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Volkswagen Argentina S.A
Gral. Pacheco Industrial Center Volkswagen Builds The Future Today One of the most important steps of Volkswagen in Argentina was the construction of its new Industrial Center in Gral. Pacheco in the late 1995. It has a production capacity of 30 cars per hour and improved model capacity to incorporate local and world Konzern Volkswagen platforms, in full agreement with the worldwide quality standards for the brand and using the latest car manufacturing technology. The only difference with European car manufacturers is its daily output, due to fluctuations in domestic markets. The initial construction of the Production Plant was carried out in a record 180 days’ time; this effectiveness was again achieved at the time of launching the new models. The implementation included the supply of all infrastructure services such as power, gas, water, air, fire prevention system, effluent treatment and canalization, internal roads, communication, etc., in addition to the enlargement of existing facilities to allow for the installation of hi-tech equipment available in the international market. Regardless of our achievements, our engineering has been characterized and distinguished for its permanent search for technological excellence and permanent improvement- Through continuous re-analysis of results and possible points for improvement we apply our technological philosophy: Although it is the best, it is perfectible”. To this end, we strive to make the most intelligent use of our technological and human resources with the purpose of achieving improvements that can then be directly or indirectly transferred to our products. Development Of The New Project To prevail in such a hard and highly competitive environment as the automotive industry, our business was supported by certain premises. The basic concepts of the project set at the right time by the Volkswagen Group were: Flexibility, high output, "Lean Production", "Just in time", and automated and ergonomic production systems. "Lean Production" or economical production means that the number of hours of production of a vehicle are kept to the minimum. To achieve this, a modular plant, which considers the automobile a sum of various modules or sets, has been designed. The body travels along the main line while modules are added at certain points.
The plant layout is divided into modules and each of them works as an independent cell in such a way that that cell can be operated by Volkswagen or an authorized supplier under the same quality standards of the Volkswagen Group. The idea is that some suppliers, working under an associated company modality, assume responsibility for specific modules, so that each module is produced by the supplier who is a specialist in that area of business. Quick Response This has a double effect: on the one hand, as each module is assembled by a specialist, production costs are cut down. Also, when a new automobile is launched, each supplier is responsible for changing his module, working in tandem to reduce lead-time. "Just in Time" is the other production concept that allows us to hold minimum material inventories within the Industrial Center. To this end, each area operates a large volume of materials; that is, each supplier delivers the parts that will be sequentially used in the production lines. This requires that sometimes many deliveries be made during a single day. Ergonomics means that assembly operations should be carried out so as to reduce workers' physical effort to reduce occupational diseases and achieve the best performance. To this end, special tools and devices are designed. This is the philosophy on which this ambitious project has been developed. To this end, managers and technicians of Volkswagen Argentina make regular visits to the Plants of the VW Group in Germany and other centers in Europe with the aim of equaling them in technology and applying these concepts to the new Industrial Center in Argentina, one of the most modern and efficient centers in Latin America. Ecology And Environmental Protection. Since environmental protection is a top priority for the Company, reforestation programs have been initiated, together with the modification and cleaning of an internal lagoon as well as the introduction of equipment and systems to reduce sound output. Local and international organizations have given this site credit for the construction of a plant for solid treatment separately from the effluent treatment. The verification of their entire waste and effluent treatment process is also part of our policy, including those components processed outside the plant. This Industrial Center forms part of the ISO 14000 Standard Certification program, which is specifically focused on environmental preservation. Quality Assurance The pursuit of excellence in the quality of products and services is the main objective of all the members of the VW Group, its suppliers and partners. Here, we also believe it is always possible to improve both to internal and external customer satisfaction levels. To keep and ensure the quality level required by the VW Group, a number of facilities and programs have been implemented allowing us to gain access to vehicle export markets beyond South America and to participate in the production of components for highly sophisticated vehicles. Our main technical support is provided by: Audits of vehicles and components: It has over 1,000 m2 and facilities for permanent output testing, assessment and analysis. Special run-in and tests procedures are carried out to determine the Plant’s quality indicators from the point of view of the most demanding customer. Three-dimensional measuring room: This room has hi-tech machines for double column measurement, intelligent lighting system, and interior temperature equalization system as well as oscillatory antivibration basement. Through this technology, used in the most advanced European plants, we measure bodies, platforms, subsets, tools and production devices, achieving overall control of all the equipment and facilities used in the production process. This process ensures accuracy in the manufacturing process, enabling anticipation of potential deviations. Main Lab: this lab has over 70 machines for hi-tech tests. It is totally certified and officially approved (ISO IEC 25), therefore it is considered one of the 4 top level labs in Argentina, providing the necessary capacity for the performing of test procedures in other companies, including other car manufacturers. It is also authorized to test and certify other labs. It has satellite stations distributed in Argentina, Brazil, Africa, Europe, and USA, including an outdoor station in Antártida Argentina through an agreement with the Air Force. This permanent link is maintained with the experimental stations in Pacheco I (Prov. of BA), Base Jubany (Antártida Argentina), Camet (Mar del Plata), San Juan (Prov. of San Juan), Iguazú (Prov. of Misiones) within our country and with Arizona (USA), Wolfsburg / Mosel / Kassel (Germany), Pamplona (Spain), Taubaté / Curitiba / Anchieta (Brazil), Puebla (Mexico), South Africa and Ajax (Canada) at an international level.
Paint Process Lab: It is equipped with the latest technology for chemical and physical analyses of the body paint process and protection. Analysis of protection and sealing conditions, application of anti-shock components in bodies, etc. is also carried out. Audits in progress: Distributed along all production lines and representing a compulsory area for final approval of all units, there are intensified lighting tunnels, optical equipment, a 400 m long track for noise-level assessment, dynamic water test (8000 liters per unit/ over 100mm rain simulation), running in cabins, electronic check, etc. Audit of receipt of materials: with facilities and equipment to verify all pieces prior to being admitted into the production line. It has three-dimensional measuring equipment / special lighting and stabilized temperature for pieces, parts and subsets measurement. Pacheco Industrial center keeps permanent contact with the transmissions, axles and high-precision mechanized parts Plant (TRANSAX) in the Province of Córdoba. The quality monitoring system is also permanently linked with all the quality centers around the world. In these systems, quality analyses are instantly passed on to the VW worldwide network and, in this way, any other production plant or Quality Assurance Center can continuously verify those quality levels. The certification of Volkswagen quality systems under the ISO 9002 international standards was obtained in August 1996. This condition must be validated every six months, that is why the Pacheco Industrial Center was audited in April 1997, October 1997 and April 1998, always obtaining excellent results. Consequently, international entities have recommended maintaining the ISO 9002 certification. All those certifications were reaffirmed and surpassed in June 1999 when we obtained the ISO 9001 Corporate Certification which also incorporates all the Company's plants in South America. Technology And Specialization The project development began in February 1995 and the construction was initiated in June. The starting-up took only six months, as the Industrial Center was officially inaugurated on November 17 1995. This Production Plant, which was later improved and modified, has not only been recognized by the Konzern but also by world-wide specialized car manufacturing entities for its modern conception, its high efficiency and productivity, and for ensuring the same quality levels as those in the parent company's plants in Europe. The assembly of the body components is based on the generalized application of robotics, with automatic lines for the lateral sets, the whole floorboard and components, and the main geometry. The final assembly of all the parts of the body ensures accurate geometry, which is simultaneously verified using hi-tech computerized three-dimensional measuring equipment. A highly qualified and specialized workforce gives the final touch at the various finishing stages. The Paint plant systems are designed to ensure Volkswagen quality. To this end, the precleaning, phosphate coating, and cataphoresis processes have been substantially changed, incorporating successive immersions together with wash and rinse stages, and the use of robotics for enameling bodies. The capacity of this site is 30 units per hour, with enlarged ovenings and audit and satellite control stations for all units. The new mixing room ensures the perfect balance of all the components and the availability of all colors in production. It also has acoustic devices and muffler systems to avoid noise pollution. In the assembly process, where new equipment is installed, two conveyors or lines are incorporated, one known as the Upholstery line, where elements that dress bodies are incorporated, and the other one, known as the chassis line, where the propeller (main block, gear boxes, suspension system, steering, braking) and the rear axle, etc. are incorporated. The capacity of the engine sequencing line is worthy of mention since it can handle around 25 varieties of engines and 12 varieties of gear boxes. These lines have many technological features. There are two lines that clearly differentiate them from the rest: the Upholstery line, which is based on platforms where the automobile is placed, and which has a special feature: the body can be placed at a regulable height with respect to the worker, so that he is always in a comfortable ergonomic position. Another feature is that the worker stands on the same platform so there is no relative movement between him and the unit, that is, each person works as if the vehicle were motionless. In the chassis line, the car is carried by an intelligent air carrier. It has a special feature: the height of the vehicle in every station can be programmed at the operator’s convenience. Another technological innovation has been incorporated in Argentina adapting it to Pacheco Industrial Center dimensions. An intelligent warehouse for units was designed and built providing room for 192 bodies in a single building with the assistance of two high-speed transelevators (double axis). The managing system allows us to get information on bodies in transit, stored bodies, colors, models, characteristics, etc. To facilitate the assembly of the body components, the door panels are removed from the car in the first Assembly station, which are transported through another line to the site where the assembly of those panels is completed for final installation (once car assembly has been almost concluded) in the same body from which they were originally removed, through a special sequencing carried out by the control room. These two lines have an intelligent control which ensures a faultless process, since any fault is immediately detected by the diagnosis stations. Techinal Data
No. Of workers in the construction site: An average of 840 workers in the 6-month period. Permanent staff: 2267 (updated to 2001) Personnel of Associated Companies: 87 (updated to 2001) Production capacity: an automobile every 2 minutes, 30 units/hour. 600 units / day (3SHF) Services suppliers: 335 people (updated to 2001) Assembly line: 3,317 meters. Models currently produced: Gol III /export / Polo Classic / Derby export / Caddy / SEAT Inca and SEAT Córdoba Specialized Associated Companies With the opening of its new Industrial Center, Volkswagen also implemented an innovative supplier engagement system in the form of Associated Companies”. Who would have ever thought, only some years ago, that a car manufacturing plant would have suppliers in their own assembly lines operating areas that used to be exclusively handled by its management? Under this policy, Volkswagen encourages the strengthening of its specialized suppliers base who will be provided support to acquire licenses or associate with well-known international car part manufacturers under joint ventures. This system provides the following advantages among many others to highly qualified suppliers of specific processes within the plant: · Sustained cost reduction through specialization, aimed at achieving international prices. · Payments per unit produced. · Inventory reduction. · Participation of suppliers in business, assuming the entailed risks and benefits. In this way, Volkswagen Argentina has achieved an excellent coordination with some associated companies that have identified themselves and participated in this undertaking, such as Glasurit (BASF group), for paint and cataphoresis; Henkel, in anticorrosive phosphate coating processes; Química True, for anticorrosive applications. All these companies apply self-checking, training and statistics methods, which contributes to positioning the new Volkswagen Industrial Center in Argentina at the same levels of quality, hi-tech and reliability as those currently existing in Europe. In this way, this advanced and innovative corporate concept which encourages the involvement of all its members has started and continues to foster a new internationalization era in the Car Industry in our country. |
Volkswagen Argentina S.A Mr. Viktor Klima Contact
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