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Press Release04 March 2020Digital IndustriesNuremberg
Siemens supports Volkswagen to develop digitized electric car production
Together with Volkswagen, Siemens is developing a standard for the upcoming Volkswagen electric car generation
The Volkswagen brand expects to be building up to one and a half million
electric cars a year by 2025. In order to enable this level of mass production,
its Zwickau factory will be completely converted to e-mobility and extensively
digitized by the end of 2020. The electric car is based on the MEB platform (Modular
Electric-Drive Matrix), comprising a battery and two axles, one or both of
which are electrically driven, depending on the design. The production plants
for the MEB-platform models are based on the 6th generation of the VASS
(Volkswagen Audi Seat Skoda) standard. The VASS standard includes automation
solutions for hardware, software and visualization, as well as material for
application training and upskilling.
“With the
VASS standard we offer a building block system for stable production and
facilitate mass production of different models on the same line. At the same
time, we are creating a consistent basis for further digitalization of the
production processes,” explained Thomas Zembok, Volkswagen AG.
The first of
two lines for body shop and final assembly has already been implemented and
series production has started. The second line is currently being realized and
is scheduled to go into operation in the fall of 2020. Siemens technology is
being used for both lines and includes the TIA (Totally Integrated Automation)
Portal, Simatic controllers, HMI (Human Machine Interface) panels and
industrial PCs. This is one of the key drivers for the increase of automation
in the final assembly from 17 to 28 per cent and in the body shop from 85 to 89
percent. Seamless integration into further steps in the value chain is also
happening in the logistics field with the use of automated guided vehicles
(AGVs), for example. Six models based on MEB platform for three group brands
are scheduled to be built in Zwickau from 2021. The first of this new
generation of electric cars rolling off the production line since November is
the ID.3.
Bernd Mangler, Senior Vice President of Automotive Solutions at Siemens Digital Industries, explains: “The great advantage of the VASS standard is that Volkswagen can also scale it according to the respective production plan in its other plants.” He emphasizes: “The new VASS standard is an important step for Volkswagen’s further digitalization of production. It offers a number of benefits, such as the ability to uniformly control the operating parameters of production machines, as well as the seamless communication between machines, with the ultimate goal to increase the productivity and efficiency in production.”
Volkswagen´s first new generation electric car being built with Siemens automation technology
For this press release
Siemens Digital Industries (DI) is an innovation leader in automation and digitalization. Closely collaborating with partners and customers, DI drives the digital transformation in the process and discrete industries. With its Digital Enterprise portfolio, DI provides companies of all sizes with an end-to-end set of products, solutions and services to integrate and digitalize the entire value chain. Optimized for the specific needs of each industry, DI’s unique portfolio supports customers to achieve greater productivity and flexibility. DI is constantly adding innovations to its portfolio to integrate cutting-edge future technologies. Siemens Digital Industries has its global headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and has around 76,000 employees internationally.
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 170 years. The company is active around the globe, focusing on the areas of power generation and distribution, intelligent infrastructure for buildings and distributed energy systems, and automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries. Through the separately managed company Siemens Mobility, a leading supplier of smart mobility solutions for rail and road transport, Siemens is shaping the world market for passenger and freight services. Due to its majority stakes in the publicly listed companies Siemens Healthineers AG and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Siemens is also a world-leading supplier of medical technology and digital healthcare services as well as environmentally friendly solutions for onshore and offshore wind power generation. In fiscal 2019, which ended on September 30, 2019, Siemens generated revenue of €86.8 billion and net income of €5.6 billion. At the end of September 2019, the company had around 385,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.
Contact
Julia Kauppert
Digital Industries
Gleiwitzer Str. 555
90475 Nuremberg
Germany
90475 Nuremberg
Germany
+49 174 311-8098