The Bavarian concern's plant in Munich has been operating for over 100 years. But now it is undergoing a transformation. It is to become an “iFactory”, as the company calls it. Starting next year, the factory will produce only electric cars.
According to the Bavarian concern, this transformation of the plant cost EUR 650 million – an amount close to PLN 2.8 billion. First, the production of the new i3 electric sedan will start at the modernized plant in Munich – it is scheduled to happen in August this year. This is one of the most important premieres for BMW. First of all, the small model has been “pulling” the company's sales for decades. Secondly, this is the second model created as part of the new Neue Klasse platform (after the iX3 SUV).
This is what the most modern BMW factory looks like The i3 model at the Munich factory
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Mateusz Madejski / Business Insider Polska
“We have paved the way for the upcoming launches at all our plants and have invested significantly in technology, digitalization and artificial intelligence,” says Milan Nedeljković, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG for Production.
2 thousand robots. This is how a new BMW is created
It must be admitted that new technologies in the factory can be seen at every step. 2,000 people “work” there. large robots, which, among others, assemble individual parts of the car. For example, in the body shop – part of the factory, i.e. the place where the car body is made – the degree of automation is as much as 98 percent.
But there are also smaller autonomous vehicles that, for example, transport smaller parts around the factory.
BMW representatives explain the investments in such autonomous systems not only as a desire to save money and to develop technology. The key, as they say, is also the use of space. And there is very little of this in the Munich factory – it is located right next to the city center, so enlarging its area is out of the question. New autonomous logistics solutions are intended to make the most optimal use of space.
BMW i3
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Mateusz Madejski / Business Insider Polska
The logistics department at the Munich plant handles approximately 2.5 million parts every day – so modern solutions are intended to speed up the delivery of components directly to production lines, without unnecessary stops.
Cost cutting, however, of course also remains important. “We have significantly reduced production costs in recent years. With the start of production of the BMW i3 model, we will reduce total production costs at the Munich plant by 10 percent, bringing them below the levels of the current generation of vehicles,” says Peter Weber, head of the Munich plant.
The factory in Munich is located right next to the company's headquarters
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Mateusz Madejski / Business Insider Polska
The company also emphasizes that autonomous systems are not competition for real people who “remain the most important for BMW.”
“The factory employees played a key role in making the transformation a success,” assures Peter Weber.
As the company assures, the i3 will not end in Munich. In the future, several Neue Klasse models will be produced at the factory, including the BMW i3 Touring (i.e. station wagon version).
Of course, it is not the case that all key BMW models are made in Munich. The iX3 SUV, for example, is manufactured in Debrecen, Hungary.
Look: A factory for the “hope of European motoring” was established in Hungary. I was there
Works at the BMW factory in Munich
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Mateusz Madejski / Business Insider Polska
BMW i3 frame
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Mateusz Madejski / Business Insider Polska
The factory operates not only large robots, but also smaller ones that deliver smaller elements to production lines
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Mateusz Madejski / Business Insider Polska
“Disassembled” BMW i3
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Mateusz Madejski / Business Insider Polska
Peter Weber, head of the BMW factory
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Mateusz Madejski / Business Insider Polska
Some logistics are still done in a traditional way
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Mateusz Madejski / Business Insider Polska
Author: Mateusz Madejski, journalist of Business Insider Polska
