Volkswagen North America is receiving $1 billion in investments by 2025 as part of its electric mobility and digitalization push that will see it increase output by 30 percent at its facilities in Puebla and Silao, Mexico, as well as Tennessee, U.S.A.
The digital push will see it invest in better software, optimized artificial intelligence, and improved robotics to help increase efficiency at its factories.
“We’re pushing our ambitious digital transformation to make Volkswagen’s factories in the North American region more productive, connected, and more sustainable than ever before”, said Johan de Nysschen, COO at Volkswagen Group of America. “Our digital transformation also supports skilled labor and high-profile, future-proof jobs throughout North America at our sites in Chattanooga, Puebla, and Silao.”
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A global industrial cloud-based IT platform will help the company boost manufacturing by sharing data connections, as well as real-time information and software for industrial machines. With 13 global suppliers and 21 Volkswagen Group plants already on the cloud, it should make improving how the machines work much easier.
The company has more than 50 projects being disseminated through a cloud-based app, and its North American sites are already looking to deploy an intelligent conveyor motor monitoring app that can reduce downtime and support predictive maintenance.
In Puebla, smarter robots that work with employees have already been deployed to keep an eye on panel gaps. The robots can perform 26 checks in less than a minute and will soon be able to check welding patterns to ensure that vehicles are built as well as possible.
Finally, new tools developed in-house at VW’s AI Detroit center are set to help supervisors better manage schedules in Chattanooga. The tech is designed to help make it easier for managers to track training levels and time off.
“We need a production network that is just as advanced as our future vehicles for North American customers,” said Susanne Lehmann, Senior Director Production, Volkswagen de México. “Through our work we already see not only the value of what’s been implemented but the promise of what’s to come.”
