A new plant for a new class of BMW cars is coming to life in Debrecen, Hungary. The assembly line is ramping up to start full production of the Neue Klasse by the end of this year.
New vehicle architecture means new possibilities for assembly: greater efficiency thanks to modularisation, fewer different connecting elements, a simplified wiring harness installation, and the most compact pre-assembled cockpit ever.
Running without issues
“It started running without any issues,” says Hans-Peter Kemser, Managing Director of the Debrecen Plant. “We achieved this thanks to virtual planning and tests, as well as the outstanding collaboration between our new, highly motivated employees in Debrecen and our experts within the BMW Group’s global production network.”
The new BMW iX3 is the first car built as a guinea pig for further testing. Series production of that car is set to start in late 2025. The Hungarian plant has been designed specifically for the production of all-electric vehicles, with lessons learned in other BMW production facilities.
Lessons learned from China and Leipzig
BMW says Plant Lydia in China, which opened in 2022, inspired many structures and processes in the assembly. It was the first BMW Group site to be wholly planned and simulated in the virtual world in line with the principles of BMW’s virtual iFACTORY.
The cockpit pre-assembly is located right next to the main line at BMW’s newest factory in China. Once the cockpit has been pre-assembled, it is installed directly in the vehicle just a few meters ahead. The same thing is done in Debrecen.
The Leipzig plant, which opened in 2005, is another paragon of diligence. The so-called finger structure, or comb structure, allows supply parts and preassembled modules to be transported directly to the assembly lines.
Significantly more simple assembly
“A record proportion of parts, up to 80%, can be delivered directly in Debrecen, as the fingers will enjoy logistics supply from both sides for the first time. This is the highest ratio in the BMW Group’s production network,” the company claims.
BMW says that several features of the Neue Klasse are new territory for everyone. “Unlike in previous models, the cable harness is divided into multiple parts, making installing it easier and more ergonomic. The zonal wiring harness architecture requires 600 fewer meters of wiring and weighs 30 percent less than the previous generation.”
“The variation of connecting elements has also been radically reduced for the Neue Klasse. This, in turn, reduces the number of different plugs, screws, and clips. All of this makes assembly significantly more simple.”
Chinese example
The Chinese have proven that by designing their cars for utmost simplicity in assembly, they have reduced costs dramatically compared to most historic Western car factories.
That is reflected in the price setting of the end product, which is often up to half that of a car produced in Europe. It will be interesting to see how BMW’s efficiency gain with the Neue Klasse will affect its final prices.
Comments
Ready to join the conversation?
You must be an active subscriber to leave a comment.
Subscribe Today