BMW ne kaafi years laga diye apni oldest factories me se ek ke around third of one part ko rebuild kiya ja raha hai, or saath hi daily 1,000 tak cars line se roll out hoti hai. Ye plant 100 years se bhi zyada time se chal raha hai. 2027 tak yahan sirf electric vehicles hi manufacture ho gaye. And aaj wo humein iske behind the scenes present karne ke liye ready hai.
An internal factory overhaul
BMW apne Munchi plant ke conversion mein around €650 million invest kar raha hai. New body shop completely ek "virtual twin" ke through design hua hai, matlab ek digital simulation jisme pehle hi every robot or workflow plan kar liya gaya, real world mein build karne se pehle.
Ab around 800 robots joining processes handle karte hai, wo bhi around 98% automation ke saath. BMW ne joining process types ko reduce karke sirf 5 kar diya hai, jo further coordination ko kaafi simple bana deta hai.
Building apni khud ki electricity rooftop solar system se generate karti hai or KfW 40 EE energy efficiency standard ko meet karti hai.
Press shop steel or aluminum boards ko components mein stamp karta hai, daily ke tens of thousands pieces ban jaate hai. BMW ne apne global network mein press or tools ke specs standardize kar diye hai, isliye tools easily ek plant se other plant shift ho sakte hai, or employees bhi bina retraining ke different sites par work kar sakte hai. Jo extra scrap (off cuts) preserve hota hai, usse sort karke wapas sent kar diya jata hai so that new coils ban sakein.
Paint shop ab AI cameras use karta hai jo process ke during surface defects catch kar leta hai, baad mein nahi. Automated systems on spot variations ko fix kar dete hai, on the spot. Pehle wale setups mein issues separately baad mein fix hote the, but yeh wala wait hi nahi karta. Exhaust air ko bhi electrically powered eRTO system se clean kiya jata hai, instead of thermal systems jo more energy lete hai.
Assembly ab us jagah ho rahi hai jo pehle engine manufacturing hall hua karta tha. Jab car abhi line par hi hoti hai, BMW i3 apne around 20,000 features ka status production system ko already send kar raha hota hai, isse problems end mein nahi, immediately hi spot mein aa jaati hai.
2.5 million components daily
Logistics wala part log frequently underestimate kar dete hai. Yeh plant daily around 2.5 million parts handle karta hai, or future mein in mein se around 70% parts direct delivery se direct assembly workstation tak jayenge, in between storage ka koi step nahi hoga.
Sunne mein simple lagta hai, but actually kaafi tough hai, especially jab plant ek crowded city area mein ho jahan expand karne ki jagah hi nahi hai. Isliye BMW ne ek multi story building built ki hai jahan parts ground level pe aate hai or phir conveyor system ke through right floor tak distribute kiye jaate hai.
And future mein around 60% supply ka work automated robots or driverless vehicles karenge, jinko ek central digital control system manage karega.
Munich mein ek or unique cheez hai jo kisi or BMW plant nahi milti, yahan seats bhi wahi manufactured ki jaati hai. Every model evry seat in-house manufacture hoti hai or assembly line pe bilkul exact sequence mein deliver ki jaati hai. BMW is facility ko apna quality benchmark maanta hai seat production ke liye, and new materials or manufacturing methods sabse pehle yahin test kiye jaate hai.
The cost argument
Plant head Peter Weber bol rahe hai ki jab i3 production properly start ho jayega, tab overall production cost or 10% tak reduce ho jayegi, that means current vehicle generation se bhi below aa jayegi.
Iska ek part process or automation improvements se aa raha hai, or ek part Neue Klasse platform ki simple architecture ki wajah se.
BMW clearly yeh present karna chahta hai ki electric transition sirf regulations ke liye nahi hai, rather manufacturing ke liye bhi more cheaper option hai.
i3, Munich ke liye plan kiye gaye Neue Klasse models me se first model jisme i3 Touring bhi aayega. Batteries ek new facility se aayengi jo lower Bavaria me hai, around 90 minutes away. Electric motor Austria ke Steyr plant me ban raha hai, jahan pe BMW past 40+ years se normal (conventional) drivetrains bana rahi hai.