transverse Toolkit (MQB), which only defines the
steel are stretched by up to 25 percent and laid by
distance from the front wheel axle to the pedals,
the tool over all the hills and valleys of the surface.
has been a source of inspiration, because it en-
The toolmakers have to guarantee the surface
ables new proportions: a longer wheelbase, a
quality of the parts and the reliability of the tools
shorter overhang at the front, and a little lower
in the process.
and wider overall. Designers simply call it
“sportier”.
Many sketches later, the conceptual accent
emerges that will eventually grace the clear line
of the Golf 7. The basic design decision is soon
made in favor of this horizontal line and the
continuity of its appeal assured. This is because
it is reminiscent of the Golf of 1974. Back then,
a chrome strip divided the elevated side panel.
Almost 40 years and six Golf generations later,
Talking about:
Design and tool making
2.9
2.10
The narrow curve of the edge is not the only
Now the toolmakers start getting down to the
challenge facing them. Up close, the door of the
nuts and bolts. First they create a model on a 1:1
Golf bears some similarity to a roller coaster, with
scale from a huge block of white polystyrene. It is
its alternating concave and convex surfaces and
molded in cast iron steeped in fine sand. When
the extreme edge in between. Toolmakers know
subjected to heat, the polystyrene evaporates and
that the greater the number of directions in which
the cast iron then fills up the space left behind.
the metal has to turn, the higher the risk of it
Toolmakers refer to this as a “lost model process”.
tearing.
There are still 24 months until start of serial
For each individual tool, they first have to make
The toolmakers
a new polystyrene model, which then evaporates
have a hand in
again.
ensuring the huge
tools form the so-
production. What the toolmakers are looking for
now is the reliability of the process. They start
The outer shell of a door is made in six suc-
phisticated design
with a radius of exactly one millimeter for the
cessive steps. The first one involves the metal
lines in the steel
designer edge. That is cutting it too fine, so they
being pulled into shape and in the next five steps
shell with the right
gradually work their way up the scale in tenths
it receives its edges, holes and ridges. Six tools
amount of precision
of a millimeter. It turns out 1.5 millimeters is the
with a die plate (below) and a punch (above) are
every time.
minimum they can rely on – provided they use the
made: six lost models, six castings, six sandings –
right steel. Its “flow properties” between the die
first coarse and then fine. A giant tool of 300 parts
and the punch are crucial. Now they just have to
weighing 50 tons is the end product of this process
achieve the same result in the other tool sets – for
and needs to be broken in or adjusted before use.
the outer shell of the doors, the side panels and
Like the process for fitting false teeth, color coding
the fender. That signature edge, which is included
is used to show the technicians where further
in four body parts on each side, has to look like
refinement is needed. By the time SOP (start of
one line drawn at exactly the same height, 2,400
production) comes around, it can be relied upon
times a day.
to add the necessary character to the steel shell –
800 times a shift, 2,400 times a day and 3.5 million
During the technical development phase, the
“physical data control model” – the real prototype
of the Golf 7 – emerges. This is the basis for all
further steps. But even after procurement release,
there are still 18 months to go until start of serial
production.
times over its total service life.
Electric boogie to
a 50-second beat:
in perfect rhythm,
robots join 600 parts
to create a perfect
Golf body.
3.1
3.2
3.3
Station
Body shop
The RFID transponder knows
the exact features
of the future vehicle and guides it
through production.
The information
is also printed as a
numerical code for
humans to read.
The body shop
The body shop is filled with the rhythmic beat of
From a bird’s eye perspective, the structure of
covers 122,300
robots dancing in a precisely choreographed se-
the body shop resembles a river basin. Individual
square meters,
quence, controlled by computers. All in all, 1,800
parts are joined together in small streams and
big enough
robots and 2,500 people work here. A high degree
tributaries. As complete assemblies, they join the
for 16 football
of automation ensures consistently high quality
main river, where they are fused with the car body.
in all joining processes. When it comes to the cars’
A Volkswagen is built from bottom to top. The
look, experienced craftsmen are needed.
Golf starts with the right-hand rear side member.
pitches.
In hall 4 on the ground floor of the MQB center,
The body shop points far into the carmaker’s fu-
“Robbi 9100” is waiting. The robot gets its informa-
ture: every operation, every automation and every
tion from the vehicle information system, writes
plant is standardized. This new Group standard
a code on the RFID transponder, translates it into
reduces production costs and gives customers
a sequence of numbers, and lasers it onto the
the assurance that wherever a Volkswagen is made,
paper chip sheath for humans to read. Now the
the same high quality is guaranteed. The produc-
future Golf is as unique as a fingerprint.
tion planners faced the huge challenge of implementing major changes in a minimum of space in
the historical factory halls.
The flow of information in the body shop is accelerated thanks to radio frequency identification.
This enables different systems to communicate
The body of the new Golf is now built more sus-
with each other and the downstream stations to
tainably, flexibly, quietly and effectively than ever
recognize the details of the car-to-be – whether
before. The Group’s innovative MQB (Modular
it will have two or four doors, a right or left-hand
Transverse Toolkit) platform, for example, is used
steering wheel, a panoramic sunroof or not. Even
for all model ranges in the Group with engines that
at this stage, there are 78 different body variants.
are mounted transversely to the direction of travel.
As identical parts are installed in all models, the
The MQB divides the underbody into three parts:
MQB platform is reminiscent of a child’s construc-
front, back and middle. The three subassemblies
tion set. But this doesn’t mean that the Group’s
are manufactured in parallel and joined togeth-
vehicles are more alike: the only thing they have in
er in framers. These are part of the new global
common except the position of the engine is the
standard and make production much more flex-
distance between the front axle and the pedals. In
ible. Previously, a jig in a cabin brought the parts
all other aspects of the car’s geometry, the design-
together so that they could be welded. Now, the
ers and builders are given free rein.
RFID code requests the right frame for the inner
3.4
Station
3.5
Body shop
An idea developed at Volkswagen reduces energy
By utilizing technical heat waste, the body shop
consumption during transport through production
generates 1,950 megawatt hours per year.
3.6
by 80 percent: doors reach the point where they
are installed by means of gravity.
side member from the robot. This is attached to
The car body glides into the station for mounting
the underbody assembly and remains there until
parts. In the tributaries, the inner panels for
it is welded into place. The outer side member and
the doors, lids and covers are equipped with lock
roof are joined in a similar way. Up to four models
mountings, reinforcements and window frames.
can be produced on each of the two body shop
Right next door, the outer shells for the doors,
lines.
lids and covers are being made. Once they have
been joined to their respective inner part, they are
Where metal is processed, there is noise. How-
transported to the car body via lifting mechanisms
ever, the new body shop is considerably quieter
installed high under the roof. From here, the doors
thanks to the use of servo-pneumatic welding
are propelled over a distance of 120 meters down
heads. They join the parts together without hitting
a slight incline by their own weight. The gravity
the metal. Guided by robots, they close on the way
conveyor with a brake module recovers almost the
to the part and open on the way back. “Sensitive”
same amount of energy over this distance as re-
heads such as these are also used in laser welding
quired by the lifting mechanism to raise the body.
for joining high-strength body panels. These parts
The concept was developed by Wolfsburg engi-
make the vehicle much lighter overall, while im-
neers as part of efforts to boost energy efficiency.
proving its comfort and safety. They create more
space for getting into the car and reduce its weight
Now experienced workers with an eye for detail
by 800 grams at the base of the B-pillar alone. At
are needed: they recognize the smallest deviations
the top of the inner side panel, two hot-formed
in the gap widths. Under artificial daylight, each
profiles offer additional protection for passengers
body is subjected to the experts’ scrutiny. Only
if the car rolls over – something that only the new
immaculate bodies are carried along the roller
Golf has.
conveyor towards the paint shop.
Welding generates heat. Especially with the maximum-strength steel plate used in the Golf, welding
could produce a “metallurgic dent” – a relative
weak point. If the car were to crash, this would be
more likely to rupture. However, as this only
applies to very straight laser seams, the laser head
welds these seams in a zigzag to protect future
passengers.
From production
in the press shop
to installation, the
outer shell of the
door only has to
cover a short distance. Short transport routes ensure
higher quality,
something that the
planners keep in
mind when building
the production
lines.
3.7
Talking about:
Maintenance
Christina Wienecke,
Christian Quandt
and Christian
Ulbrich from the
laser-head team.
Every day, 400
When the phone rings, they have to act quickly.
problem, they call in a specialist from the work-
people are on site
The laser machines of the side panel produc-
shop, where one special team is assigned for every
in the body shop
tion line are not working properly – alarm level:
joint procedure: resistance spot-welding, gluing,
to handle any main-
amber. The machine operator immediately alerts
arc welding, clinching and lock-seaming. The laser
tenance issues –
the maintenance team. Here in the body shop,
team is responsible for the laser heads. Specialists
they ensure the
perfection is the name of the game, and a minor
are available on site to deal with the claws of the
quality and trouble-
incident cannot be allowed to trigger a major
robots that actually handle the car parts. The robot
free functioning of
outage. Electrician Christina Wienecke and me-
teams know each of the robots working in the
all manufacturing
chanic Christian Quandt are already on their
Wolfsburg production halls personally. They main-
equipment.
way, by bicycle.
tain all the machinery and manufacturing equipment whenever the machines are switched off
“It’s the laser-brazing lens,” says Christina Wie-
for routine breaks. The main objective is to avoid
necke after a single glance at the screen in front
any incidents occurring between maintenance
of the machine. The lens seals the joint at the
checks, but despite all precautions, there is always
rear of the vehicle where the side panel and trunk
potential for something to go wrong.
opening overlap. The electrician first checks the
computer program via the control panel: “I’ve run
As in this case. Christian Ulbrich from the laser-
the lens again and everything is ok.” She puts the
head team jumps on his bike and rushes to the aid
robot that guides the lens into an accessible posi-
of his colleagues. He checks the last car body
tion and stops the machine that is run by a total of
produced by the unit with a fine-tooth comb – but
five robots. Quandt, the mechanic, cannot detect
everything is ok – and then announces: “We have
any signs of a crash. “This is a job for the laser-
to replace the lens.” He has brought a replacement
head team expert,” he says and unpacks his tools.
with him. He takes the defective laser-brazing lens
with him back to the workshop, where any faulty
Every shift, 60 women and men – all well-trained
components are repaired. If the quality and perfor-
mechanics and electricians – support the work
mance of the laser beam are deemed to be in order,
of the body shop. They are on-site service provid-
the brazing lens will get the seal of approval and
ers, who always turn up in teams of two in the
stay in the warehouse until it is needed again.
first instance. They are familiar with every single
machine in the new body shop and are able
Meanwhile, our three service providers are back
to assess any incidents quickly and decide on the
doing the rounds of the production machines – no
spot what to do. If they are unable to rectify a
doubt preventing the next potential outage.
3.8
In our paint shop, each
body is transformed
into a masterpiece. Only
its perfect outer skin
protects the car – come
sun, wind or rain.
4.1
4.2
4.3
Station
Paint shop
When the body shells arrive at the paint shop,
subsequent drying process initiates a chemical
they are still a uniform gray color. But that is about
reaction, bonding the cathodic coat permanently
to change: the paint shop’s 1,900 employees and
to the metal surface.
4.4
232 robots make sure that each Volkswagen is
given an unblemished skin. More than ten million
car bodies have already been transformed into
masterpieces in this vast 30,000-square-meter hall.
The Golf enters and leaves the coating tank
“headfirst”. The angle of immersion is important
to ensure that the entire body is washed with the
solution. Production planners discovered that
The body shells are delivered to hall 12, where
the immersion angle has an impact on the results.
Precision counts
they are individually attached to transport frames
They analyze all steps in the production process
at every step along
and first of all take a bath to remove lubricants,
with a view to optimizing productivity and im-
the way – from
oils and greases. The process is repeated ten times,
proving the quality of the results.
sealing the body
shell to repairing
because the metal must be entirely free from impurities for the filler and top coats to adhere per-
This stage is followed by a first visual quality
work clothes by
manently. The skin of a Volkswagen consists of
check. A skid then carries the body via an “air
staff affected by
five layers: first comes the zinc phosphate primer,
bridge” to the next stage, where the underbody is
disabilities.
followed by a cathodic dip coating, a filler coat,
sealed. The first task now is to close all openings.
the top coat in the color ordered by the customer
Staff coat all the cut edges and joints between
and finally a protective clear coat.
the body panels with PVC. Robots seal the entire
underbody with a PVC layer so that water or
Although the processed steel sheet is galvanized,
stones can do no more damage. Bitumen mats
this protective layer can nevertheless easily get
are inserted for soundproofing. Then comes the
scratched in the body shop. For added protection,
next visual check.
each body is therefore coated with another layer
of zinc phosphate. Zinc phosphate protects
In individual booths, robots now apply the filler
against corrosion while acting as an undercoat for
coat, which evens out small irregularities and
the following layer, the cathodic dip coat, which
protects the car against stone chips by giving the
is applied in a combined electrochemical process.
outer skin a certain degree of elasticity. The filler
When the body is dipped in the tank with 500
is left to dry. Before the top coat is applied, trained
cubic meters of solution, a negative electric charge
employees inspect the quality in detail, removing
is applied so that the positively charged paint
every little irregularity. Then the body is cleaned,
particles adhere to the body. The heat in the
like in a car wash, except that it is a dry process.
Station
4.5
Paint shop
Volkswagen saves 10,075 megawatt hours every
EȌciency increase since 2010
year in the area of infrastructure alone: thanks to
By 2014: 15.3%
a new control system and fans, ventilation of hall
Target for 2018: 25%
4.6
15 b has become more eȗcient. A state-of-the-art
lighting concept is also in use.
Emu feathers remove even the tiniest specks of
It is not enough simply to look good. New paints
dust. All paint shop workers wear lint-free special
have to deliver the same high quality day after
clothing as even a thread of cotton could spoil
day over many years to qualify for this huge paint
the results.
shop that handles up to 2,800 car bodies per day.
The paint comes in steel containers holding one
Things are beginning to take on color. The base
metric ton each, with 15 to 20 containers of one
coat is applied. Handling robots open the doors,
color per delivery. First, the supplier sends a sam-
hood and lids, while painting robots apply paint
ple of one kilo of the new batch as well as a color
into the most remote corners of the interior. To
sample sheet. Employees in the color laboratory
protect the electronics, they all wear red overcoats
check the viscosity of the material and the number
made of an impermeable material. The outer
of color pigments. Only if the quality is right can
layer of paint is applied in an electrostatic process
the supplier send its product to Wolfsburg.
using high-speed rotary atomizers. Since painting
robots have become more flexible, human hands
The top layer of paintwork, the clear coat, gives the
are no longer required here. But new jobs have
car a sparkling appearance and ensures that the
been created in the paint shop: 110 members of
finish retains its initial gloss for many years. After
staff who are unable to exercise their previous
drying, it’s time to put on the spotlights. Each
profession due to an accident or illness are now
painted body passes through a brightly lit tunnel
employed as caretakers or to take care of the
on a conveyor belt. The lighting is designed to
machines and the protective clothing for other
avoid any shadows so that quality inspectors can
members of staff.
scrutinize the finish.
Customers can order the new Golf in any of
If the color and gloss are perfect, the final step
twelve standard colors. The most popular is “Deep
follows. One robot seals all cavities using hot wax;
Black”, closely followed by “Tungsten Silver”, a
the next one places mats in the roof as sound
new light gray metallic shade. “Pure White”, a par-
proofing. The brightly colored masterpieces now
ticularly luminous white, comes third. Volkswagen
make their way to assembly.
only uses water-based paints. All detergents and
cleaning agents are solvent-free and toxic heavy
chemicals have long been eliminated from the
process.
Robots paint while
humans control:
the monitor outside shows exactly
which Golf is arriving when, on
which skid and in
which color it will
leave the paint
shop shortly afterwards.
4.7
Talking about:
Hands-on quality
assurance workshop
Each participant
goes for a virtual
test drive. They can
see where they are
going on the screen,
while they hear
some car noises
and built-in defects
through their headphones.
Some 1,100 em-
The men and women spend three days looking
Is the underside of the steering wheel – something
ployees make the
at, sniffing, listening and feeling the Golf. This is
customers do not immediately see – ok, too?
quality decisions
where anyone checking the quality in the press
Training the next day consolidates what they have
within the produc-
shop, body shop, paint shop or in assembly work
learnt on the first day, as participants assess the
tion process. In the
develops a zero tolerance for error. The “hands-on
degree of perfection on all vehicle surfaces.
“hands-on quality
quality assurance workshop” is a learning expe-
assurance work-
rience based on what the customer will later see,
Every day after they come off the production line,
shop”, they review
smell, hear and touch. It sharpens all the senses.
several Volkswagens are driven about 30 kilome-
the content and
ters in normal road traffic by quality assurance
method of their
Eight employees at a time go through the self-
staff. A video of one such trip is played on a screen.
assessments.
learning program together. Then they each receive
Each participant goes on a virtual journey, sitting
a one-day training specifically tailored to their
down in the front of a Golf to check the acoustics,
particular department. But the training that takes
while driving for five minutes through Wolfsburg.
place on the 420-square-meter workshop premises
Car noises are played through the headphones –
is the same for each participant. Metal parts with
with some built-in defects. A loose screw can be
small imperfections await in a series of drawers.
heard, or the sound of wind whistling through
Is it a scratch, a bump or a dent? Or perhaps it’s
some imperfectly installed doors. Is that a rattle?
just soiled? People bend over towards the light,
They press a button every time they hear some-
hold things against the light, and go right up close
thing wrong and at the end they compare their
to every object, approaching it from all sides,
own results with the actual error rate.
before marking even the tiniest flaw they detect
either below or above the surface. A template
The highlight – as in the production process – is
then shows them if they have missed anything.
the final release of a vehicle from the production
line. The last task is to pretend to be a customer.
They touch everything that customers come into
The men and women proceed to the light tunnel
contact with several times a day when they are
where some look at the front end of the car first.
driving around – but today they do this on the wall
Others sit in it, test the buttons or feel the steering
rather than in the vehicle. Does this switch work
wheel. The learning goal today is that heightened
perfectly? Or that one? Should the electric window
senses need to be combined with systematic
opener be able to slot into one or two positions?
checks to detect any discrepancies. This degree
What does it feel like when it’s just right and what
of attention to detail will later be appreciated by
does it sound like? How does the leather smell?
every single customer.
4.8
The car ȋoats to the
next assembly stage.
Soon it will stand on
its own four wheels.
5.1
5.2
5.3
Station
Assembly
This is where the
Two assembly lines side by side on 128,000 square
Electric vehicles whir silently along tracks, pick-
body is transformed
meters. Here, 5,700 employees transform the
ing up empty containers and replacing them with
into a car – 230
painted Golf body into a complete vehicle with all
full ones. The containers are on lift-tilt devices,
5.4
operations, all
conveniences. They are helped by 160 robots and
which react to their fill level. As they empty, the
planned and
43 manipulators. At this point, the Golf diversifies
mechanism lifts them up and tilts them towards
The robot takes
trained in detail.
into an almost infinite number of variants. Logis-
the workers so they don’t have to bend over. The
the wheel from the
tics planning ensures that the material is sent to
individual parts, available in several variants, are
conveyor belt. It
the assembly line exactly when it is needed; ergo-
already presorted in the sequence in which they
takes a photograph
nomic design and sustainability safeguard human
are to be assembled. The car comes closer to com-
of the position of
pletion by the minute. All 230 steps and operations
the brake disk and
are planned and trained in detail.
holder. Then it
health and protect the environment.
turns the wheel to
The car body in “Pure White” floats into the south
side of hall 54. It is now just 1,500 parts short of
Sound absorption mats are inserted, pedal clusters
the position on the
being a Golf. At the moment, however, it is missing
mounted, door seals applied – all fit exactly thanks
photo, puts it into
another four: the doors have been removed to pre-
to compressed air. Workers take their place on
place and tightens
vent damage and taken to the ground floor where
ergonomic assembly seats, kick off from the floor
the screws.
work on them continues in parallel. The logistical
and glide comfortably into the car body to rivet the
challenge is to ensure that the doors are rejoined
serrated bar that joins the body to the windshield.
to the body on time to be assembled.
Primer to bond the window is applied by robots and
allowed to dry.
Production stage 0: Staff work on the front section
of the car with their backs to the direction of travel.
The body shell is fixed in place again, this time to
Previously, they had to walk backwards while
mount the dashboard. It has been assembled on
concentrating on assembly. In the production of
the floor below and is now lifted up to the assem-
the new Golf, they stand on moving conveyors
bly line just in time to be installed. It meets the
the length of a work cycle embedded in the floor.
body it is destined for in the right color and with
Now the workers can focus their attention fully
the ordered features. The key is in the ignition,
on attaching pneumatic springs and holding rods
the wire harness in a container. A white manipu-
under the hood. Only then are the printed assem-
lator grasps the instrument panel, swings it into
bly instructions attached under the hood for all
position and guides it into the body shell through
to see.
the left-hand door opening. It is first glued and
then screwed into place. Via transparent pipes,
Station
5.5
Assembly
Instead of a costly ventilation system, mobile
EȌciency increase since 2010
exhaust extraction systems accompany the body,
By 2014: 3%
absorbing exhaust directly at the exhaust pipe. This
Target for 2018: 25%
5.6
and a new technology for conveying and washing
the vehicles saves a total of 2,750 megawatt hours
per year!
the screws are brought into position propelled
container, clicks it into place. The front and rear
by compressed air. They are fastened by robots,
bumpers are attached. Robots and humans work
while humans control and document the process,
hand in hand on one assembly line. A robot takes
signing their name and the time on the vehicle
the wheel for this Golf from the conveyor belt. It
routing card accompanying the vehicle. The air is
takes a photograph of the position of the brake
filled with busy humming, whirring and hissing
disk and holder. Then it turns the wheel to the po-
sounds. Cable harnesses are unpacked and in-
sition on the photo, puts it into place and tightens
stalled inside the vehicle. A robot applies adhesive
the screws. The spare wheel is placed in the trunk
and the panorama sunroof is installed. Next door,
and the lid closed.
brake lines are being bent into shape, some 20
kilometers every day.
The Golf floats northwards to get its interior
fitted. Seats arrive at the assembly line in the right
Field B 8: The chassis and powertrain are joined
sequence. Then a center punch marks the neu-
to the body here. Many of these parts come
tral position and the steering wheel is installed.
from component plants – the engine from Salz-
Members of staff control the process, document
gitter, the gears and exhaust system from Kassel,
it and sign the routing card. Now the doors have
the chassis from Brunswick. They all arrive on
joined the car body and are assembled: back left,
the ground floor of the hall, where they are assem-
front left, back right and front right. A member
bled. Everything has to be perfect from the start
of staff attaches the rearview mirror while her col-
to ensure that all parts fit exactly. Assembly is fully
league fills the wiper unit and the tank.
automatic. Humans control the process, document it and sign the routing card. One robot closes
In hall 12, the car finally stands on its own four
the hood. Another applies adhesive to install the
wheels for the first time. Experienced employees
windows.
adjust the lid, hood and doors precisely. Finally,
The vehicles are tilted by 45 degrees on rotary
The engine roars, exhaust is extracted. Employees
hangers. A worker on a platform works from inside
print out the assembly protocol and attach it to
the car together with his colleague, who is standing
the vehicle routing card. Off to the test rig!
the radiator grille with the VW logo is mounted.
on the wooden floor, separated from him by the
car’s underbody. They insert brake and fuel lines
through gaps and attach the parking brake cables.
A worker turns around, takes the taillight out of a
The doors are
assembled downstairs, separately
from the body.
Right on time, they
meet up again on
the assembly line –
the four doors and
their Golf.
5.7
Talking about:
Tool mechanic,
“The ESP light won’t go off,” a customer could
Vocational training
holistically – the rest is pure logic.” She was 15 and
cook, office clerk –
say on arrival at a Volkswagen service center. Right
still attending secondary school when she decided
Volkswagen offers
now the tutor in the training center is asking:
to follow her passion for cars. She passed an online
24 different voca-
“What needs to be done?” Twelve trainees have a
tional training
options.
heated discussion as they think through the op-
5.8
test at Volkswagen in Wolfsburg that included “lots
of maths” and attached references and a covering
tions. Lisa Batke (20) reads out the error log and is
letter to her online application outlining her moti-
sure: “The wiring is faulty.” The future automotive
vation for the position. Then she was invited to
mechatronics technicians systematically check
attend a test in person and after a thorough inter-
the vehicles under the hood, the body and the
view she was given the good news.
wheels – because the correct diagnosis and precise
planning are essential.
Volkswagen awarded 666 training positions in
Wolfsburg last year , including 70 for automotive
In their first year of training, the future motor ve-
mechatronics technicians. Kevin Hoffmann was
hicle mechatronics technicians become familiar
one of the thousands who apply online every
with everything that moves a Volkswagen: auto-
year. Like Lisa, he was also successful – both are
motive engineering, chassis, brakes and trans-
enthusiastic, focused and reliable. And both of
mission. Then they gain practical experience by
them now have a fascinating time ahead of them.
rotating every three months through the different
Kevin Hoffmann will be working with trainees
A year in China,
technical departments. They also attend regular
from other departments to design a Golf GTI for
South Africa or the
classes in the training center. Kevin Hoffmann
the GTI meeting at Lake Wörther – developing it
USA? After passing
from the chassis upwards with his own two hands.
their exams, some
The customer is a member of the Management
employees are
Ehra-Lessien testing site. Where else would we
Board. Such demanding tasks are the reward for
drawn to experience
get that sort of opportunity?” He then went on to
hard work – anyone who makes it to the GTI team
the wide world of
(22) was working in Research and Development:
“We tested the chassis of future vehicles at the
experience Volkswagen quality control in the final
is already going places. In a year’s time, Kevin
the Volkswagen
assembly hall 12.
Hoffmann will have finished his training, and then
Group. The program
what? “I plan to study mechanical or electrical
Lisa Batke feels at ease – whether she is driving
to the vocational college for theory lessons or
puzzling over practical tasks with her colleagues.
“Many of the components are linked with one
another, so the processes have to be considered
“Wanderjahre”
engineering.” Lisa Batke wants to see the world:
(Years Abroad) are
“I am going to travel within the Group – to Bentley
good for both their
in England first.” Before she does, though, she will
personal and
be working hard to prepare for her final exams.
professional development.
The Ȋrst sound, the
Ȋrst few meters, the
Ȋrst test: following
production, every
Volkswagen has
to demonstrate its
qualities.
6.1
6.2
6.3
Station
Employees write
Each Volkswagen is put through its paces after
position. The operating temperature is at 90 de-
down the results
being assembled. Quality assurance experts check
grees Celsius – now it’s time to read the emission
of each test in the
every detail several times. Only then is the new
values to make sure they match the developers’
vehicle routing
Golf sent off on its journey to its new owner.
defaults. An employee prints out the protocol,
card. When the car
6.4
signs it and attaches it to the vehicle routing card.
leaves the plant,
At the beginning of each shift, all the workers on
this is archived for
the test rig have already covered their wrist-
ten years.
Test rigs
Now the Golf is given its first road test: 625 meters
watches and belt buckles with Velcro strips. The
over railway tracks, cobblestones and bumps. The
carpets in the Golf are protected with plastic.
vibration track is used for acoustic testing and sets
The ignition key is inserted and the engine turned
the standard in this vehicle class. A loose connec-
on. A Volkswagen employee drives the car 200
tion or a tool forgotten inside the vehicle would be
meters to one of the twelve Golf test rigs for axles,
noticed at this stage.
steering and headlights. A member of staff down
in the pit adjusts the axle toe and camber, while
The new vehicle has to withstand a monsoon to
his colleague on the level above is busy testing the
make sure that it is waterproof. A member of staff
headlights and proximity radar and calibrating
searches for traces of moisture in the interior.
the steering wheel. This is turned left to full lock
Finally, the quality inspectors read the barcode
and then right, and then back into the central
on the left-hand fender using a portable compu-
position so that the electronic system knows the
ter and check that all parts are correctly installed.
position for driving straight ahead.
Now the Golf passes through a light tunnel for the
The next stage is the brake and engine test. All of
every detail from the customer’s point of view:
fifth time. Men and women critically scrutinize
the up to 80 control units on board the Golf have
they sit on each seat in the car, inspect the work-
to be read to ensure that all electronic elements
manship of the interior trims, shelves, stowage
are perfectly synchronized. The tester takes his
spaces and controls. Their objective is to ensure
place on the driver’s seat, connects his mobile
consistent product quality, right down to the last
diagnosis adapter and drives onto the rollers.
detail. Only then does an inspector apply a green
A monitor tells him exactly what to do: “Brake
“Q” on a white background to the windscreen.
using the hand brake” or “Brake using the foot
Once more, Volkswagen has demonstrated quality
brake” at speeds of up to 120 km/h. While the car
and value in practice.
is on the roller test rig, the control units and
assistance systems like ESP are set to the ideal
The test rigs are
manned by 50
workers per shift.
6.5
Talking about:
The Ehra- Lessien
testing site
Name:
His workplace may be located in the heart of a
Pommer turns on his radio device, drives onto the
Oliver Pommer
tranquil pine forest, but cars have always moved
scales and takes the “advanced course” – off to the
Born:
him more than scenery. Oliver Pommer is a test
left today. This testing bay is arranged symmetri-
1963 in Wolfsburg
driver at the Volkswagen testing site in Ehra-
cally so that each side is equally challenged by the
Training:
Lessien. He is one of 800 testers routinely taking
hurdles. Drum rings imitating potholes protrude
Sheet-metal
tomorrow’s vehicles to the limits of their perfor-
five centimeters high above the asphalt. “Moguls,”
processor at
mance capability 24/7. Before any Volkswagen
says Pommer. They are a real test of the car’s wheel
Volkswagen AG
goes into production or receives road transport
suspension, drive axle and springs. In between a
Role:
approval, it first has to prove itself on asphalt.
railway track and some mud so that dirt is sprayed
Quality inspector
Chassis, brakes, electronic assistance system –
into every nook and cranny of the vehicle to give
Hobbies:
everything has to be in perfect sync at all times.
the mechanical parts a thorough workout. Future
Traveling,
Each mechanical part is tested over and over
production vehicles age in fast-forward mode.
photography
again under realistic conditions. For the past 45
This track puts pressure on the chassis and the
Dream:
years, all of that testing has taken place here in
driver’s back, too, which is why Pommer has to
To always have
Ehra-Lessien.
take a 30-minute break after every hour of driving.
dreams
The 1,100 hectares of test tracks are kept busy
Secured to the front passenger dummy is a suit-
with plenty of traffic seven days a week. Today,
case full of electronic equipment – a trip recorder
the 49-year-old starts his shift at 2 p.m. “Hallo”
and a data logger are always on board. “If I notice
to the office staff, then a quick briefing on the
anything unusual, I press a button and the electron-
day’s tasks. Oliver Pommer will resume non-stop
ic data is immediately saved,” explains Pommer.
testing of the latest prototype, which is prepped
It is stored on a chip that is later evaluated by the
and ready for him in the shed. Pommer is given
developers. In addition, the driver briefly describes
the top-secret daily code that allows him to get
the situation, for instance “rainy, wet road surface,
through the gate. Four plastic containers are
vehicle swerved as it hit the bend”. Because the
already in place – crash-test dummies filled with
rules for testing are the same for all drivers, the
water and buckled in, just to be on the safe side.
cause of the problem can be quickly identified –
Another 50 kilos of weight is safely secured in
and eliminated.
the trunk. Full-load testing according to the test
specs for this vehicle.
6.6
Safety is a top
priority at the EhraLessien testing site,
where every test
driver must complete safety training.
The risk of an
accident occurring
is four times higher
on German roads
than on these test
tracks.
Talking about:
6.7
The Ehra- Lessien testing site
Testing site:
Established 1968
Used by:
Volkswagen and other
Track hills:
Eight tracks with a gradient of
5 to 52 percent
Group brands
Max. speed:
250 km/h
Area:
1,100 hectares
Drivers:
800 in three shifts
Total track length:
Well over 100 kilometers
Fast track:
21 kilometers
Steep bends:
49-degree inclines
The digital radio allows the office computer to track
The test drivers head off to Berlin, Hamburg or
Pommer’s position. The same applies to the other
Hanover to test the navigation or traffic sign recog-
drivers as they test tomorrow’s vehicles for Volks-
nition system under real driving conditions, or
wagen and other Group brands on the various test
to determine how the engine and brakes perform
rigs. Many a clutch is put through its paces under
in a traffic jam. Open-ended testing occurs on
full load on the 5 to 52 percent gradients of the
the 250,000-square-meter vehicle dynamics track.
track hill; an off-roader scales the almost vertical
Faced with icy surfaces, missing curbs or other
face again and again, before driving through loose
obstacles, the rear of any car can swerve here at
sand at the bottom and then having to ford an
will – and with no repercussions. To simulate spe-
artificial stream.
cial cases of vehicle “misuse”, there is even a small
6.8
dynamics track where robots deliberately steer
Serial production vehicles are being driven on the
vehicles into big concrete crash barriers, mounds
21-km-long fast track that comes with a steep bend
of stones or raised curbs. The question here is
at both the north and south end. Here the driver
always: How can we improve things even further?
can let go of the steering wheel in a 49-degree
banking position, safe in the knowledge that the
centrifugal force will keep the vehicle on track.
Oliver Pommer loves his job: “Obviously,” he says,
“you have to be a bit of a car fanatic to do this.”
For special trials exceeding the maximum speed
He started out as a chassis maker at Volkswagen
of 250 km/h, the track is closed off. Like a few years
and went on to develop special vehicles for the
ago, when the world’s fastest serial production
development team. When Pommer learnt 15 years
vehicle set a new record here. The Bugatti Veyron
ago that test drivers were being recruited for
Supersports made it to 431 km/h.
the “biggest boys’ playground”, he was quick to
apply. Ever since then, day after day or night after
Doors, hoods and lids are opened and closed
night, he has driven on these tracks that simulate
again – more often during testing than in the entire
everything the world offers by way of road
life of the car. The corrosion center reveals which
type and surface. Pommer is passionate about
paint layer stays rust-free the longest when sub-
helping to improve the driving experience of
jected to an alternate barrage of salt spray, cold,
future Volkswagen customers.
heat and moisture. The paint is scratched beforehand so the developers get quicker results. Pilot
production vehicles venture out into the big cities.
Roads with icy surfaces or missing
curbs are no obstacle here. Induced
aquaplaning is a
license for the rear
of any vehicle
to swerve without
repercussions.
From steel coils to
steering wheels – parts
from all over the world
are joined at just the
right second to create
a Golf thanks to
Volkswagen Logistics.
7. 1
7. 2
7. 3
Station
Logistics
A never-ending stream of materials flows through
a basis for planning material flows. The process is
the Wolfsburg plant, systematically directed by
specified for each individual part, from ordering
3,000 logistics employees. All processes have been
the material until its arrival – just in time – at the
reworked and reorganized to improve sustain-
assembly line.
7. 4
Gas-driven trucks
ability, service quality and efficiency. Continuous
production at the plant would not be possible with-
The route taken by the steering wheels from pro-
are used to trans-
out organization and perfect timing.
duction to assembly in hall 54 is also planned in
port material
detail. They are made at various plants on behalf
around the plant
of a French company and are delivered by truck
and between sites.
multifunction or not, black with black or colored
in 90 containers, each holding 36 steering wheels.
In plants where
stitching, with an aluminum look or made of
On arrival, they are still packed sorted by model.
these are already in
Steering wheels come in 34 different variants –
leather. Volkswagen offers its customers a highly
On any working day, 1,000 suppliers and carriers
place, Volkswagen
individual design and the Golf can be ordered
bring raw materials, parts and system assemblies
and its carriers
in an almost infinite number of configurations.
to Wolfsburg from all over the world.
have reduced CO 2
emissions by up to
It is made up of several thousand individual parts.
As a result of this diversity, the Logistics depart-
Every day, 120 rail cars arrive fully laden with steel
ment keeps some 10,000 parts accounts. The
coils for the press shop or coal for the two power
job is to make sure that the right version of each
plants. Volkswagen’s own loading station is
individual part arrives on the assembly line at
comparable with a medium-sized Deutsche Bahn
the right time.
marshalling yard. Every year, some 150,000 rail
cars arrive or depart. Each day, 900 trucks drive
Long before the first part was ordered for the first
through the gate. Some are delivering parts to the
production model, logistics planners had digitally
component production warehouse. One in eight
designed new containers with an exact fit. They
heads for hall 55 – including the truck with our
ensure that body parts are delivered from the
steering wheels. This is the hub supplying the
press shop right up to installation in the car body
Golf, Golf Plus and Tiguan assembly lines. Around
without any loss of quality. Most parts destined for
5,000 containers arrive here daily. Once the ma-
assembly arrive in standard containers. Logistics
terial has been inspected for completeness and
experts also test their capacity digitally in advance.
quality, it is taken into stock and transferred by
Products are broken down into parts lists, and
conveyors to the warehouse, which holds 22,000
production scheduling specifies destinations for
containers with enough material for two to three
the material – the logistics specialists use this as
days of production.
30 percent.
Station
Logistics
7. 5
7. 6
The sequence in which the vehicles are sent
There is a steady coming and going at the Wolfs-
through the body shop, paint shop and assembly
burg plant. Modules are preassembled, body parts
line is specified in the vehicle information system
made and sheet blanks cut for distribution to the
by the Logistics department. Pick lists with the
other plants in the Group’s global production
parts required for the next 24 vehicles are printed
network. Cut-offs and steel scrap are pressed into
out. Parts are supplied just in time from hall 55 to
blocks and returned to the steel manfacturer by
the assembly lines upstairs in hall 54. However,
rail car. And new Volkswagens are loaded. Around
parts with a large number of different variants that
10 percent of the Volkswagens made are collected
are still sorted by model – including our steering
by customers in the Autostadt. The rest are
wheels – only get as far as the picking units, where
shipped to their new owners. On average, 440,000
each part is presorted into the exact order in
vehicles leave the plant on trucks. On one working
which it will be assembled. Only then are the full
day, up to 180 two-level freight cars are loaded
containers with the steering wheels transported
with ten new vehicles each. That makes 360,000
to the assembly line by electrically-driven vehi-
vehicles transported by rail every year.
cles (tugger trains), which then remove the empty
containers.
At the end of a working day in Wolfsburg, ten
million parts from all over the world have been
With production of the new Golf, most containers
handled and delivered to their destination at
are transported by these trains. They offer various
the right time. More than 3,800 new Volkswagens
advantages compared to the fork-lift trucks pre-
have been produced and sent on their journey
viously used: they can deliver several containers
to customers throughout the world.
at once, are more energy-efficient and reduce the
risk of employees being injured.
The material is delivered just in time on the ground
floor of hall 54, too, where the doors, powertrain
and dashboard are assembled. It is also the job of
logistics to ensure that each module arrives upstairs
at just the right moment to be installed in the
designated Golf on the assembly line. This involves three kilometers of hauling and conveying
technology.
The transport grid
within the plant
is 200 kilometers
long with 30 tugger
trains whirring
along it around the
clock.
7. 7
Talking about:
The digital factory
Lights out. Bernd Niebuhr puts his red-green
be modified, moved, turned and cut to the point
glasses on, picks up the fly stick and approaches
where its whole appearance can be changed in
the power wall. Cameras sense his every move and
mere tenths of a second. In the first crash tests, it
relay the data to the computer mainframe, which
is these digital vehicles that smash into virtual
creates a three-dimensional reality. Some people
walls. The developers also assess workplace ergo-
react to this by feeling slightly faint: “You lose your
nomics. Before anyone stands at an assembly line,
sense of the room’s real proportions,” says Niebuhr.
the avatar will assemble the parts and helps to
A warning signal on the floor prevents him from
precisely determine what effect a certain move-
poking his fly stick into the 15-square-meter pro-
ment will have on the joints, backs and physical
jection screen. Right in front of Niebuhr, the Golf
strength of younger and older employees when it
emerges from the left. He cuts a vertical line in
is made several hundred times over. The digital
behind the headlamp and turns the openings to
Golf also allows designers to try out every possible
face him. Now he can look inside the steel skeleton
combination of exterior and interior.
of the vehicle – a perspective that is hard to come
by in the real world.
Once development of the various parts is more advanced, Niebuhr and his colleagues come into play.
Niebuhr’s task is product enhancement. He and
Will a wire or a tube interfere with the assembly
his colleagues put all the joints, built-in parts and
process? Then come the process planners. Step by
package spaces of a future vehicle under the mi-
step, they plan all the body shop assembly and
croscope 26 months before start of production.
joining processes in virtual form first. For individ-
The virtual world accompanies the whole develop-
ual parts like doors or hood, precisely proportioned
ment process. The data enables precision planning
containers are developed that are later automati-
of all steps, before any material or labor costs are
cally loaded in the press shop and unloaded again
incurred. As soon as the first prototype emerges
in the body shop. Once it is clear which part is to
from the designer drawing board, every millimeter
be assembled where, it is time for the logistics
of it is scanned in. Design engineers digitally trace
experts to step in. They optimize the material flows
the outer shell and inner structure of the body parts
in such a way that the right parts are pre-sorted
to create a digital mock-up.
by so-called “tugger trains” before being taken to
the assembly line. They also deliver their material
Although this virtual Golf twin will never move
in two-dimensional form first – as data boxes in
anyone from A to B, it is better than any real
virtual production halls.
vehicle during the planning phase, because it can
7. 8
Like the joystick
of a games console,
the fly stick is a
tool that allows
Niebuhr and his
colleagues to optimize products and
processes in the
virtual world before
any parts are cut.
We compress steel
cut-oȉs into blocks
and return them to
the producer. That’s
100 percent recycling!
8.1
8.2
8.3
Station
Think Blue. Factory.
Mr. Bosse, are Volkswagens now being produced
What does that mean in terms of energy?
is the Volkswagen
in the “Think Blue. Factory.”?
For example, our plant here in Wolfsburg used 2.4
brand’s sustain-
Strictly speaking, yes they are!
million megawatt hours in 2010 – about the same
“Think Blue. Factory.”
as a medium-sized town like Heidelberg. If we
ability strategy. It
applies to all cor-
What’s behind the idea?
divide that sum by the 774,000 vehicles produced,
porate divisions in
We want to become more environmentally aware,
we end up with around three megawatt hours
every plant around
every step along the way – that applies to our prod-
per unit.
the world.
ucts and to all Volkswagen plants worldwide. Our
“Think Blue. Factory.” strategy is geared to the
latter; it’s all about thinking and acting ecologically.
So if you increase the number of cars produced,
you’ll soon reach your target …
It’s not quite that simple. Our base load is high –
Does that mean that Volkswagen wants to reduce
after all, we have more than 50,000 employees and
consumption in the light of rising energy prices?
buildings that are partly listed monuments. Of
Well, that’s what everyone wants! We are pursuing
course it would help us to produce more cars, be-
a holistic approach involving five key indicators:
cause the base load of 30 percent of consumption
energy, water, waste, CO 2 emissions and solvent
would then be spread over more units. But we
emissions (VOC). The current focus is on energy:
take volume effects like that into account, because
we want to use electricity, gas and heat even more
it is the only way to measure efficiency improve-
efficiently in future.
ments. Reducing the base load is a very important
part of this.
What are your exact plans?
We intend to go further than legislators and our
Is saving expensive?
customers expect. By 2018, we will have achieved
We provide funding for innovative measures as part
a 25 percent reduction in all five areas – related to
of implementing our strategy. Our “TB.F. trades
the production of a single vehicle.
teams”* are important. They develop, designate,
assess and plan measures for the coming years
* “Think Blue. Factory. trades
teams” are in place in all
divisions – for example in
research, in the press shop
or on the assembly line.
When did you start and how?
and set suitable deadlines for implementation. We
We chose our 2010 figures as our “springboard”.
talk about migration paths in this context.
We divided our energy and media consumption
by the number of vehicles produced in that year
and that is what we measure our performance by.
That’s how we defined our targets for 2018.
8.4
Name:
Karsten Bosse
Born:
1962 in Brunswick
Training:
Industrial
administrator
Role:
Head of locationbased controlling
Hobbies:
Soccer (passive)
Dream:
To travel to the
world cup final
in Brazil in 2014
Station
8.5
Think Blue. Factory.
In just two years, everyone at this site worked
EȌciency increase since 2010
The new synthetic
together to save almost 200,000 megawatt hours
By 2014: 13%
paint shop: As early
of energy. Energy includes gas, electricity and
Target for 2018: 25%
as the planning
heat.
8.6
stage, we make
sure that the latest
environmental
and energy-saving
technologies are
incorporated.
So you already know today what production will
Where do we stand today?
look like in 2018?
In the past two years, we saved almost 200,000
The whole point of making plans is to be able to
megawatt hours. That corresponds to an efficiency
adapt them to new developments. We are always
increase of 10 percent per product.
on the lookout for suitable energy-efficient technologies as well as developing our own solutions
How close are you to reaching your goal?
that we assess in pilot projects.
Sometimes closer, sometimes further away: in 2011,
we even achieved 17 percent. But in 2012 we had to
Do other plants follow your example?
put up with a 7-percent increase.
Each plant has a different structure and a different
level of vertical integration. You can’t compare
How do you explain that?
them. But we have set up a Company-wide plat-
In 2012, we were producing the Golf 6 and Golf 7 in
form, “Maßnahmen@web”, to exchange promising
parallel, and that was noticeable. Producing body
ideas within the Group.
parts by means of hot forming also certainly plays
a role.
When and how is “Think Blue.” applied – while
production is up and running?
… but it also makes the cars more energy eȌcient.
As I said, we have already raised awareness of the
Don’t you factor that in, too?
topic among our planners and buyers. Long before
If we use more energy in production to improve
the Golf 7 went into series production, we asked all
a product over its entire life cycle, then that too is
those involved to assess the efficiency of the new
a challenge we accept.
production system. And new solutions were found.
We can be very creative!
And what happens once you have reached your
goal in 2018?
Can you give us an example?
Behind all of our targets is a vision. We want to
Our engineers developed the gravity conveyor
make our impact on the environment as small as
with brake module. The parts are propelled by
possible for future generations. When we have
their own weight during transport. We have reg-
achieved a 25-percent reduction in all five indi-
istered a patent for the invention at the plant.
cators, we will still have 75 percent to go. That’s
reason enough for us to carry on.
We’re moving in
the right direction!
By 2018, production
of a single vehicle
will be 25 percent
more efficient in
all areas, from research to delivering
the finished car.
Thank you
The rhythm of machines in the press
shop. The smell of metal and hydraulic Ȗuid. Robots weld steel sheets in
graceful unison. Posters blare out
reminders: “Think Blue.”! Hands press
switches and move levers. Deep Black
and Pure White glide under the
ceiling. Robots take photos. Tugger
trains whir past with supplies. Body
to body Ȗoating past. The making of
a new Volkswagen …
Imprint
We would like to thank the following people for
their professional support:
Michael Bartsch, Jörg Bartzsch, Heiko Bischoff,
Rolf Böttger, Karsten Bosse, Dr. Carsten Dieckhoff,
Hartmut Fligge, Rüdiger Folten, Sebastian
Gabriel, Axel Gärtner, Philine Géronne-Neels,
Prof. Heiko Gintz, Mario Gramsch, Haucke-Frederik Hartmann, Stefan Jänsch, Steffen Jänsch,
Birga Korzekwa-Marahrens, Astrid Kruppa,
Conception, text and editorial work:
Tobias Kubsch, Kathrin Marquardt, Bernd Niebuhr,
Lydia Schumacher, Gemünd
Martin Schellenberg, Sabrina Schubert, Joachim
Conception, design and editorial work:
Schwarz, Yvonne Seiffert, Dirk Seifried, Marco
Bender + Büwendt, Design und Beratung, Berlin
Stypmann, Nadine Timm, Klaus Wehrmann,
Dirk Welscher, Dr. André Zein
Photographs:
Ulf Dieter, Berlin; front cover (right), p. 1.6 top:
Volkswagen Media Services; inside front cover:
Bender + Büwendt
English translation: Textpertise, Giessen
Litho:
Köhler & Lippmann Medien GmbH, Wolfsburg
Printed by:
Friedr. Schmücker GmbH, Druckhaus – Verlag,
Löningen
VOLKSWAGEN AG
Group Communication
Visitors’ Services
P.O. Box 1976
38436 Wolfsburg
Germany
www.volkswagen.com
www.volkswagenag.com
376.802.514.20
Printed in Germany